Shotgunning: Monday's Top Stories, Slammed

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.

* Could Brek Shea take that awesome rooster hair to England? According to his agent, who told Sky Sports, as it was reported in the New York Daily News (still following?), several English Premier League sides are taking a look at the FC Dallas man. Manchester City and Liverpool scouts "were believed to have watched" Shea play this weekend in Miami.


* Grant Wahl says Clint Dempsey should be U.S. Soccer's "Player of the Year" and we're hardly one to argue with that statement.

* More than fifty years of adidas kicks is pretty sweet and KCKRS has the link and the story behind the preservation of the iconic shoe companies soccer history.

* Our friends over at "The Shin Guardian" have their, as usual, brilliant re-cap of this weekend's action between the USMNT and Los Catrachos.

* And a preview from TSG as well for tomorrow's showdown with Ecuador.

* FutFunatico's Elliot Turner looks at "Hispanic Identity and U.S. Soccer" for Fox Soccer. A great read in two parts. Part one. Part two.


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NEWS WATCH - Blazer Donzo With CONCACAF

"I'm retiring to spend more time with my iPod."

Chuck Blazer, CONCACAF's General Secretary, will step down at the end of the year he announced today. Blazer, a frequent homeless person impersonator, will still remain a member of FIFA's Executive Committee.

“My passion for soccer is undiminished and it is time for me to explore new challenges within this wonderful sport,” Blazer said in a statement. “Running a governing body has been an incredibly fulfilling job, but there are so many other areas of the sport where as a senior executive, I will make a great impact.”

Blazer, 66, a gregarious, larger-than-life figure, has been in charge of CONCACAF for 21 years. During his tenure, he grew the confederation’s revenue from $140,000 to $40 million through various initiatives, including the increasingly popular Gold Cup and CONCACAF Champions League.

Blazer has also been a member of the FIFA Executive Committee since 1997. He will retain that position.

“Chuck’s contributions to the sport over the last 30 years are unparalleled,” US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said. “All of us in CONCACAF owe him a great debt of gratitude for his sustained efforts in helping to take the sport to where it is today. There is no doubt that he will continue to make an impact in whatever role he chooses.”

Blazer’s tenure was not without controversy. He played an integral role in the drama surrounding the bidding for the 2022 World Cup, which many thought would be awarded to the US. Instead, it was awarded to Qatar.

During the FIFA presidential election earlier this year, Blazer was again involved in a controversial episode when he initiated an investigation into ethics violations, including bribery allegations, involving CONCACAF vice president Jack Warner several Caribbean federations and FIFA presidential candidate Mohammed bin Hammam of Qatar. As a result of the investigations, bin Hammam was eventually banned for life from all football-related activities and Warner, of Trinidad, resigned from football administration duties.

“In looking back at my years at CONCACAF, I have great satisfaction in having achieved all my objectives, including unprecedented revenues, new initiatives in competitions and modern technology in administration,” Blazer said.

Also, Blazer will still continue his duties as the bringer of joy to boys and girls around the world each December 25th.


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Shotgunning Thursday'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.


* JOOOOOLAZO! Altidore scores his 6th in seven games for his new Dutch club. Just three off his all-time, single season tally and ties the total amount he's scored in Europe in the last three seasons.


* For Major League Soccer the sun rises in the West. Match Fit USA's Jason Davis, writing for US Soccer Players, talks about the Western Conference's current domination in the league. But just a few years back it was the East calling on the shots. Just all apart of MLS' continuing parity see-saw.

"Several Western Conference teams have figured out recipes for success - something that has nothing to do with their conference affiliation - while Eastern teams have fallen behind in the ever-changing MLS environment. It’s luck of the draw, a natural ebb and flow, and purely coincidental. MLS isn’t immune to that odd phenomena seen in other pros sports, where a league goes through phases of one league/division/conference having dominance over the other.

Three years isn’t a very long time at all. Not much changes in three years. The order of things, in the macro sense, doesn’t typically over such a short period. In terms of soccer - certainly in most places - the possibility for sweeping change is essentially nonexistent. Europe’s leading leagues do not turn over the top teams in three year, and there’s never a geographic component. New challengers might pop up through investment or good management, but a decided lack of parity makes it nearly impossible for an entirely different group of teams to become the top echelon."

* With the huge imbalance currently in the league, Sports Illustrated's head soccer writer Grant Wahl says the playoff system is broken (even though it was just re-vamped for the 2011 season). Wahl spelled out a solution that was originally forwarded by
The Sporting News' Brian Straus to makes MLS' playoffs work again (if they ever did).

"What's the solution? I'm not one of the people who think MLS should drop the playoffs and go with a single table like most European leagues. Playoffs are more exciting, and playoffs done the right way are a rewarding way to crown a deserving champion, as we've seen in so many other U.S. sports.

But there's a much better playoff structure MLS could use, one that could start as soon as next year and remain in place permanently, no matter how many teams MLS adds to the league in the future. The idea (first proposed by Brian Straus, now of The Sporting News) is this: two World Cup-style four-team groups followed by a four-team bracket with league semifinals and a one-game MLS Cup final.

Here's how it would work. You'd keep the Eastern and Western Conferences. As I'll explain below in my idea for how to schedule a 20-team league, a regular-season schedule weighted with in-conference games would limit the cross-country travel that I think is a problem in the current setup. If MLS wants to hand trophies to the conference winners, then it can do so based on the regular season. Then the playoffs can start."

* Staying with our MLS theme "The Shin Guardian" gets it's first guest contribution from "The Blizzard" a UK-based quarterly magazine. Their subject? The brutal nature of our domestic game and the affect on the development of quality of play in the United States.

"MLS’ reputation as a physical league is well deserved: players are superb athletes, capable of maintaining a high level of play throughout a long season; they have to put up with countless hours of travel, crisscrossing time zones and enduring the kaleidoscopic climate variability of North America, but the implication of the negative insinuations of the word is to simplify the problem these injuries should be used to highlight. It would be folly to blame random chance for such a catalogue of injuries. Luck has played its part, but there is also an array of background factors, some easily reconcilable and some that require longer-term treatment. Injury is inevitable in all sport, but for its own development, MLS must create an environment in which the best players do not live in fear."

* Sporting KC's CJ Sapong tried his damnedest to win the heart of USMNT goalkeeper Hope Solo during training before tomorrow night's match at LIVESTRONG Park in Kansas City. As Dirty Tackle put it, And that's how C.J. Sapong won Thursday, September 15."

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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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Shotgunning: Top News for Tuesday, Slammed!

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.


* Who will Jurgen Klismann's new-look USMNT face on the Tuesday, October 11th open international date? U.S. Soccer announced Monday that it will be Ecuador at Red Bull Area. The match will be the end cap to the Saturday, October 8th match against Honduras in Miami announced last week.

It will be the third time in two year that the Nats have played a game in New Jersey.

* Need another reason "Why American Soccer?" How about the accessibility of players? According to Goal.com nearly 39% of Major League Soccer players are on the social media site Twitter.

"In its own unique way, Major League Soccer is increasingly becoming social. Throughout the front offices and locker rooms, social media is removing the microphones and cameras, and providing a new outlet and means of communication for players, staff members and executives to voice their opinions. It is a unique level of transparency that is not often seen in Major League Soccer, particularly with the current ease of publishing information."

* Why do the Red Bulls blow right now? SI.com writer Steve Davis says its all Rafa Marquez's fault.

"Marquez remains in the Mexican national team scene, having just returned from his latest trip with El Tri.  So, how in the world can a player who can still pass muster with a good national team look so inept, unfocussed and apathetic about his club?

We’ve seen it all before, of course. Lothar Matthäus set the N.Y. standard in 2000, when he managed to squeeze in 16 MLS matches between Central Park jogging sessions with his girlfriend. (In fairness, this isn’t a phenomena exclusive to New York; we’ve certainly seen it elsewhere in MLS as decorated men try to wring a few more paychecks from MLS clubs too naïve or star struck to recognize a bad fit.)

If you ask me, benching the clearly uninspired Marquez might provide a boost for Hans Backe’s team, some sort of inspirational addition by subtraction. At the very least, the couch would be saying to the team, “I care enough to make a bold move here, so it’s time for you to care, too.”

* The Third Kit is a pretty sweet site and the fact that they've got the soundtrack for the upcoming FIFA 12 all up and posted for the world to see makes them extra sweet. Did the crack into EA Sports headquarters for it? Dunno. Perhaps its all out there somewhere, but we don't read so well so finding it elsewhere is a chore. We'll just pretend they went all Tom Cruise-Mission Impossible to get their hands on it for is. Good work, gents.

* Want to know how loads of Americans plying their trade overseas did this weekend? Steve Goff at the Washington Post's Soccer Insider has quite the list each and every week. Although domestic Goff missed our phenomenal performance in goal this past weekend as it was reported on Twitter.

And in beer news...

* A truck carrying over 40,000 cans of Bud Light and Bud Light Lime overturned on a highway in Sacramento, CA. Eh.

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Shotgunning: Today's Top Stories, Slammed

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.

* Grant Wahl says FIFA needs to get it's own "Red Zone Channel" like the NFL. The American Throwball league has a show that pops in and out of games around the country on game days featuring all the big plays, stops, and scores. Wahl proposes the soccer governing body do the same.

"There no reason this channel shouldn't happen. Call it whatever you'd like -- World Cup Goal Zone, World Cup Real-Time, FIFA Matchday Live -- but there are plenty of incentives for fans, as well as FIFA and its member nations. The fans get a fun, addictive, all-in-one service that currently doesn't exist (and would be of far higher quality than pirate online livestreams). Meanwhile, FIFA and its confederations would receive income that could be shared with their member nations." 

* Jason Davis at Match Fit USA calls for calm over Jurgen Klinnsmann's slow-growth revolution of the USMNT and cautions the inclusion of "Latin flavor" just for the sake of it.

"Jurgen Klinsmann wants to impose a new style on the USMNT. He'll go about his task by looking for players capable of executing his plan. If he wants to win, he can't afford to worry about hitching the new style directly to his other aim - integrating more of America's Latino flavor into the team. He can do both, but he should be careful that he doesn't send the message that the style can only come with Latin flavor. American soccer is already rife with stereotype and generalization. If Klinsmann falls victim to them or even appears to, it will only reinforce beliefs that will hold back the sport here in the years and decades to come. That will only make Claudio Reyna's job harder, handicapping a program already facing an uphill road to success. 

Let's go for that attractive style Klinsmann wants to play, and let's do so with all the abandon for which the American people - be they Latino, black, white, or other - are known. But let's keep in mind that style, as Edward Gibbons once said, is the image of character. American soccer's character should be inclusion, inclusion, inclusion; inclusion to the degree that the word no longer applies because there simply is no bias, and therefore, no need to label the role of any particular group of people as "included" as if some other group is being excluded. 

Let our style truly reflect our character, be the product of it. If not the one we have, the one to which we aspire."

* Charlie Davies bagged a hat-trick, Teal Bunbury got a brace, Real Salt Lake ended Seattle's streak, the Revolution beat FC Dallas, Toronto FC win for the first time on the road, and the Union continue to sputter... that and more in this week's MLS highlights.

* Major League Soccer also released the results of Facebook-fan voting on the 24 best players under the age of 24 in our domestic league and FC Dallas' Brek Shea took top honors. Juan Agudelo, Freddy Adu, Teal Bunbury, and Steve Zakunai round out the top five. A panel of nine "experts" will start revealing their choices for the best young players in MLS starting on Thursday.

* American soccer fans with a love of Euro-mornings already knew this, but the rest of the country is finally waking up (pun intended) to the idea of "breakfast beers", including the Wall Street Journal which recommends a few to try out.

"Athletes and moms, you might say, deserve a tall cold one for breakfast—but mere mortals? Few sneer at a weekend-morning mimosa or Bloody Mary, yet it's unlikely that cheap bubbly or a handful of celery stalks add much to a plate of eggs. In other words: boring. Beer, nourishment aside, is a livelier companion. In fact, paired with morning foods such as oatmeal or granola, unexpected flavors emerge like green tea and chocolate milk."

* In Dallas? Get to the "Bobby Rhine Memorial Kickaround" to benefit the FC Dallas Foundation at Rhine's family. Hosted by Street Soccer Dallas, Freddy Fund, and Good Football.

* In Austin? Check out the fantastic soccer documentary, "Pelada" at Draft House on West Anderson at 7pm. Proceeds of the showing go to benefit the "Multicultural Refugee Coalition Soccer Team". FBM will be there.

* Lastly, the former "American Soccer Show" hosts Jason Davis and Jared DuBois are still podcasting in between leaving the old show and beginning their new show somewhere else (who knows?!?!). Listen to this week's episode here.


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NEWS GRAPHIC - The Best Beers in America 2009

The American Craft Beer Fesitval beings in Boston, Massachusetts this Friday (same weekend as USA-Spain... lucky city!) and over at the site, Mike Wirth Art, designer Mike Wirth has created graphics that represent the industry and all the Great American Beer Festival winners each year.

What a way to celebrate America!

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NEWS WATCH GRAPHIC - Major League Soccer's International Flavor

Courtesy of MLSSoccer.com the league released this neato map of the where and who of all the international players in Major League Soccer.

The results? While 280 players are from the ol' U.S. of A. another 184 players call 57 other countries home. These stats make MLS the most diverse league in all of American professional sports. MLS' foreign players make up 38% percent compare to Major League Baseball's 26% and the National Hockey League's 25%.

A handful pretty cool trivia answers to have in your back pocket for the next time you show up on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" or whatever game shows you crazy kids are watching these days.

Graphic Courtesy of Major League Soccer

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NEWS WATCH - Major League Soccer Announces New Playoff Format

10 playoff teams? Ribbons for everyone!

Major League Soccer announced their new playoff format for the upcoming 2011 season. The league, now with 18 teams playing, will feature ten playoff teams vying for the MLS Cup.

Here's the league's line:

The league’s new structure will include the top three seeds from each conference and four wild card berths – regardless of conference affiliation – but the postseason will now include two play-in games for those wild card teams.

The expanded system now allows for more teams to be included in the postseason chase, driving more interest throughout the league as two additional teams vie for a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

We're all about the American soccer, but having 56% of your league team enter the post-season seems to us like rewarding regular season mediocrity. Certainly that hasn't been the case for the past couple of seasons in MLS.....

If you think of the "wild card" play-in games more like one would for the NCAA basketball tournament then those teams don't really count as "playoff" teams and there's only really eight hats in the ring for the MLS Cup. Granted there's no college basketball play-in teams wining Division I titles, whereas when it comes to the "Fall Classic" for the league, all bets are off.

Being the true optimists that we are about our version of the domestic game we can brag to the rest of the American sports leagues that our "wild cards" are truly wild!

"The MLS Cup Playoffs: Russian Roulette Is More Predictable!"

Here' a helpful video from MLS to explain it all (although if you have to create a video to explain it, then its probably already too complicated):

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American Soccer Fans Get on the Transfer Merry-Go-Round

Wheeeeee!

Thus ends another "silly season" in European soccer. For us Americans there is hardly an equivalent in our other sports to the insanity of the rumors, speculation, and maddening amounts of money that are thrown around during the transfer window and particularly the closing days of it. The always brilliant Brian Phillips (of Run of Play fame) wrote for Slate.com during the summer transfer season:

"That's also the secret of transfer gossip. For all that soccer turns on discrete, actual events—goals scored, games won, contracts filed—its appeal also depends on its role as a kind of vast public daydream."

American soccer fans are just becoming accustom to the wonder, and terror, of the transfer periods. For years we looked on with bemusement that players and money danced around the world as players moved from team to team, country to country, and league to league.

But now, as American players ply their trade across the pond more and more frequently, they too are taking a spin on the transfer merry-go-round. And we, too, as fans are taken along for the ride.

This January we followed the saga of U.S. Men's National Team player Michael Bradley as he looked for a new home away from sinking German ship Borussia Mönchengladbach. As we wrote earlier Bradley's destination was all over the European map
from England's Sunderland to Galatasaray and Fenerbahce in Turkey before going on loan to Aston Villa.

American fans hung on nearly every blog post, tweet, and column inch (OK maybe there weren't that many of those) about the latest Bradley rumor. Many bit on the Galatasaray reports only for the Villa about-face hours later. By the end of yesterday only Baby Bradley holding up the claret and blue of the Villians ended the speculation.

We've been here before. Last year, and before he ended all the rumors of another move aboard, we played the "Where Will Landon Donovan Go?" game. This winter, beyond Bradley's movements, U.S. soccer fans saw the final day of the transfer window swing wide open for a few more Americans.

Jozy Altidore, who saw preciously little playing time at Spanish la Liga's Villarreal, moved to Turkish league defending champions Bursaspor. Eddie Johnson, also seeing little of the field for Fulham, moved to Preston North End and European vagabond Freddy Adu also dropped into Turkey, albeit a step below, for the second division's Çaykur Rizespor.

In fact, as FanHouse Soccer's Brian Straus points out, 12 of the 23 members of the 2010 World Cup squad have changed teams since this summer. With nearly each of these moves American soccer fans get to experience the same rumor, speculation, half-truths, and out-and-out mis-reporting just like our Euro fan friends.

Welcome to the big time American soccer fans! You know you've arrived on the global soccer stage when you get to participate in all the gut-wrenching, nail-biting, will-he-won't-he-drama that the rest of the world experiences twice yearly.

Pass the Tums.

Photo Credit: AVFC.com

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NEWS WATCH - Beckham Staying Put

After all the drama surrounding where Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder (and global style icon) David Beckham would land on loan this Major League Soccer off-season who had "nowhere" in the office pool?

Anyone....? Bueller....?

Turns out the former England international (and, yes, former... he's not making back into the England squad)  had his loan ambitions spurned by 'Arry Redknapp and Tottenham (like what I did there? "Spurned". Because, you know, Tottenham are called the Spurs?) He will train with the London side for the next month and then return to SoCal to begin the preseason with the Galaxy in February.

Frankly, we're tired of this bullshit with Mr. Golden Balls. If you want to play in England/Europe then go. If you want to fulfill your contractual obligations with Los Angeles then stay. This charade off-season after off-season is getting old.

We want you in MLS. You're an asset to the league, a good pull at the ticket window, and the potential to be a great ambassador to soccer in the United States. All the things that we'd hoped for when you first arrived years ago.

That's still possible and you can still have a great legacy in this country with this sport, but not as long as you keep staring longingly across the ocean. The Galaxy are locked an loaded for a run at the MLS Cup this coming season. They've brought in caging veterans like Juan Pablo Angel and Frankie Hejduk. Even Landon Donovan passed on a loan move to Everton. You can do the same.

Just make a commitment and we'd be happy.

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NEWS WATCH GRAPHIC - Major League Soccer Salaries Lag Far Behind Other American Sports

Financial planning website, Mint.com, (why they're all of a sudden doing this we dunno) posted this fascinating graphic comparing American soccer's salaries, budgets, etc with other American sports.

The contrast, in graphic form, is well.... graphic.

Thoughts, anyone?

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NEWS WATCH - Stu Holden Named "Prem's Best Player" at Mid-Season

Supporters of Stu Holden, the USMNT player and former Houston Dynamo star, have been singing the midfielder's praise all season for his breakout role with Bolton. Now Holden, in his first English Premier League season, is also getting recognized by the fans there as well.

Readers of "The Guardian," using their average player ratings for each EPL match, have chosen the American international as their "best player so far this term".

"No player embodies this alluring blending of industry and invention better than Holden, who, as a bonus, over the last month has also added goals to his game. His average mark for the campaign so far, according to readers, has been 7.4."

Certainly there have been many other stars in the Premier League this season, including other Americans Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey who have shown for Everton and Fulham, respectively, but for such a relative newcomer like Holden to be noticed so quickly for his workmanlike performances is great feather in his cap.


Source: Guardian.co.uk

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NEWS WATCH - Major League Soccer Names 2010 "Best Eleven"

The 2010 MLS Best XI


From MLSSoccer.com News Release:

Donovan Ricketts, LA Galaxy: The Jamaican goalkeeper started 29 matches in 2010, posting a 18-7-4 record with 11 shutouts and a .90 goals-against average, good for third best in the league.

Jámison Olave, Real Salt Lake: The big Colombian center back led the RSL defense to a new record for fewest goals scored in a season (20), and he added three goals at the other end.

Nat Borchers, Real Salt Lake: The American missed only 27 minutes all season long. He also scored two goals, including a stoppage-time header to save a point against rivals Colorado.

Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy: Last year’s Rookie of the Year was even better in 2010, leading the league’s second-stingiest defense (26 goals against). He also notched two goals.

Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy: The US international led the league in assists (16) for the first time in his career. He also hit seven goals of his own. This is his fourth Best XI nod.

David Ferreira, FC Dallas: The Colombian playmaker scored eight goals and dished out 13 assists, second-most in the league. Despite being the most fouled player in MLS, he played all but one minute of the regular season.

Javier Morales, Real Salt Lake: The Argentine No. 10 had another balanced season, hitting seven goals and posting nine assists, leading the league’s most prolific attack.

Sebastien Le Toux, Philadelphia Union: A breakout season by the French attacker made the expansion side competitive from the start. Winner of the Fair Play Award, he finished with 14 goals and 11 assists, accounting for 71 percent of Philadelphia’s scoring.

Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto FC: Always dangerous, the Canadian international hit 15 goals for the Reds, including five match-winners. This is his fifth Best XI nod, tying him with Chris Armas and Jaime Moreno for most all-time.

Chris Wondolowski, San Jose Earthquakes: The previously unheralded striker exploded for six goals in the final four games to take the Golden Boot with 18 total goals. Nine of them were game-winning goals, helping the Quakes reach the playoffs for the first time since reforming in 2008.

Edson Buddle, LA Galaxy: The US international scored nine goals in the first six games, earning himself a spot on the World Cup team. He finished with 17 goals, good for second in the Golden Boot race.

Photo Credit: MLSSoccer.com, Getty Images


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The Flight: FBM In The News and a Few Other Things

We continue our new feature on the Free Beer Movement site blog, "The Flight". In "beer-speak" a flight is a serving of several choice brews to whet one's appetite and that's what we hope our flight does for you.

As with any good beer tasting it's important to serve up some variety and try all sorts of good stuff. That's why we're debuting "The Flight," compiling the soccer's (and sometimes beer's) most random and tasty bits.

We'll serve up video clips, news items, opinion, or complete random-ness. It might come in piles or just in a single serving. Hopefully most of it peaks your interest.

If there's anything floating around the Inter-net-blogo-sphere that you've seen and think should be featured on the site just leave us a comment in any of the "Flight" posts or drop us an e-mail at freebeermovement@gmail.com.

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Free Beer Movement Stuff


* An exciting last couple of days at the Free Beer Movement as we got some nice local press. The Free Beer Movement and our American Outlaws chapter were featured in a print and online article in the Austin-American Statesman Austin360 column this past Thursday.

Hot off the presses.

* On Friday we were interviewed by a very prominent blogger in the American soccer Inter-Net-Blogo-Sphere. More details on this when the interview runs.

* We'll be contributing to an article on The Shin Guardian sometime this week. A successor to our original contributions to "What's Your Yankee Brew?" piece. If you're looking for great beer recommendations with your soccer read the first piece and stay tuned for its sequel.

* Our media blitz finishes with an appearance (alongside star Austin Aztex forward Jamie Watson) on the new podcast, "In The Mixer" that covers all things Division Two soccer, the Austin Aztex, and soccer in the U.S.

As the American Soccer World Turns

* Sunday is a great day for some American soccer as THREE, count 'em, THREE Major League Soccer games available for your viewing pleasure. All of this, of course, means an excuse (not that you need one) to break out the beers and invite over a few soccer newbies to catch some great AMERICAN soccer!

First up... FC Dallas at Philadelphia Union at 5:00pm CT on Fox Soccer Channel (Need a beer for this game? Check Kirsten's "Going Suds Up" column for a great brew.)

Then.... Red Bull New York at Chicago Fire at 8:00pm CT on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com

Check out the video preview of the clash of massive DP star power (Chicago features Brian McBride, Nery Castillo, and Freddie Ljunberg while New York features Rafa Marquez, Juan Pablo Angel and Thierry Henry). The Fire might have some of the best video marketing guys in MLS.


Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls: August 8th, 2010 from Chicago Fire Soccer on Vimeo.

Finishing up with.... Houston Dynamo at Seattle Sounders at 9:00pm CT (on MLS MatchDay Live)

Photo Credits: Flickr, MLSSoccer.com, HoustonDynamo.com

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News Watch: Time Wasting Links For Your Enjoyment During the Holidays Edition

Ho! Ho! Ho! Nothing much going on at FBM HQ so we've got a host of great Ameri-centric soccer articles that have been floating around the Inter-web-blogosphere.

* Pass on World Cup 2018? USA and 2022 a perfect match? So says guest writer Keith Hickey on MatchFitUSA

* 2009 Year-In-Review for Americans Abroad in England by That's On Point

* The "Summer of Soccer" put the sport on the nation's radar, but one American soccer blogger isn't ready for soccer to become mainstream.

* You know what's wrong with other American sports? They aren't close enough to soccer. The Shin Guardian makes the case for "soccerizing" the rest of the lot.

* Soccer By Ives gives us their list of best USMNT goals of 2009.

* Missed our interview on the "Waiting For Gaetjens" podcast? No, you didn't... it's right here.

News Watch: US National Team Names Roster for Slovakia Friendly and FRANKIE is On Board!!!

USMNT Coach Bob Bradley announced his squad for Saturday's upcoming international friendly against World Cup qualifiers, Slovakia. The game is at 9am CT on Fox Soccer Channel.

Major League Soccer is represented well, although missing heavy hitters Landon Donovan, Stu Holden, and Brian Ching because their clubs are still competing for the MLS Cup in the playoffs. More important that all of that COMBINED is the inclusion of one very special man:

Mr. Frankie Hejduk!!!!!!!

Look at that intensity, that focus, that hair!

Frankie, despite some up and down play in the MLS playoffs is going to get another solid look from Bradley heading into the crucial run up to the 2010 World Cup. The FBM is keeping their collective fingers crossed that coach sees the value in keeping veteran leadership around in the squad for South Africa.

We had hoped that Mr. Hejduk would give us a call immediately after the Columbus Crew's tough loss to Real Salt Lake in the playoffs, but we understand that the healing process is a long one. Now with his Eurotrip book it looks like our "Recruit Frankie" drive has a little more time to collect signatures. Your's could be next!!!

We'll announce our own details for where the FBM is going to be on game day later this week.

News Watch: Numbers in the Stands, Numbers on TV, ESPN Ups its WC Coverage, Eastwood a Soccer Fan? and More

The Free Beer Movement is not focused solely on drinking. I know... it surprises us to say that too. In our more sober moments we also reflect on the state of the sport, culture-wise, with one eye on the headlines that pop up across the soccer Inter-blogo-sphere.

Here's a look at a few key stories that are shaping American soccer this week.

* Despite the recession, Major League Soccer is doing pretty OK.

This is great news given the current economic situation in the nation. All of the major sports leagues are suffering due to the down turn, but MLS's modesty seems to have helped it through the worst part of the storm.

The National Football league is struggling to sell tickets and Major League Baseball saw its attendance drop 6.9%, while MLS fell only 2.9%. The bad news is that if you take new franchise Seattle out of the figures (who averaged 30,897 per game) the league attendance suffered a 9% drop. The other bad news is that established clubs on, average, suffered more than the league's newer clubs. Long-struggling clubs like Kansas City, FC Dallas, and New York Red Bulls continue to lose fans not only because of the recession, but because they're just bad.

Back to the upside. The Summer of Soccer put American soccer on the map. Not 1994 World Cup on the map, but between the high profile matches and the USMNT's run the Gold Cup and Confed Cup it drew larg number of people to the sport and in the stands

* Even as attendance numbers are a mixed bag, TV ratings for soccer are pretty straight forward: a big jump for the footy. Fox Soccer Channel saw huge boosts for its English Premier League numbers and modest gains for its MLS broadcasts. Just keep in mind, its not worth it to compare the two.

* More good TV news: ESPN is going all-out for its World Cup coverage in South Africa next year.

* Speaking of the World Cup, the Los Angeles Time reports that the U.S. hosting the 2018 or 2022 tourney could mean an estimated $5 BILLION, with a "B" windfall for the nation's ecomomy.

* And how is that big going?

* A great "shoe on the other foot" perspective of American basketball from the Brits.

* If Dirty Harry is a soccer fan then why not the rest of America? Huh, punks?

* The Americans are Coming! The rest of the world ought to get used to the USMNT participating in its marquee soccer event.

News Watch: Soccer Photography, More Good News for US Soccer, MLS grows with ESPN Deportes, and Go USA Bid's Boost

A few Ameri-centric soccer posts working their way around the Inter-Web-O-Sphere:

* Soccer in America - A Photographic Journey

This is great stuff. The FBM sent in one of our pictures from a recent Austin Aztex game and it was there first picture in the feature! Some of the other ones have been pretty good as well (I'm thinking the Tony Danza Army). This is a great way to document the growing influence American soccer has on each of our lives. Check out all the photos in their growing archive. Send in your own if you have any, too.

* Columbus Dispatch: Soccer's Footprint in U.S. is Expanding

"Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!" (The Dispatch was on our shit list for their bad mouthing of our man, Frankie Hejduk). Now all is well again with last week's feature on the growth of the game in the U.S. including wise words from Mr. Hejduk.

* ESPN reports "significant growth" of Major League Soccer on Deportes

'Nuf said. This is good news as any upward moving for MLS tells the suits in Bristol, Conn. to hold on to their undies because soccer in growing in American. Pull the cameras out of the national jump roping competition and rock, paper, scissor playoffs; there's a new sheriff in town. (Notice how even after we said "nuf said" we still rambled? We have a bad habit of doing that.)

And,

* Go USA Bid gets boost from Seattle Sounder's owner Drew Carey on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson:

Tried to check and see if the sticker was still on Craig's desk later. Results: inconclusive. And when I said "tried to check" I didn't actually because 1) I don't have a TV (pirated Internet streams!) and 2) I would never stay up late enough to catch such hilarity.

Did we mention that Carey "tweeted" us and said he wanted to do a FBM event sometime? No? Well he did. Seriously.

News Watch: Germans Continue to Love the Free Beer Movement

First it was Bayern Munich hosting their own "Free Beer Match Day" (What no pics guys? Shesh!).

Now it's Stuttgart's keeper Jens Lehmann (former German National Team and Arsenal #1) getting dropped by the first team because he attended Oktoberfest after a match this past weekend (thanks for Near Post Blog for the heads-up). What is with the Germans and free beer?

Much like Norm MacDonald's oft-quoted Saturday Night Live Weekend Update line "Germans love David Hasselhoff," I think pretty much everyone can agree that the Germans also love the Free Beer Movement (don't pay attention to the fact that we have no current German members).

I think that it's time the Free Beer Movement make Mr. Lehmann an "honorary" member of the Free Beer Movement for his actions this past week.