Philly Expansion?

As the MLS season comes into its stretch run, so, too, does the competition for the league's 15th and 16th franchises. League officials say they plan to stay at 16 teams for some time after the next expansion. Whoever loses out on this expansion bid may have a long wait on their hands.

The Atlantic City Press seems to think MLS expansion for the Philly area is a good idea. It lays out a pretty good case, while looking at other possible cities.

Seattle the next city to get an MLS team?

According to Jonah Freedman of CNNSI and Soccer By Ives, Seattle is the next city to get a new MLS franchise. Seattle is already home to the Sounders of the United Soccer Leagues First Division and the MLS team will keep its name. The new Sounders will begin play for the 2009 season.

MLS' goal is to expand to 16 franchises by the 2010 season. The league currently has 13 teams and announced in July that it would add San Jose, Calif., as its 14th franchise for '08.

Seattle had been at the forefront of as many as eight candidate cities for further expansion. Portland, Ore., was also a consideration for a new club in the Pacific Northwest.

The new Seattle franchise would bring the number of teams in the MLS Western Conference to eight. If the league wants to balance its schedule, it must now add an Eastern Conference team. St. Louis and Philadelphia are said to be the frontrunners.

Tony Sanneh playing for the Red Bulls...

According to the Red Card by Luis Arroyave on the Chicago Tribune, Tony Sanneh is set to train with the New York Red Bulls this week where he will finish the last three weeks of his rehab and train with the team. Sanneh believes he will sign with the Red Bulls once he gets medical clearance.

SFUSA's take: I love Tony Sanneh. Sanneh is exactly the type of player that MLS helped developed for the US National team and European squads. I hope he has enough gas in the tank to contribute to the Red Bulls.

Tony Sanneh's career stats:

Senior clubs
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1994 1995-96 1996-98 1998-2001 2001-04 2004 2005-2006	Milwaukee Rampage Minnesota Thunder D.C. United Hertha Berlin FC Nürnberg Columbus Crew Chicago Fire	18 (14) 24 0(6) 86 (20) 31 0(1) 52 0(5) 08 0(2) 13 0(0)
National team
1997-	United States	43 0(3)

Mexican National Team player to MLS?

According the the Los Angeles Times, Chivas USA is deciding whether it will pursue current Mexico international Adolfo "Bofo" Bautista. Bautista has been told by Chivas de Guadalajara, where he won a Mexican league title in 2006, that he is no longer needed after falling out with Coach Jose Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre. Jorge Vergara, who owns Chivas de Guadalajara and is co-owner of Chivas USA, has said Chivas USA would have first choice in signing Bautista, but the player's agent is trying to find him a European team.

Adolfo "Bofo" Bautista's career stats:

Senior clubs
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2000-2002 2002-2003 2003 2004-	UAG Tecos Morelia CF Pachuca Chivas de Guadalajara	70 (15) 45 (19) 20 (2) 131 (42)
National team
2003-	Mexico	24 (8)

Claude Makelele to MLS?

According to reports, Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has refused to rule out moving to America. The Frenchman was often left on the bench last season, with the likes of Jon Obi Mikel preferred in his defensive midfield role. "I have not decided where I will play next season," he told Telefoot. "The United States is an option. It would not prevent me from playing for France, ask the coach."

This would be amazing - the best all around player that has mentioned an interest in MLS. His talents far exceed Beckham, but throughout this career he has never been recognized for them. When Beckham came to Real Madrid, Makelele was forced to go to Chelsea. Since that move, Real has not won a title and Chelsea has won several.

Claude Makelele career stats:

Senior clubs
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1992–1997 1997–1998 1998–2000 2000–2003 2003–present	Nantes Olympique de Marseille Celta Vigo Real Madrid Chelsea	169 (9) 032 (2) 070 (3) 126 (0) 126 (2)
National team
1995–present	France	053 (0)

US Game today!

Bob Bradley leads the US against China tonight in San Jose (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The team is main made up of Americans playing overseas with only MLS players being from Chivas USA.

This game should be a good test for some of the young players on the roster.

Figo to MLS - perfect fit!

Breaking news from Portugal claims that Luis Figo is pulling out of the multi-millionaire deal he had arranged with a Saudi Arabian club.

Here's a quick breakdown of what happened:

In December 2006, Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad reported Figo would transfer to the club in January 2007. Figo traveled to Saudi Arabia to sign a contract, but after talks with Inter Milan owner and President Massimo Moratti, Figo remained in the club and renewed his contract until the end of the 2007-08 season. Thus, a statement made on January 3, 2007, on the official Inter website declaring: "There are no negotiations for the transfer of Luis Figo to another club. The recent news of a possible transfer of the Portuguese midfielder is, therefore, completely groundless." Despite this statement, on January 5th, 2007, it was announced on the website of La Gazzetta dello Sport, that Figo had signed a contract in Saudi Arabia, starting on July 1st, 2007. On August 30 Figo said that he is still considering in staying Inter for 2007/08. He was deeply touched by the love of the Inter fans and need of him for president Massimo Moratti. On 29 May 2007, It was said that Figo will not join Ittihad on July 1 2007 because they didn't respect terms of contract.

Now I think that makes Figo a free agent. I think he would be a perfect fit for MLS. I could see Figo having a good impact on the field - similar to Juan Pablo Angel. Let's see what happens with Figo in the months to come.

Luis Figo's career stats:

Senior clubs
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1989-1995 1995-2000 2000-2005 2005-present	Sporting CP FC Barcelona Real Madrid Internazionale	137 (16) 172 (30) 165 (36) 066 0(7)
National team
1991-2006	Portugal	127 (32)

US Team for the Gold Cup

Coach Bob Bradley has picked his team for the Gold Cup. Its half from Europe and MLS. It looks like a feisty bunch.

The U.S. team will open the 2007 Gold Cup on June 7 at 9 p.m. ET against Guatemala at The Home Depot Center. They will follow that match two days later when they take on Trinidad & Tobago at 5 p.m. ET. The group stage will end for Bradley's team on June 12 (7 p.m. ET) vs. El Salvador at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. All three U.S. group matches will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura.

ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (3) - Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Defenders (8) -Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

Midfielders (8) - DaMarcus Beasley (PSV Eindhoven), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburger SV), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Steve Ralston (New England Revolution)

Forwards (4) - Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards),Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)

Shevchenko eyes MLS

According to the AP, Chelsea's Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko has revealed how he would like to become part of the growing football revolution in America at some stage of his career.

Shevchenko, who joined the Premiership club for £30million last summer, has failed to reproduce the kind of form which prompted Chelsea to pay AC Milan a record fee. But the 30-year-old, who missed Chelsea's FA Cup final victory over Manchester United on Saturday because of a groin injury, admits to having an ambition to play in the US.

Real Madrid's David Beckham is about to cross the Atlantic to join Los Angeles Galaxy and Shevchenko said: 'I'd like to play there, actually. Soccer is growing in the US and I'd like to be a part of that. I played there last summer against the MLS All-Stars and I saw myself that it's definitely improving.'

I hope many other foreign players starting thinking the same way.

UPDATE:
According to Eurosport.com Andriy Shevchenko says he would like to move to the American MLS league when he leaves Chelsea. Shevchenko's wife Kristen Pazik is American and spent much of her formative years in Washington DC, whose team DC United are among the leading MLS sides.

As a DC United fan I would love to see this happen!

MLS players Bob Bradley should watch...

ESPN's Ives Galarcep wrote this week about 11 players Bob Bradley should watch this week in MLS matches. Here's what he wrote:

Brad Guzan, Chivas USA -- Bradley's former goalkeeper on club level, Guzan joins Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis in the chase for a roster spot and potential playing time in the wake of Marcus Hahnemann's broken left hand. Guzan's club is struggling a bit but he has played well in beating out Preston Burpo for the starting job. The Galaxy should offer Guzan plenty of chances to show what he can do.

Bobby Boswell, D.C. United -- As bad as D.C.'s defense has been this year Boswell is still one of the league's best young center backs. With a week to regroup, D.C. United should come out strongly against Toronto this weekend and TFC has enough attacking threats to put Boswell's form to the test. He is a Copa America candidate and has an outside chance of being on both rosters this summer.

Michael Parkhurst, New England -- Twellman's goal-scoring exploits have helped overshadow a very good start to the season for Parkhurst, who is in prime form after overcoming some early-season injuries. Center back is one of the deeper positions in the national team pool but Parkhurst's play will force Bradley to give him a serious look this summer.

Michael Harrington, Kansas City -- Everybody's favorite fantasy MLS defender, Harrington hasn't looked much like a rookie for the Wizards, providing a solid presence both as left back and left wing. The front-runner for MLS rookie of the year honors early on, Harrington has at least earned consideration for a chance to attend the Gold Cup national team camp. A good game against a strong Colorado team on Saturday only can help his chances.

Todd Dunivant, Red Bulls -- A trendy left back pick a year ago, when Bruce Arena considered him for the World Cup, Dunivant has fallen off the radar a bit following an uneventful national team camp in January. He has been steady for the Red Bulls and as much as Arena might not like the idea, Bradley very well could add Dunivant to the left back mix with Jonathan Bornstein and Heath Pearce for a Copa America spot.

Kyle Beckerman, Colorado -- He might have only one national team appearance but Beckerman has as good a chance as anyone on this list to make one of the summer tournament rosters. He is steady on the ball, isn't afraid to make the hard tackle and is improving in the attacking aspect of his game. Whether he is capable of cracking the Gold Cup roster remains to be seen, but a good showing against former national teamer Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City) this weekend wouldn't hurt.

Justin Mapp, Chicago -- One of the bright spots of Bradley's January camp, Mapp is a prime candidate for a Copa America slot because of his versatility and ability to go at defenders. If he plays on the right flank, he could face off against Dunivant on Thursday, which would be a matchup Bradley would have serious interest in seeing.

Sacha Kljestan, Chivas USA -- There isn't much that Bradley's former first-round draft pick hasn't done this year, from the stunning goal to the crunching, suspension-triggering tackle. He is one of the most underrated players on this list, but he isn't underrated to Bradley, who knows all too well what the Seton Hall product can bring to central midfield. He could be one of the more surprising two-tournament picks in this group, but Kljestan seems ideal for what should be a young Copa America roster.

Ricardo Clark, Houston -- Clark hasn't really had much to prove to Bradley this MLS season but the time should have allowed Clark to work on the attacking aspects of his game. There is no question that he can be a destroyer in central midfield, but his offensive qualities, which are considerable, have yet to emerge this year. Facing New England's talented central midfield tandem of Shalrie Joseph and Andy Dorman will give Clark a great chance to show just how good a two-way player he is.

Chris Rolfe, Chicago -- No player on this list is playing better than Rolfe, who has four goals and three assists in just six matches this season. He always has provided a dynamic element at forward but he needed this strong start after a less than stellar showing for Bradley earlier this year. His confidence is high and if he can recover from an ankle injury by Thursday he will have a very good matchup in the Red Bulls to show how much he has grown. Rolfe is a prime candidate to be on both the Gold Cup and Copa America rosters and a strong (and healthy) showing this week will make Bradley feel better about bring him for both events.

Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas -- Why didn't Kenny Cooper play more? That was one of the more haunting questions of Bradley's interim tenure as head coach. Cooper has responded to the lack of national team playing time by playing well for the Hoops, delivering a team-high four goals thus far. Cooper's mouth-watering combination of technical skill and size made him the ideal replacement for Brian McBride in the eyes of many, but Bradley still isn't convinced. A good showing against Real Salt Lake's Eddie Pope, who has retired from the U.S. national team, wouldn't hurt in Bradley's eyes.

Vegas!!!

No we aren't talking about a bachelor party. We are talking about MLS placing a team in Vegas. According to the Las Vegas Sun, talks have progressed and it seems likely that MLS is willing to wage on Vegas. Banking on the international appeal of soccer and of the city, the Las Vegas Sports & Entertainment Group could have an MLS team playing in Las Vegas by 2010.

Several other professional leagues are looking at Vegas as well, but they have problems with gambling. Not so much with MLS. Several race and sports books in Las Vegas take wagers on MLS games. Unlike commissioners of other leagues, however, Garber has told Vegas organizers he has no issues with the gaming industry.

The sports group hopes to build a high-tech, state-of-the-art stadium with a retractable roof that will be linked with a casino.

On a side note, former U.S. national team defender and Hall of Famer Paul Caligiuri serves as the sports group's main spokesman and would play a major role in the soccer operations of Las Vegas Football Club.

This could be really fun!!!

Joe Enochs in MLS?

With Osnabrück's quest for promotion to the second Bundesliga hitting its final strides, club captain Joe Enochs has found little time available to plan his future as Regionalliga commitments consume the loyal club servant.

The veteran midfielder, who turns 36 in September, finds himself out of contract in the summer and remains unsure of what his future might hold - apart from the fact that he'll still be getting his soccer action somewhere.

According to Yanks Abroad, Enochs is considering returning to MLS.

"I'm 35 now, and I'm just not sure if anyone in America wants to take a risk on me at this time," said the San Francisco Bay Area native.

"I would love to go back to the States, and have always wanted to go back home, but just don't think it's realistic."

Personally I hope a team like DC United would take a chance on Enochs. He has played in Germany for years and would be a great addition to MLS.

Honduran midfielder Amado Guevara to Toronto?

Honduran midfielder Amado Guevara is about to be traded by Chivas USA to struggling Toronto FC for midfielder Paulo Nagamura and a draft pick. This will reunite Guevara and Coach Mo Johnston, who did not see eye to eye when they were together in New York.

Prior to signing with MLS, Guevara played all over the world: in Honduras with Motagua, Spain with Real Valladolid, Mexico with Tigres and Zacatepec, and Costa Rica with Saprissa. He was signed by the MetroStars on April 11, 2003.

While playing with Saprissa, he was a fan favorite, and is still remembered for his amazing skills. He had to leave the team because of the rule implemented by the "Morados" after 2003, by which they could only use Costa Rican players in their team.

Guevara immediately stepped into the MetroStars team and produced. Although he finished the season with only three goals and ten assists (he added another goal in the playoffs), he became the focal point of the team; they were successful when the offense flowed through him. Guevara added four key goals and two assists in the U.S. Open Cup, leading the Metros to the first final of any sort in the team's history.

Guevara tallied ten goals (six on penalties) and ten assists in his sophomore season. Guevara not only tied for the league lead in scoring, he was also named MLS's MVP. In 2005, Amado procuded another solid season for the Metros, with 11 goals and 11 assists, and added a goal in the playoffs.

In early 2006, a conflict arose between Guevara and the MetroStars. The club allowed him to train with Motagua, but Amado played for the Honduran club in a number of friendly matches, which might or might not have been permitted. Guevara lashed out in the Honduran press at the Metros' GM Alexi Lalas. But the two patched things up and Guevara remained in New York for the 2006 season. He received his green card in March 2006 and no longer counts as a foreign player in MLS. During the last game of the re-branded Red Bull New York season, Guevara scored three goals, a hat trick, to help them win 3-2 and reach the playoffs.

Plan to bring MLS back to San Jose fails

A plan to bring an MLS back to San Jose State University failed after a developer and campus officials could not agree about how much the school should be paid.

Developer Lew Wolff had proposed paying for a new stadium to house a revived Earthquakes Major League Soccer team and college football games on land next to Spartan Stadium. But the deal also would have required use of most of the university's 63-acre south campus for parking for stadium events, including concerts.

Wolff's option to buy an MLS expansion franchise expires in 2009 and hinges on his ability to construct a stadium. He acquired the option last year when the team moved to Houston.

Wolff is the current owner of the Oakland A's.

This is disappointing, but MLS needs to find another option. The Bay Area needs a team as much as the Pacific Northwest does. MLS needs to make itself a national league, without over expanding ala NHL.

Real Salt Lake and Kasey Keller -- a wonderful match?

According to an article on CNNSI - Keller has expressed an interest in playing on Real Salt Lake.

Keller hands-down is among the top two or three most internationally respected and accomplished players in the history of American soccer.

Keller's deal with Borussia Mönchengladbach expires in June, and it looks as if the club he captains is about to be relegated. At 37, he says he's ready for one last contract before he retires. And since he's a family man, he prefers to play close to his U.S. home near Olympia, Wash., or near his vacation home in Tamarack, Idaho.

Salt Lake City is the only MLS market anywhere near Washington -- a little more than 800 miles away, or a brief two-hour flight from Seattle. And because Keller is ready to sign one final contract, he's not waiting for an expansion franchise in the Pacific Northwest or the San Francisco Bay Area. If no MLS club makes him an offer, he'll likely sign another short-term deal in Europe and then call it quits.

I think this would be a huge loss for the league and would be a big help to Salt Lake City who currently has Nick "thank god he isn't on DC United" Romondo.

Sizing up the imports

The most captivating transfer period in MLS history has ended. The result? The league has never had a greater number of quality international players arrive at one time. Here's how Ryan Hunt of CNNSI ranks the top 10 signings in terms of their expected impact in 2007.

1. LUCIANO EMILIO, D.C. United -- The Brazilian striker quickly has shown tremendous power and skill. Emilio will lead MLS in goals this season -- he already has two in league play and five overall -- and he may need to the way D.C. has played thus far.

2. JUAN PABLO ÁNGEL, Red Bulls -- He filled N.Y.'s gaping hole at striker. More important, he gives a franchise that has never won a significant trophy real hope for first time since the league's inception.

3. DAVID BECKHAM, Galaxy -- He'd certainly be higher if he arrived sooner. He's not here just to sell tickets and jerseys. But, yes, off the pitch, Becks' impact is immeasurable.

4. GUILLERMO BARROS SCHELOTTO, Crew -- Beloved in Argentina, the Boca Juniors legend is a winner. And he could turn the Crew into a playoff team this season.

5. CLAUDIO REYNA, Red Bulls -- Reyna's injury woes -- he's missed one game and is questionable for Saturday's match -- have the doubters crowing. But when he's on the pitch, his talent is undeniable. Prediction: 20 games played.

Rest of the pack: 6. Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Fire; 7. Roberto Brown, Rapids; 8. Carlos Marinelli, Wizards; 9. Ronald Waterreus, Red Bulls; 10. Fred, D.C. United.

MLS Season Starts

Some observations from this past weekend - the DC United/Rapids game was officially sold out, but it looked quite empty. I know it was cold and snowing out, but MLS has to be disappointed with how it looked on TV.

I didn't get to watch any other games - but with the cold weather I can't imagine that the week went as well as they had planned!

Also - Red Bulls - 0 goals! I was expecting more out of a Bruce Arena, Claudio Renya team!

MLS doesn't want Keller... what are they thinking?

According to ESPN, MLS has little interest in bringing Kasey Keller to America. My question is why? I mean I know he is 37, but he can still play at a high level and is a name. I would love to see him and Brad Friedel in MLS. I think both these goalies are still playing at the top level and MLS would be lucky to have them.

On the reverse side, hopefully some of the younger keepers will follow Keller and Friedel's example and head overseas to play in tougher leagues. In America we have no shortage of quality tenders, but we need to continue to challenge them and not let some of the best goalies get comfortable playing in MLS.

If MLS is going to expand from 13 teams to 16 teams by 2010 - we need players like Keller and Friedel back in the US to help the game. And have them do it while they are still playing at a high level.

Players to watch in MLS' 2007 season!

Take a look at the players CNNSI says we should keep an eye on in 2007.

Portland in MLS???

According to reports, Major League Soccer hopes to have an expansion franchise in the Pacific Northwest by 2010, and Portland is a possibility.

On Tuesday, MLS Commissioner Don Garber took a 45-minute tour of PGE Park, but Portland is no sure thing to land the expansion team. The league might not find PGE Park suitable, and there's the possibility that Seattle gets the Pacific Northwest entry.

Garber said the league has been discussing adding a Northwest franchise for at least six months with an investment group. The investors, whom Garber declined to identify, initially envisioned Seattle as the locale. Only recently has Portland emerged as an option.

Los Angeles is home to the West Coast's only two MLS teams, the Galaxy and Chivas USA. The two-time MLS champion San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston after the 2005 season.

MLS started with 10 clubs in 1996 and now has 13. The league is expected to add three more teams by 2010.