USMNT Head Into World Cup Qualifiers Minus Key Starters

The USMNT Will Be Missing Several Important Players for their Upcoming Games
As two big World Cup Qualification games loom just days away, the US team is forced to go without several key players.

The US will take on Costa Rica on Friday, Match 22, and Mexico on Tuesday, March 26th in two key games for World Cup 2014 qualifications.

Unfortunately for the US, they will be without a handful of their usual starters, including Carlos Bocanegra and Goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Howard, who has been a vital part of the USMNT for several years and a major reason for several of their recent big wins, suffered a back injury but is expected to return for his club, Everton, in early April.

This leaves a gap between the goal posts for US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who choose Brad Guzan as the replacement.

Guzan is an easy pick to replace the missing Howard, as his high level of play have been on display at Aston Villa, where he is the starting 'keeper, and gaining a fair amount of positive attention.

But the question will remain as the US takes on Costa Rica and Mexico, is there enough depth to get points out of these games, especially the must win against Costa Rica?

The USMNT will play Costa Rica on Friday, March 22nd at 10:30 EST Live on ESPN.

Don't miss out on cheering them on!

World Cup 2014 - First Hexagonal Matches Played

USMNT Losses in First Hexagonal Match for World Cup 2014 Qualification 

The Caribbean, North and Central American qualification group for World Cup 2014 has been narrowed down to just 6 teams who will battle it out to qualify for the upcoming World Cup.

On February 6th, 2013, the first match in this final stage of qualification was played as the US went south to play Honduras.

Honduras came back from a goal down to beat the US 2-1 and gain 3 valuable points in the group.

Clint Dempsey got his 31st career goal for the USMNT in the first half, giving the Americans a 1-0 lead. But that lasted only minutes as Honduras tied the game just before halftime. 

In the second half, Honduras managed to grab another goal, which proved enough to win the game for them.

Although this was not a good start for World Cup Qualifications, this was only the first of a number of games to be played over the next 6 months to determine who will advance from the group.

World Cup 2014 Qualification Standings after Match 1 for the Hexagonal:

Standings for Hexagonal World Cup Qualifiers 

While the USA does sit at the bottom with zero points, they are fortunate that both Mexico vs Jamaica, and Panama vs Costa Rica ended in draws, leaving only Honduras with a full 3 points.

The US will play Costa Rica next at the end of Match, followed by a game against Mexico a week later.

With a their first game ending in a disappointing loss, the US will have to work very hard to win their next few matches or else face an even more dismal situation; not qualifying for World Cup 2014.

New Women's League to Start in US

A New Women's League will Start in March or April of this Year

After a year with no women's league in the USA, it is coming back stronger than ever.

Many people are concerned that a women's soccer league will fail yet again, this is the third attempt after all. But changes in the new league lead me to believe it will gain a foothold in a burgeoning US soccer market and fill a niche for young female athletes.

The MLS is showing signs of slow, but powerful growth in its fan-base and attendance to games. And with the popularity of US Women's national team, it is probable that fans will attend the games and support the league.

But the new women's league will also serve a much higher purpose.

A Domestic Soccer League is Vital for National Team Success

Impressively, the US Women's soccer team has won many of their games and major tournaments over the last few years despite the loss of the domestic league in 2011.

The countries that have seen the biggest improvement in the their female soccer teams are countries with domestic women's soccer leagues. Japan, Sweden and Germany are three great examples of teams that are, and will, challenge the US Women.

In order for the US Women to continue to dominate their sport, they must have a developmental domestic league to bring up new talent. And that is exactly what the new league will do for not only the US, but Mexico and Canada.

So with the US, Mexican, and Canadian soccer organizations invested in the new women's league, it appears to have the best chance to become a strong, self supporting league for the future.

I shall certainly be supporting them in the coming season, and especially when Philadelphia gets a team.

MLS News for 2013 Season

Transfers News and Schedule for 2013 Season

As most players enjoy a break from soccer, the coaches are still hard at work negotiating and navigating the tricky transfer market.

One of the biggest news stories this off season is the return of Sébastien Le Toux to the Philadelphia Union. In an odd situation last year Le Toux was traded away from the Union despite being the teams highest scorer over the last two season.

After a season playing for Vancouver and then New York, the Union fired their head coach Peter Novak, and brought in John Hackworth who started the wheels turning to get Le Toux back.

The Union had a rather dismal 2012 season which saw them add several good players, but lack a center forward. Bringing Sébastien Le Toux back to the team not only makes the fans happy, it also gives the Union a target center forward with a goal scoring track record.

Home Game Openers for 2013 Announced

The schedule, and more importantly the home game openers for next season, have been announced by the MLS.

All teams will play at home no later than week 4, with most teams getting their home opener in the first or second week.

The Philadelphia Union will have their home opener on March 2nd, one of the first games of the 2013 season. They will face Sporting KC in what will certainly be a test to see if the Union have made improvements since last year.

While waiting for the 2013 season to get underway, many may be interested in the Preseason schedule

More MLS News coming soon!.

The MLS Cup 2012 - Last game for Beckham

Beckham confirms that the MLS Cup 2012 will be his Last at the Galaxy

Super soccer star David Beckham has had a great run in the MLS while playing for LA. Several seasons of hard work culminated last year when the Galaxy won the 2011 MLS Cup. Some thought Beckham would hang up his boots then, after accomplishing one of his major goals - winning the Cup. 

But Beckham returned in 2012 and LA are in the final yet again. It was not as easy to get to the final, and Beckham has decided it will be his last game as a player for LA. 

I am sure his teammates and all the Galaxy fans hope Beckham s final game ends in a win.

What has Beckham done for the MLS?

Beckham has done quite a bit to help Major League Soccer reach where it is today. He was one of the first big soccer superstars to come to the MLS (other than Pele years ago) and opened the door for people such as Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane to follow. 

He also helped to lift the level of play by presenting an example of what quality free-kicks should be like. How many different MLS players have now had a chance to see a world class set-piece taker whip a ball into the box? Nearly all of them.

Looking to the Future of the MLS

With Beckham on his way out, there is a space left open, not only on the Galaxy, but in the MLS for a new superstar to fill. It is hard to tell who or how many world class players may be attracted to the MLS and where they might end up, but it is clear the MLS is becoming more and more of a world class soccer league. 

The MLS Cup 2012 - LA Vs. Houston

The MLS Cup 2012 is set to be a rematch of last year's Cup

The LA Galaxy defeated Seattle 4-2 in a two game series to advance to the MLS Cup while Houston beat DC United 4-2 as well, over a two game series.

The Houston Dynamo will play the Galaxy in LA at the Home Depot Center on December 1st to see who will win the MLS Cup 2012.

A Flashback to the 2011 MLS Cup

LA played Houston last year for the MLS Cup and got the win after a tremendous season in which they won the Supporters Shield (most points during the regular season).

Beckham Holds 2011 MLS Cup

It was a sweet victory for LA as stars David Beckham and Landon Donovan as they had played exceptionally over the entire season.

It was the Galaxy's first Championship win since signing Beckham several seasons earlier.

The final score for the 2011 MLS Cup was LA Galaxy 1, Houston 0. What can we expect for this year?

Reaching the 2012 MLS Cup - Houston and LA

Both Houston's and LA's path to the MLS Cup was anything but pretty.

LA Struggled for the first third of the season, losing games both at home and on the road. They looked nothing like the unstoppable force they had been the year before.

However, after the Euro Cup in the summer, International Star Robbie Keane came back to the Galaxy on a scoring rampage. He ended the season with 16 goals and propelled LA into the playoffs, although they finished a slightly humiliating 8th place overall.

Houston also had some struggles during the regular season losing many of their road games. But, with a strong home record (and a new stadium), they did just enough to reach the playoffs in 9th place overall, and last in the Eastern Conference.

Once LA and Houston reached the 2012 MLS Playoffs, they turned into totally different teams, each defeating the top team in their conference and powering through the rest of the competition, leading to a repeat of the 2011 MLS Cup Final.

What to Expect in the 2012 MLS Cup Final

In 2011, the game ended in a tight, 1-0 victory for the Galaxy. I would expect with the Galaxy playing at home again, and the likes of Robbie Keane playing up front, they come out hard against Houston and try to score early and often.

Houston is a veteran playoff team with MLS Cup wins in 2006 and 2007, not to mention last year's near win. They will hold their defensive lines and try to take advantage of set pieces and bursts of possession.

It is shaping up to be an exciting game and will be live on ESPN on December 1st. Don't miss out!

MLS News- Final Games of the 2012 Season

2012 MLS Season Concludes this Weekend

Major League Soccer wraps up it's 34 game season this weekend with no teams unsure about their playoff positions.

For some, such as the Philadelphia Union, their playoff hopes were shattered weeks ago. All 10 playoff spots are already secured with five teams from each conference. 

While it may seem like an anticlimactic ending to the season, I see it more as a calm before the playoff storm.

2012 MLS Playoff Standings

Here are the standings from each conference:

Western Conference

• San Jose
• Seattle
• Salt Lake
• LA
• Vancouver

Eastern Conference

• Kansas City
• D.C.
• Chicago
• New York
• Houston 

While some jostling of playoff positions could take place this weekend, for teams like the Union it is more about pride, and building for next season.

The MLS Playoffs will come quickly once the season ends, so keep an eye out for many exciting games before the MLS takes it's winter break.