Last night I laid out the pros and cons of Dwayne De Rosario winning the MLS MVP award. &nbsp;Everyone on each side of the argument can agree that a De Ro MVP would be unprecedented, as he would be the first MVP in any sport to have been traded twice in-season. &nbsp;But what about the other candidates? &nbsp;Who out there deserves the award the most right now?
Now I recognize that there are a few weeks left in the season and how the playoff race shakes out could determine the MVP. &nbsp;That said, I think it’s important to establish a benchmark now and see if peoples’ opinions change between now and the end of the season. &nbsp;So vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments section: who today deserves to be the MLS MVP?
[polldaddy poll=5538108]

Vote Now: Who is the 2011 MVP? - World Soccer Talk

Vote Now: Who is the 2011 MVP?

<div style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a title="Robbie Keane by Fergal of Claddagh, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/feargal/4117634812/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by Fergal of Claddagh</div>
The Los Angeles Galaxy, looking at its rivals for the MLS Cup and seeing them focus more on acquiring American players overseas and trading amongst themselves, decided to make the big-named signing by <a href="http:\/\/www.lagalaxy.com/news/2011/08/la-galaxy-agree-terms-ireland-international-robbie-keane" target="_blank">acquiring Irish international Robbie Keane</a> from Tottenham. &nbsp;The cost of the contract is huge, rumored to be roughly $9.75 million over two years with the Galaxy sending about £3.5 million in transfer fees. &nbsp;Obviously, this means Keane will be a designated player, which I will discuss below.
Keane’s resume is spectacular, and I would encourage all Barclay’s Premier League rookies to take a look at his extensive resume on Wikipedia. &nbsp;He’s in the top-10 all time in league goals scored, captain of the Irish national team, and has played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs. &nbsp;The transfer is also historic because (<a href="http:\/\/www.lagconfidential.com/2011/8/15/2364380/la-galaxy-robbie-keane-transfer#comments">as LAG Confidential points out</a>) this is the first time an MLS team has paid a transfer fee to a BPL club for a player.
So where does Keane fit in? &nbsp;Obviously one of LA’s designated players has to go, and unless I am missing a team dynamic here, that player will be Juan Pablo Angel. &nbsp;The former Aston Villa striker and Red Bulls terror has been an absolute failure in LA, so he will be looking to reinvigorate his career elsewhere. &nbsp;Initially the rumor was that Philadelphia would try to grab him but now the hot rumor is <a href="http:\/\/www.sbnation.com/2011/8/15/2364383/robbie-keane-la-galaxy-juan-pablo-angel" target="_blank">Chivas USA</a> is his destination, if for no other reason than the Goats has refused to sign anyone else this season. &nbsp;The trade, <a href="http:\/\/msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/mls/story/robbie-keane-los-angeles-galaxy-tottenham-juan-pablo-angel-chivas-usa-081511" target="_blank">reported by Fox Soccer’s Ives Galarcep</a>, has yet to be officially announced but is likely to be soon and we can then share what exactly LA will get for him.
Is Keane the magic bullet for LA to win the MLS Cup in a year when the game will be played on their home turf? &nbsp;Keane is certainly an upgrade over Angel if for no other reason than Angel contributed nothing. &nbsp;But to assume Keane solves all of LA’s problems is delusion. &nbsp;Playing for West Ham last season Keane contributed little, scoring two goals in nine appearances for the relegated club and failing to be the offensive threat the Hammers thought they were acquiring. &nbsp;Spurs had been shopping him but received little interest except from Leicester City, so the Galaxy’s offer was certainly a welcome one. &nbsp;This is not to say Keane does not have some goals left in him – he is only 31 and scored 16 times for Celtic just two years ago. &nbsp;But fans expecting a thoroughly dominating player may be disappointed.
This transfer however does have two very interesting subplots for the Galaxy and MLS. The first is that this deal is the first between the Galaxy-Spurs soccer partnership. &nbsp;If you remember <a href="http:\/\/espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/soccer/post/_/id/6208/galaxy-spurs-planning-partnership" target="_blank">back in February</a>, the two teams discussed a new partnership that would allow players to potentially move back and forth between the two as well as provide some cross-marketing opportunities. &nbsp;This is the first player move between the two, and I had thought at the time that this could potentially lead to young Galaxy players going across the Atlantic more easily. &nbsp;We will see if this will lead to young Galaxy players getting a chance in London to play at a higher level, and what impact such a swap system would have on MLS.
The other subplot is that LA is again falling back on their model of team building by signing the big name. &nbsp;This site has not been shy in criticizing the Beckham model for team building and how the Galaxy have not won an MLS Cup with their English superstar. &nbsp;Most teams, lacking the pizazz and money of LA, have turned their international player acquisitions to Latin America, U.S. national team members, or, in the case of the Philadelphia Union, both. &nbsp;The results have been telling – Los Angeles and New York (who also likes to make sexy international signings) have not won an MLS Cup since they went acquired their big name international stars. &nbsp;If Los Angeles fails to win an MLS Cup with Keane, does it further signify that MLS is a league that eschewed star power? &nbsp;But what if this is the signing that leads the Galaxy to an MLS Cup? &nbsp;Does that change the championship-winning business model and force other teams to try and sign their own big names to keep up with LA?
Sounds off with your Keane and Galaxy thoughts below.

Galaxy Go After the Big Name, Sign Robbie Keane - World Soccer Talk

Galaxy Go After the Big Name, Sign Robbie Keane

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a title="David Beckham comes to Kansas City - KC Wizards Game (18) by ramseymohsen, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/ramseymohsen/3762734434/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by Ramsey Moshen</div>
With David Beckham in the final year of his ground-breaking MLS contract,&nbsp;speculation&nbsp;has turned to whether the 36 year-old midfielder will resign with the LA Galaxy and the league, or continue his quest for another international cap elsewhere. &nbsp;In an interview with the press, Garber talked about the MLS All Star’s impact on the league, and as expected painted it as a perfect partnership. &nbsp;His comments, however, reveal a disconnect between the league office and the casual fan.
To do justice to his comments, I want to take each statement individually as reported by <a href="http:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3722199/MLS-commisioner-Don-Garber-insists-David-Beckham-has-changed-the-game-in-America.html?OTC-RSS&amp;ATTR=Football" target="_blank">The Sun</a> and enter my own comments. &nbsp;Agree or disagree? Sound off below.
“David has been a game-changer for us, on and off the field.”
He’s right in regards to how the league is perceived off the field. &nbsp;The Beckham&nbsp;acquisition&nbsp;brought attention to MLS from the international and domestic press, as well as Hollywood and the New York ad agencies. &nbsp;He became the face of the league to some Americans who are casual-to-non-soccer fans, and in the first year that impact led to higher ticket sales. &nbsp;On the field, however, his impact to this point has been much less. &nbsp;After years of constant injuries and loan deals, he is finally this year showing how well he can play. &nbsp;Case in point – he is among the league leaders in assists. &nbsp;But to say one year (and no MLS Cups) of quality play justifies his salary is absurd.

“We love him. It has almost been five years and now is very established in our country.&nbsp;He has become this larger than life figure and he happens to play in our country for one of our great teams.”
Don Garber loves him, the MLS owners love him, but who else really loves the MLS version of David Beckham? Based on the constant loan deals and yearning to return to England, not David Beckham. &nbsp;Fans will come to see him play and buy his jerseys, but ask opposing fans and see how much they care for Beckham. &nbsp;And I would take issue that he is established in this country when, for the first three years, he was injured or playing on loan in Europe. &nbsp;The dream of Beckham&nbsp;appearing&nbsp;constantly in endorsements and on TV has failed. &nbsp;The promised reality TV shows never materialized. &nbsp;He may still be a name guy in Los Angeles and New York, but if you mention him outside of the coasts he is not really known. &nbsp;I am sure most people can say he plays soccer, but can they talk about him beyond that? &nbsp;And if the league wanted to just make him a name in these two markets, it is incredibly short-sighted.
“There is no question that it was a good financial deal for David and the league but you don’t hear about the money anymore.”
The Sun article begins by mentioning the £128m Beckham has supposedly made during his time in the States. &nbsp;Sports articles on Beckham have down to the game how much money he makes, even now. &nbsp;The money still matters, especially since the league’s best paid player still hasn’t won an MLS Cup.
“He really cares about the league. He wants to build the sport and he wants to give back to the community.”
The Beckhams are very charitable and do a lot of good community work, so I won’t disagree with that. &nbsp;But it is hard to take it seriously that he cares about the league when just this offseason there were rumors of a move to Tottenham (<a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/the-beckham-experiment-needs-to-end/11291" target="_blank">as reported</a> <a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/why-david-beckham-should-be-in-l-a-right-now/11614" target="_blank">on this site</a>). &nbsp;This wouldn’t be a big deal except for (a) the previous season-long loan moves and (b) the fact he flees to England as often as possible.
“There is something for David in trying to be the person, like Pele was decades ago, who can be a real pioneer for our sport.”
What was Pele’s impact on American soccer? &nbsp;He certainly was a mythical figure who, while he didn’t save a league, established that Americans love star power even in soccer and the sport can sell out large venues. &nbsp;His impact on the game itself in America is debatable, but he did add to the mythos of soccer in America. &nbsp;What will Beckham’s impact be? &nbsp;I doubt that years from now it will be revered as Pele; in fact it may be more negative due to the money spent and the lack of playing time for most of the contract.
“I am not sure what his future is or what his plans are but it would be great to have him in MLS for years to come.”
And that is the big offseason question – will he or won’t he? And should it matter?

Don Garber Misreads the Beckham Experiment - World Soccer Talk

Don Garber Misreads the Beckham Experiment

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="IMG_1201 by kleinnick, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/kleinnick/5681793960/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by kleinnick</div>
Wednesday night is quietly becoming a great night for MLS. &nbsp;Over the past few weeks the league has put some very good matches on with some compelling story lines. &nbsp;This week is no different, as tonight we will see two teams with drastically different styles face off as they try to continue their climbs up the table. &nbsp;This game has all the excitement of the past weekend’s matches, plus a European star, a few players making questionably high salaries, and a struggling offense on the road trying to break down a stubborn defense. &nbsp;I of course speak of the FC Dallas/Toronto FC match.
However, I doubt that this is the match most soccer fans are excited to watch. &nbsp;The Philadelphia-Los Angeles clash tonight at 7:30 PM ET on DirectKick features top two teams from each conference. &nbsp;Philadelphia is coming off a tough loss to Portland, where their defense held the Timbers at JELD-WEN until a second half goal did them in. &nbsp;Regardless, they are playing the best defense in the league, only allowing three goals in seven matches, and doing just enough to have secured second place in the East.
The Galaxy, meanwhile, are coming off their emotional game against New York, which ended in a 1-1 draw. &nbsp;The days after the match have seen various snips in the media from Galaxy players (<a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/luke-rodgers-vs-landon-donovan-war-of-words/12577" target="_blank">see Daniel’s take on our site</a>) about uncalled fouls against them. &nbsp;Regardless of what’s called or not, Los Angeles is ahead of RSL for first in the Western Conference and at 16 points is your early leader for the Supporters’ Shield.
Their last meeting is a good guide to tonight’s match. &nbsp;On April 2nd, a Leonardo header off a Beckham free kick in the 33rd minute was the difference as the Galaxy won 1-0. &nbsp;Overall the Galaxy have never lost to the Union, having outscored them 5-1 in the three times they’ve met. &nbsp;The lineups will likely be similar for both teams except last game’s goal scorer is out with “a knee” for the visitors [and Beckham will miss the game due to Bruce Arena giving him the game off]. &nbsp;And if you are looking for more subplots, Carlos Ruiz will face his former team for the first time with the Union; he played for the Galaxy from 2002-2005 and again in 2008.
This game will be low scoring, take that to the bank. &nbsp;Here are some keys for who will likely come out ahead with that critical one goal:
<ul>
<li>Both teams are coming off of emotional games on national television, so the team that is more focused will certainly have an edge.</li>
<li>Philadelphia has to be careful with fouls and try not to give up corner kicks or free kicks on their half of the field. &nbsp;Everyone knows the beauty of Beckham’s service, but set plays have been the best scoring option for the Galaxy recently. &nbsp;Landon Donovan has scored the last four goals for the visitors over three games, and the most recent one was off a Beckham corner. &nbsp;Los Angeles is struggling to score in open play, so allowing them set pieces is playing into their offense.</li>
<li>The Portland strategy will not work for the Union this week, even though they almost escaped with a point last weekend. &nbsp;Peter Nowak The Union staff &nbsp;[note: Peter Nowak will miss tonight’s game]&nbsp;needs to find ways to get the ball to Carlos Ruiz in the offensive half. &nbsp;This team cannot simply absorb the Galaxy’s pressure, LA is too good to not find a way to score. &nbsp;And you can bet Andrew Chapin has heard the complaints in the media and will award penalties on close plays.</li>
<li>The key to this game will be Brian Carroll. &nbsp;The midfielder has a tough task to disrupt the Galaxy midfield, the strength of their attack. &nbsp;Playing in the middle, he has to prevent Juninho from finding space to shoot from outside the box as well as disrupt any long balls&nbsp;from Beckham to Donovan, Magee, and the forwards. &nbsp;If Philadelphia can clog the middle successfully and grab a goal, they’ll win.</li>
</ul>

Clash of Style Highlights Union-Galaxy Match - World Soccer Talk

Clash of Style Highlights Union-Galaxy Match

Because of the number of games played during the week, this weekend’s schedule is evenly distributed between Saturday and Sunday. &nbsp;The Saturday evening spotlight match is DC United visiting BMO Field and Toronto FC, as seen on Fox Soccer Channel. &nbsp;The Sunday game on Telefutura is Chicago hosting the Beckham- and Donovan-less Los Angeles Galaxy. &nbsp;Although there isn’t that BIG match this weekend (that was Wednesday’s lineup) there are some intriguing match-ups that will make for some good matches.
Now for what else happened this week:
<ul>
<li><a href="http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/post/new-york-red-bulls-approached-about-playing-in-arsenals-emirates-cup/2011/04/13/AFyinkXD_blog.html" target="_blank">The Washington Post </a><a href="http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/post/new-york-red-bulls-approached-about-playing-in-arsenals-emirates-cup/2011/04/13/AFyinkXD_blog.html" target="_blank">broke the story</a> that the New York Red Bulls have been invited to participate in the Emirates Cup, one of Europe’s best pre-season tournaments. &nbsp;The Emirates Cup is hosted by Arsenal and, last season, saw the Gunners participate with AC Milan, Lyon, and Celtic. &nbsp;Obviously the reason for the invitation is Thierry Henry, but not one wants to confirm the invitation. &nbsp;Still, if it is true and happens, this would be the first time a non-European team participated in the tournament and would pit the Red Bulls against some very good opponents.</li>
<li>Speaking of international friendlies, <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/vancouver-host-manchester-city-world-football-challenge" target="_blank">Manchester City have been confirmed </a>as the next participant in the World Football Challenge and will play Vancouver on July 18. &nbsp;More matches are soon to be announced.</li>
<li>Portland <a href="http:\/\/www.portlandtimbers.com/news/2011/04/timbers-sign-diego-chará-first-designated-player-club-history" target="_blank">signed their first designated player </a>this week, nabbing Colombian midfielder Diego Chara. &nbsp;The twenty-five year old midfielder is a threat on offensive but can drop back and serve as a holding midfielder. &nbsp;He had played at Deportes Tolima in Columbia and was a teammate of current Timber Jorge Perlaza.</li>
<li>More information has come out about Landon Donovan’s injury: <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/galaxys-donovan-nursing-knee-inflammation" target="_blank">it’s a knee</a>. &nbsp;He is recovering from a knee inflammation and will likely miss this weekend’s match against Chicago. &nbsp;Meanwhile, his teammate David Beckham is going increasingly public in his complaints against MLS referees. &nbsp;<a href="http:\/\/video.thescore.com/watch/tfcgalaxy-post-game-beckham-rips-refs" target="_blank">In an interview</a>, Beckham complained about the officials making themselves the center of the action and ruining the players’ preparation for games. &nbsp;“I’ll probably get in trouble, but it’s gone on too long,” he said. &nbsp;“We want that consistency to be there, and we want to keep our players on the field.” &nbsp;While the officials have been poor recently in MLS, and while Beckham has been the target of some aggressive fouls, he’s also been fortunate to have not been red carded a couple of times this season.</li>
<li>For your entertainment and in honor of Portland’s first home game last night, the video above is the Portland promotional video for their season. &nbsp;It’s… different.</li>
</ul>
[polldaddy poll=4919708]

Week in Review April 11 - 15, 2011 - World Soccer Talk

Week in Review April 11 – 15, 2011

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="Rio Tinto Stadiom by onkelshark, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/onkelshark/5619170184/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by Onkelshark</div>

Fabian Espindola knocked in a loose rebound late in stoppage time to give Real Salt Lake a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids and a leg-up in the 2011 Rocky Mountain Cup. &nbsp;Espindola also gave MLS fans the only goal of the evening, as the other match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Toronto FC ended 0-0.
Colorado was again without Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni, and while the midfield was able to play well against the home team, missing both of these players is obviously a problem for the Rapids. &nbsp;Colorado created few chances this match, mainly relaying on hitting RSL on the counter using the speed of Omar Cummings and Caleb Forlan. &nbsp;But with Cummings coming off in the 64th minute for Quincy Amarikwa, and Amarikwa coming off five minutes later with an injury, the Colorado attack was hampered throughout. &nbsp;Their best chance of the match may have been Nate Borchers early in the first half who was unmarked on a header but his angle put the shot wide of the goal. &nbsp;Jamie Smith had a good chance the minute prior, as his looping shot outside the box befuddled the RSL defense but was easily handled by Nick Rimando.
Espindola had seemingly put Real Salt Lake ahead in the first half scoring on a free kick but he was ruled offsides. &nbsp;RSL dominated possession in the first and had numerous scoring chances. &nbsp;Credit to Matt Pickens and the Colorado fullbacks for keeping RSL off the scoresheet; Colorado played a high line that led to eight offsides’ calls on Real and when they got behind the line Pickens made some great saves. &nbsp; In stoppage time, Javier Morales lined up a great free kick that was initially saved by Pickens but he was unable to punch it clear. &nbsp;It landed in front of a mostly empty net and after a brief scramble Espindola kicked it home.

The win keeps RSL’s perfect start to the season just that – still perfect. &nbsp;Hats off to the teams for finding a way to win against a good opponent in bad weather. &nbsp;Hats off as well to the Rapids, who despite missing two starters had a pretty good game plan and almost escaped Rio Tinto with a point. &nbsp;However, without Conor Casey to compliments Omar Cummings and Caleb Forlan, and with Pablo Mastroeni to provide some defense in the midfield, this team needs to find ways to win.
MLS was minutes away from having possibly their three best teams play on the same night and score zero goals, as the earlier match in the double-header ended in a scoreless draw. &nbsp;For the second time in a week, higher-than-normal home crowds came out to see David Beckham and the Galaxy, and what they saw was Beckham pick up his fifth yellow card on the year, meaning he will sit the next Galaxy game. &nbsp;They also saw the Galaxy hit the post three times this game and have more scoring chances than the home team. &nbsp;But the best chance to break the scoreless draw may have been Danleigh Borman’s free kick that found an unmarked Joao Plata in front of Donovan Ricketts. &nbsp;Plata, however, could only weakly head the ball into the keeper’s arms. &nbsp;Overall both teams had excellent chances to win this match but saw their opportunities missed or denied by the pole.
For Toronto, this is a good result and fans should have been thrilled to see Julian De Guzman back in the starting lineup. &nbsp;The more and more I see of the Reds, the more and more I think they could make a late run at a playoff spot once they get everything together. &nbsp;As for the Galaxy, the team really needs to find a finisher. &nbsp;Mike Magee had another chance to score off a Beckham corner but unlike in DC, he missed the shot. &nbsp;Maybe it is missing Landon Donovan, but LA needs someone to either step up (Angel, Magee, Barrett) or find a forward who can finish in front of the net.

Espindola Gives Real only MLS Goal of the Night - World Soccer Talk

Espindola Gives Real only MLS Goal of the Night

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="GOOOAAALLLLL!!!! by Lil&apos; El, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/ellenlove/2649394781/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by Lil&apos; El</div>
Yesterday’s LA Galaxy/DC United&nbsp;match had everything that MLS could want from a match. &nbsp;A full house of passionate fans yelling and chanting the entire match as two possible playoff teams, one with one of the world’s most famous players and the other with a potential U.S. star, played an almost even and intense match. &nbsp;This is the kind of match that garners MLS attention and makes the sporting world take notice of the league.
And of course it was only on Direct Kick.
Regardless, yesterday’s match between two of the league’s premier franchises was a good one, with a little bit of something for everyone. &nbsp;But the defining feature was the physical play, as players were not afraid to make challenges on and off the ball. &nbsp;It was odd in retrospect that only four cards were given out because of the repeated challenges, especially late in the first half. &nbsp;DCU used the “foul Beckham to make him mad” strategy, never missing an opportunity for a small clip or shove off the ball. &nbsp;Beckham, as he does, retaliated and earned a yellow on a tackle on Josh Wolff that arguably could have been a red, leading to him saying words that he may have learned from Wayne Rooney. &nbsp;We’ll get back to that in a minute.
But it was Beckham and his much less celebrated teammate (but almost equally critical) Mike Magee would got the scoring started early in this one on a 14th minute corner kick. &nbsp;Becks did his thing, sending in a perfect ball that a poorly marked Magee headed past Bill Hamid, who was starting for the first time this year in MLS play. &nbsp;From that point, while DCU probed on occasion, LA did a good job controlling the tempo. &nbsp;Despite having Juan Pablo Angel, LA played conservatively in the second half, similar to what they did in Seattle a few weeks ago. &nbsp;They relied on their defense to stonewall the other team’s attack, even adjusting their formation, then hitting on the counter using Beckham, Angel and Magee. &nbsp;DCU, as a note, did not start Davies or Najar, both of whom came on in the second half to spur the home team’s attack.
Controversy ensued very late in the second half. &nbsp; Santino Quaranta was sent off in the 84th minute with a second yellow on a weak tackle, reducing United to ten men. &nbsp;But it was Davies’ speed that kept the home team in the match and what led to their first goal. &nbsp;In the 89th minute, Davies made a run into the box and, upon making contact with Omar Gonzalez, fell to the ground and was awarded a penalty. &nbsp;I never like to accuse players of flopping and I won’t in this case, but it was very weak contact. &nbsp;Davies converted his third PK and the match would end in a draw. &nbsp;After the final whistle Jovan Kirovski was given a straight red for dissent, so I can only imagine what he said that drew a red card after Beckham’s words did not. &nbsp;The anger, however, was understandable.
While the result had to be a disappointment for the Galaxy, their play should be encouraging: they played well enough to get a tough win on the road. &nbsp;For United it was the exact opposite: the result was encouraging but the play was a disappointment. &nbsp;On this night, however, both teams could take home one point.

LA Galaxy 1 - DC United 1: Chippy Game Ends in Controversy - World Soccer Talk

LA Galaxy 1 – DC United 1: Chippy Game Ends in Controversy

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a title="Toronto FC vs New York Red Bulls - 213 by compscigrad, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/jswaby/5249945662/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by compscigrad</div>
After the shine of the first weekend has worn off, MLS gets into the grind with some of its biggest names missing for international duty. &nbsp;Some teams have a second chance to show they’ve improved, while some have another chance to prove they aren’t bottom feeders. &nbsp;Make sure you vote in our poll below for your most interesting match of the week:
<ul>
<li>Congrats to RSL coach Jason Kreis. &nbsp;The team <a href="http:\/\/www.realsaltlake.com/news/2011/03/head-coach-jason-kreis-inks-two-year-extension" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that in addition to retiring his number 9 this summer it has extended his contract through the 2013 season. &nbsp;Kreis is the youngest MLS head coach to win an MLS Cup and has an overall coaching record of 51-42-34.</li>
<li>With Landon Donovan playing for the USMNT this weekend, Bruce Arena will <a href="http:\/\/sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/soccer/03/24/beckham.captain.ap/index.html?eref=si_soccer&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_soccer+%28SI.com+-+Soccer%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">give the captain’s armband</a> to Mr. David Beckham in their match this Saturday versus RSL. &nbsp;This is the first time&nbsp;in three years that&nbsp;Beckham will serve as captain.</li>
<li>Speaking of the national team, they will wear their new red kit this weekend against Argentina. &nbsp;Take a look and learn to love it, because they will wear this one in the 2011 Gold Cup. &nbsp;I am a bigger fan of the blue myself, but it’s still a good look for the team.</li>
<li>The New York Red Bulls <a href="http:\/\/sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/soccer/03/24/red.bulls.waive.ibrahim.ap/index.html?eref=si_soccer&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_soccer+%28SI.com+-+Soccer%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> forward Salou Ibrahim this week. &nbsp;The well-traveled Ghanan scored three goals in 19 games last season. &nbsp;In addition, the Red Bulls are facing some injury and depth issues, so their match this weekend against Columbus could be quite interesting.</li>
<li>New England’s search for an international striker may be coming to an end. &nbsp;The club <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/new-england-considering-move-forward-lekic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brought in Danish striker Rajko Lekic</a> on trial and may make a move to sign him from his current club Silkeborg.</li>
<li>And finally, <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/kc-notebook-ochocino-has-better-day-2-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Ochocinco experiment</a> seems to be going well. &nbsp;Get the latest from the MLS site.</li>
</ul>
[polldaddy poll=4783913]

Week in Review, March 21-25 2011 - World Soccer Talk

Week in Review, March 21-25 2011

Latest news from David Beckham. Find out about all the news related to David Beckham on worldsoccertalk.com

ALL POSTS TAGGED "David Beckham - Page 4"

Leagues: MLS

Vote Now: Who is the 2011 MVP?

LA Galaxy

Galaxy Go After the Big Name, Sign Robbie Keane

David Beckham

Don Garber Misreads the Beckham Experiment

LA Galaxy

Clash of Style Highlights Union-Galaxy Match

Leagues: MLS

Week in Review April 11 – 15, 2011

Colorado Rapids

Espindola Gives Real only MLS Goal of the Night

DC United

LA Galaxy 1 – DC United 1: Chippy Game Ends in Controversy

Leagues: MLS

Week in Review, March 21-25 2011