<div style="width: 343px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="Thierry Henry by Ronnie Macdonald, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/ronmacphotos/498018484/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by Ronnie Macdonald</div>
The weekly MLS Talk podcast (<a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/of-dislocated-elbows-and-relocated-fullbacks-major-league-soccer-talk-podcast/11659" target="_blank">subscribe via iTunes</a>) discussed this week among other things the newest international star giving “come hither” looks to the American soccer league: <a href="http:\/\/www.sbnation.com/soccer/2011/2/14/1993293/clarence-seedorf-rumors-mls-milan-major-league-soccer-la-galaxy-new-york-red-bulls" target="_blank">AC Milan’s Clarence Seedorf</a>. &nbsp;Seedorf of course is (reportedly) looking to make one last huge paycheck and expand his media presence, similar to Thierry Henry and everyone’s favorite Tottenham Galaxy player. &nbsp;If he were to come to MLS, he has said he wants to play for, not surprisingly, Los Angeles or New York.
No offense to the great LA and NY fans, but I am tired of international stars overlooking the (now) 16 other MLS clubs when they want to play in MLS. &nbsp;For budget reasons alone, not every international star can play for either the Galaxy or Red Bulls; at some point they have to disperse among other major league clubs. &nbsp;Even if the Cosmos existed as an MLS franchise in 2013, that’s still only three designated player spots.
So as a service to the Ronaldinhos/Seedorfs/Anelkas/Pirlos of the world, the following are reasons why they would want to play for another MLS club. &nbsp;These arguments are not just for this season, but for the future as well. &nbsp;Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

Chicago Fire: Chicago is one of the top-five largest cities in America, and a business and shopping hub. &nbsp;If you are an international star looking for a big-city American experience, Chicago’s your place. &nbsp;The food is good, the nightlife is quality, and Chicago fans appreciate their sports teams. &nbsp;Heck, they may even give you a statue if you do well enough. &nbsp;It is also a very ethnically diverse city, where the traditional Polish and German immigrants now mix with people from around the globe.
Chivas USA: If you want the LA experience, Chivas is a second option. &nbsp;The club spun out of an&nbsp;existing&nbsp;well-known Mexican club, so even if Chivas itself is not full of history the brand is a good one. &nbsp;Spanish or Latin American stars would be an excellent fit for this club with its strong Hispanic support and namesake, but anyone who wants the benefits of Los Angeles without taking a Galaxy DP spot can find a home here.
Colorado Rapids: Although not located in downtown Denver, the Rapids are a short drive away from one of America’s most beautiful cities, as well as darn good skiing. &nbsp;The management has ties to England and the Premier League, so our star would have the stability of playing for a club that understands European soccer. &nbsp;And dismiss it all you want, but they are the 2010 MLS Cup champions so you are playing for a recent winner.
Columbus Crew: While not a huge name worldwide, Guillermo Barros Schelotto showed that an international player can succeed at Columbus and fit into the culture. &nbsp;Columbus is one of the more storied MLS franchises and, if you want to come over to the States in the next few years, the team can make you the centerpiece and face of practically a new team.
D.C. United: At least one other person in town will speak your language, as your home country’s embassy will be a short distance away from your stadium (wherever that may be). &nbsp;DC is a vibrant international city that can be quirky but caters to an international audience. &nbsp;Increasingly great food options, diverse places to live, and a solid nightlife make this an LA-lite location. &nbsp;And of course the club is the most decorated in the league’s history but undergoing a rebuild, so anyone making the trip in the next few years can partake in that. &nbsp;And if you want to be involved in politics…….
FC Dallas: Increasingly Dallas is being seen as one of the centers of U.S. sports, and not just because of the Cowboy’s temple to excess. &nbsp;Dallas is a big meeting and convention town, so all of those visitor amenities like food and nightlife are growing quickly. &nbsp;The town also has a large Hispanic fanbase so like Chivas a Spanish or Latin American star would feel at home.
Houston Dynamo: Houston has many of the same advantages as Dallas, but it has an even faster growing Hispanic population. &nbsp;And once its new stadium is built, it will have state of the art facilities that will be an attraction to any itinerant soccer player.
New England Revolution: Steve Nicol is obviously an experience international player and coach, so any overseas star could relate to him. &nbsp;The fanbase is passionate and really support their team, which is not a small point in a country that seems to outsiders to disdain soccer. &nbsp;And if they get a soccer stadium, then this is a premier destination for designated players.
Philadelphia Union: Much like Chicago, Philadelphia is a big city known for food and business. &nbsp;As a new team, you have the chance to be the team’s first legend, which may be appealing to the bigger egos. &nbsp;And you are a short trip away from the New York and DC media centers.
Portland: Even I admit, Portland, Oregon seems like a tough sell. &nbsp;But consider this – what Pele was to the Cosmos, you Mr. EPL or Serie A could be to Portland. &nbsp;Although the Timbers have a rich lower league history, the top-flight club could have its identity established by their international star and he would&nbsp;receive&nbsp;adoration from a passionate fan base.
Real Salt Lake: If you want to play for a winner, play here. &nbsp;You would be playing for a team that is professionally run and poised to challenge for an MLS Cup in the foreseeable future. &nbsp;And for those who think Salt Lake City is not a good destination, consider the international community flocking to it during the Olympics. &nbsp;Growing tourist destination and all that entails are contained here.
San Jose: San Jose is in beautiful sunny California and not too far from the major California cities, a plus to expand your international brand.
Seattle: There is a reason MLS begins there season here seemingly every year. &nbsp;Seattle is a soccer-mad city and their fans rival those of many European clubs. &nbsp;If you want the packed-house passionate fan feeling you got at Anfield or the San Siro, this may be as close as you get in MLS. &nbsp;And the team’s pretty good too.
Sporting Kansas City: Kansas City is a large media market, not as big as LA but still larger than Columbus’s and Salt Lake City’s. &nbsp;That’s not saying much, but you would also be the face of the franchise, especially if Teal Bunbury goes overseas.
Toronto: Besides New York and LA, I think Toronto is the best destination for an established international star. &nbsp;It is culture rich, full of good food and nightlife, and as diverse as a city can get. &nbsp;You are not in the U.S., but you have an adoring fan base and are a few short hours from New York. &nbsp;Their top advisor is a former World Cup star, their manager and general manager were established international names.
Vancouver: A combination of Toronto and Portland, Vancouver has the Canadian feel and a very passionate fan base where, again, you become the face of the franchise.

Why International Stars Should Consider Destinations Besides NY and LA - World Soccer Talk

Why International Stars Should Consider Destinations Besides NY and LA

<div style="float: right;margin-left: 5px"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/seattle-sounders-kansas/image/10017704?term=Josh+WOlff" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a></div>
Recently my computer ran into a series of issues that has rendered it incapacitated and made me realize its place in my life. &nbsp;It loads slowly and lacks many of the modern amenities in many computers, but when working properly it is has enough memory to run fairly quickly and is perfect for the tasks for which I need it, mainly posting to this site, running my fantasy teams, and doing other mundane tasks like email and social media. &nbsp;I mention this because my computer is a lot like the MLS re-entry draft: the pieces available aren’t going to wow your friends and make you the envy of the league, but drafting right can give you the piece that is perfect fit for your club.
As with any draft, some teams were able to land the piece that is right for them while some whiffed on their picks. &nbsp;As such, below are my winners and losers from today’s draft with one caveat. &nbsp;Teams have a week to negotiate with their selections and failing to sign them allows the team to hold their rights, so there could be trades and non-signings over the next week which could alter these rankings, so check back for changes.
Winners
Los Angeles Galaxy: The team showed the aggressiveness and willingness to spend wisely that so many clubs refuse to do. &nbsp;Seeing former Arena-coached player Juan Pablo Angel sitting undrafted after three picks, the team traded its fourth round pick in the Superdraft to Houston for the fourth pick and picked up Angel from New York. &nbsp;The forward has scored 61 goals in the past four seasons, so he is definitely still a contributer for the Galaxy. &nbsp;Adding Angel to pair with Edson Buddle upfront or being the scoring option off the bench makes the Galaxy the early 2011 Supporters Shield favorite. &nbsp;Plus they picked up a needed young midfielder with their original pick.
Chivas USA – The club that lost its big-name star in Jonathan Bornstein this summer and missed the playoffs got the chance to finally replace him by taking Jimmy Conrad with the second pick. &nbsp;It gives the team a veteran defender and a player who can help them begin the climb back to the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference.

Colorado Rapids – The defending champs publicly said they were going to <a href="http:\/\/www.coloradorapids.com/news/2010/12/unlikely-be-active-re-entry-draft" target="_blank">focus on the Superdraft and international market</a> for club improvements. &nbsp;However, the club picked up veteran defender Tyrone Marshall with the last choice in the first round, good depth for a team that needed defending depth. &nbsp;Now if they can keep Omar Cummings they may be set.
Major League Soccer – As part of the new CBA the organization created this odd draft system where players with a certain playing time can become sort of free agents. &nbsp;This makes the “win” side because it gives MLS a little press in the slow winter months.
Losers
MLS fans who like Ronaldinho – The unhappy AC Milan star and LA have been negotiating behind the scenes for weeks now about a possible move to the Galaxy where the Brazilian would be the team’s third designated player. &nbsp;The selection of Juan Pablo Angel could endanger that depending on how negotiations go. &nbsp;If Angel is the team’s third designated player, then Ronaldinho or another big-name international star loses that slot.
D.C. United – Going into this draft process, D.C. United clearly needed two things: offense and defense. &nbsp;The club has eschewed defense with its two picks of Joseph Ngwenya in the first part of the draft and today with Josh Wolff. &nbsp;But the club passed on a ton of bigger named players who might have had a more definite impact. &nbsp;Consider this: United this offseason released Danny Allsopp, who had five goals for the club. &nbsp;The two re-entry selections had a combined three goals in 2010. &nbsp;A disappointing draft.
Jaime Moreno: &nbsp;If Jaime Moreno decides he still wants to play, and at times he has hinted as much, his chances took a hit today as he went undrafted and enters the free agent pool. &nbsp;But more importantly Jeff Cunningham was taken by the rebuilding Columbus Crew, who needed a veteran striker. &nbsp;Now Cunningham will have a chance to pass Moreno in the all-time MLS scoring list for good, a nice honor for the veteran but a misfortune for the current record holder.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto – The 2008 MVP went unselected over two rounds and is now a free agent. &nbsp;Ouch.
Who are your winners and losers from this draft?

Winners and Losers of the First MLS Re-Entry Draft - World Soccer Talk

Winners and Losers of the First MLS Re-Entry Draft

<div style="float: left;margin-right: 5px"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/mls-playoffs-san-jose/image/10156449?term=Juan+Pablo+Angel" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a></div>
The final list of MLS players eligible for the new re-entry draft was released today, and many of the more famous players were the same ones on the expansion draft list from last month’s draft.&nbsp; As a reminder, players with a certain amount of service time with a club who have had their option declined without a bona fide offer are eligible for the re-entry draft.&nbsp; This process was a concession to the player’s union to allow players more freedom of movement outside their contracts.&nbsp; To see a breakdown of the re-entry process, <a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/mls-free-agents-get-a-little-more-free/10682" target="_blank">see here</a>.&nbsp; The draft will take place over the phone on December 8 beginning at 2 PM, and the draft order is by regular season record (worst to first) with the expansion teams picking last; hence D.C. United will have the first pick.&nbsp; A second round will take place a week after the first round.
The catch in the rules is that any player taken in the first round of the draft must agree to pick up a player’s option from their previous club or make a bona fide offer, which would cost roughly the same as the player’s previous contract.&nbsp; However, players taken in the second round can negotiate a new contract.&nbsp; My hunch is that many teams will pass on players in the first round for fear of being saddled with their contracts, and the December 15 second round will be much more active.
You can see the entire list of players <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mls-unveils-players-re-entry-draft" target="_blank">here</a>, but some names do stand out.&nbsp; Jimmy Conrad, who I suspect is probably the first pick in this draft, was on the list.&nbsp; Other high-profile players include New York Red Bulls Juan Pablo Angel, MLS second leading all-time scorer Jeff Cunningham, Galaxy defenders Kema Kovalenko and Jovan Kirovski, Columbus star Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Sporting KC’s Josh Wolff, and Philadelphia’s Fred.
Who do you think DC United will take first?&nbsp; And how many of the big names will still be around on December 15?

MLS List of "Free Agents" Has a Familiar Look - World Soccer Talk

MLS List of "Free Agents" Has a Familiar Look

<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/red-bulls-angel-reacts/image/10131040?term=Juan+Pablo+Angel" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a></div>
Not even 24 hours after crowning its champion, MLS was back to business by requiring its clubs to list its protected players for the expansion draft.&nbsp; The expansion draft is just one of several drafts taking place this offseason for MLS, and the unprotected list for this draft has some interesting names.&nbsp; Most notably is the number of designated players left unprotected – seven, which is two more than the number protected by clubs.&nbsp; But since no club has yet to win an MLS Cup with a DP, maybe this is not surprising.
You can see the entire list of players <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mls-releases-unprotected-list-expansion-draft" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp; The unprotected players can be sorted by a few general categories:
Designated Players – Not David Beckham, but some of the lesser name DPs have been left unprotected.&nbsp; Some are disappointments that the club is looking to shed the salary of.&nbsp; But some of the more “name” DPs exposed include the Red Bulls Juan Pablo Angel and Seattle’s Blaise Nkufo.&nbsp; Maybe the best of this group is the Quakes’ Geovanni.
Past Stars – MLS’s second-leading goal scorer is available, as Jeff Cunningham was made available by FC Dallas.&nbsp; Also, as part of their rebuilding, the Crew put Guillermo Barros Schelotto on their list, making a veteran leader available for either expansion team.&nbsp; And instead of being placed in the re-entry draft, Sporting KC’s Jimmy Conrad was left unprotected.
2010 Playoff Stars – Colorado is protecting most of the starters from its MLS Cup-winning club (with the notable exception being Anthony Wallace) but FC Dallas is exposing a number of its big names: Eric Avila, Atiba Harris, captain Daniel Hernandez, and Dax McCarty.&nbsp; Playoff qualifiers Seattle (Nyassi) and Real Salt Lake (Grabavoy) also made the decision to possibly part ways with some key contributors.
Players Leaving – Yes Jonathan Bornstein is leaving for Mexico, but MLS rules still state he needs to be placed on the unprotected list.&nbsp; Just a weird quirk.
Players Not on the List – One player that was expected to be on the list was Brian Carroll, but the Crew traded him today to the Philadelphia Union.&nbsp; While Carroll is reunited with his former coach and Columbus clears more cap space for rebuilding, I am sure Vancouver and Portland executives were looking seriously at drafting him.&nbsp; There are also quirky decisions scattered throughout the league, like New England holding on to two keepers.
Obviously factors like need and cap space will factor into who is selected, but pretend you are the GM of one of these expansion teams.
[polldaddy poll=4131631]

Seven DPs Left Unprotected in Expansion Draft - World Soccer Talk

Seven DPs Left Unprotected in Expansion Draft

<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/columbus-crew-colorado/image/10080088?term=colorado+rapids" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a></div>
The quest for the MLS Cup began last night with a late arriving crowd, an ironic “One Goal” MLS playoff video, and a match of two teams with vastly different playoff histories and playing styles.&nbsp; The end result was a slightly disjointed match that put the Colorado Rapids up 1-0 over the Columbus Crew.
The atmosphere at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park was loud as a crowd of over 12,000 blew their vuvuzelas and watched the home team come away with a critical home win.&nbsp; At kickoff, the stands looked at best half full and while the crowd looked fuller as the match progressed, Stan Kroenke and Don Garber had to have been disappointed with the number of people they saw looking down from their box.
But two aspects of the match that were not disappointing for the Colorado faithful were the play of Omar Cummings and the Rapids’ midfielders.&nbsp; Columbus controlled possession for the first ten minutes of the match but failed to do anything with it as the Rapids’ defense prevented any quality scoring chances.&nbsp; It was Cummings who ignited the Rapids after the first few minutes by repeatedly breaking on the counter to set up the first few scoring chances.&nbsp; After he missed Conor Casey on a two on one break in the eleventh minute, the Rapids basically camped out near the Crew’s goal for the next 60 minutes.
Despite Cummings abusing Bryan Carroll like a punching bag in the first half, the Rapids were only able to notch one goal thanks to a great play by their captain Pablo Mastroeni.&nbsp; The midfielder sent a long pass to the right side of the pitch in the 23rd minute which found Cummings, who after breaking down the defense, sent in a cross that Casey whiffed but Mastroeni expertly buried in the net.&nbsp; Surprisingly, it was only his first MLS playoff goal but it proved to be an important one.
The statistic of the first half that tells the story is this: Colorado had 10 shots on goal, Columbus 1.&nbsp; The Rapids’ midfield repeatedly denied Crew star Guillermo Barros Schelotto any space to create plays and even when he did have space, he failed to take advantage.&nbsp; On a rare scoring opportunity in the 53rd minute, Schelotto received a pass in the box that he promptly skied over the Rapids’ net.&nbsp; Overall, it was a poor night from him but the Rapids’ midfield should receive a lot of credit for negating him and the Columbus attack for most of the match.
Two substitutions in the second half breathed life into Columbus and made this a match.&nbsp; Schelotto came off Mendoza, and the Rapids replaced Thompson (who’d had a good match) for Kadji (who subsequently did not).&nbsp; This led to a flurry of Crew chances to score but the keeper Pickens and some timely Colorado defending kept the visitors off the board.
So Colorado has the advantage going to Columbus next week for the second leg of this round, but both teams had to have been disappointed with the outcome.&nbsp; For Columbus, the club looked outclassed and outplayed almost the entire match, save a flurry of attempts late in the second half.&nbsp; Their star Schelotto looked old and they failed to really create quality chances.&nbsp; They are lucky the final score was only 1-0.
For Colorado, fans have to be happy with the win but disappointed with the result.&nbsp; Their margin of error next Saturday is very small and if Columbus can tweak their gameplan, it is perfectly possible that Colorado could be eliminated.&nbsp; And they would have no one to blame but themselves; despite a number of very good chances (mostly created by Cummings) in the first half, the team could not find that decisive second (or third) goal.
Overall, last night was a good way to begin the playoffs, but neither team looked like a challenger for the MLS Cup.&nbsp; I’ll chalk it up to conservative play and look forward to a more open match in the second leg.
What did you think about the match, the announcers, crowd, MLS video, etc.?&nbsp; Share below or on Twitter <a href="http:\/\/www.twitter.com/roberthayjr" target="_blank">@roberthayjr</a>.

Colorado Kicks Off MLS Playoffs with a Win - World Soccer Talk

Colorado Kicks Off MLS Playoffs with a Win

Latest news from Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Find out about all the news related to Guillermo Barros Schelotto on worldsoccertalk.com

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Guillermo Barros Schelotto"

Designated Player Rule

Why International Stars Should Consider Destinations Besides NY and LA

Leagues: MLS

Winners and Losers of the First MLS Re-Entry Draft

Leagues: MLS

MLS List of "Free Agents" Has a Familiar Look

Leagues: MLS

Seven DPs Left Unprotected in Expansion Draft

Colorado Rapids

Colorado Kicks Off MLS Playoffs with a Win