Chivas USA had a new head coach and a new system last season, but after a slow start the team looked to be set in neutral in the competitive Western Conference. &nbsp;However, the acquisition of Juan Pablo Angel and a too late run at a playoff spot gave this team a bit of life and fans a reason for optimism. &nbsp;As the club watched cross-town rivals the Galaxy celebrate with the MLS Cup in their stadium, the future looks mixed for the franchise.
Next up in our 3 Questions series is Chivas USA, a team who has not qualified for the playoffs in two years after a nice run of success to begin the franchise’s history. &nbsp;Is next year the year when they begin a new streak?
1. Is management committed to this team?
The key to this question is who is making the personnel decisions. &nbsp;Chivas decided to pass last season on every big name that came through the allocation process. &nbsp;The speculation was that they were saving their powder for a big signing, and although they took on Juan Pablo Angel from the Galaxy, that big signing never came. &nbsp;<a href="http:\/\/espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/soccer/post/_/id/13278/chivas-usa-dieuze-minda-on-the-way" target="_blank">It may come this offseason</a>, but the way the club has gone about building has been confusing.
This offseason so far has not settled those “cheap management” rumors. &nbsp;Losing Zarek Valentin to Montreal in the expansion draft was very confusing considering that he is a young talent, but as noted <a href="http:\/\/www.thegoatparade.com/2011/11/25/2586613/chivatown-post-the-plot-thickens-edition#storyjump" target="_blank">here</a> he was coming off his Generation Adidas and the team might have had to take on his entire contract. &nbsp;If money is the deciding factor on player moves, management has to reconsider the business they are in or begin to realize that good players do cost money.
2. Will “breakouts” Kennedy and Angel carry over into 2012?
To call Juan Pablo Angel a “breakout” is a bit misleading, but Chivas fans haven’t seen that much of a revival since season one of The Walking Dead. &nbsp;After being ineffective for the Galaxy, LA unloaded him on Chivas to make room for Robbie Keane. &nbsp;Angel proceeded to score seven goals in nine appearances for the Goats. &nbsp;Can he do the same in 2012? &nbsp;First the team has to work out compensation: his New York-signed contract paying him $1 million is way&nbsp;too much, so he and the team have to come to an agreement. &nbsp;This is even more critical considering Justin Braun was traded to the Impact.
The other shock of 2012 was keeper Dan Kennedy, who quietly put together one of the best seasons in MLS. &nbsp;I remember seeing him play at DC United this summer and was incredibly impressed with his poise. &nbsp;He has inked a new contract with the team so he will be set as the unquestioned starter in 2012. &nbsp;But as a bright spot for the team last season, can he carry over his form in 2012?
3. Are the newcomers the key to success?
Like New England, Chivas has been replacing some of their departed players with MLS veterans. &nbsp;The club grabbed Arturo Alvarez from RSL in the first stage of the re-entry draft and made trades for midfielder Ryan Smith (Sporting KC) and James Riley (Seattle/Montreal). &nbsp;As I mentioned previously, it looks like there is help coming from overseas but again that is untested talent in MLS (although definitely it is talent). &nbsp;You can argue that injuries and inconsistent play really hurt this team’s chances last year, but the acquisitions to this point don’t seem to address these issues. &nbsp;But like the Revs maybe a few veterans will help with a playoff push.

Goats No More, Or A Bit Longer? Three Questions for Chivas USA - World Soccer Talk

Goats No More, Or A Bit Longer? Three Questions for Chivas USA

Fans who saw the scoreline of September 10th’s 3-0 win by DC United over Chivas would assume that DCU would win handily against the Goats at home and, with New York’s loss, would move into the driver’s seat with their playoff push. &nbsp;But as the excellent fan blog <a href="http:\/\/www.blackandredunited.com/2011/9/21/2440613/scouting-report-chivas-usa-vs-dc-united-heath-pearce" target="_blank">Black and Red United </a>noted, Chivas actually dominated possession in the first game and bombarded DC with 29 crosses. &nbsp;A couple of early goals turned the tide arguably against the run of play, and DC could cruise to a 3-0 victory.
Last night, the same trend continued but the result was not a DC victory. &nbsp;Despite DC jumping out to a 2-0 lead early in the second half and looking like the better team, the Goats dominated the midfield and used two Juan Pablo Angel goals to take a much needed road point. &nbsp;Chivas had an edge in almost every statistical category including possession and shots, but from about the fiftieth minute to the seventieth minute of the game it was all Chivas USA, and that made the difference.
Instead of a tale of two halves, the match was actually a game of three periods. &nbsp;The first 35 minutes of the game saw both teams aggressively going forward, taking chances and trying to draw first blood. &nbsp;Chivas had the edge in possession and DC needed Bill Hamid to save a early deflected chance from Marcos Mondaini, but neither team established dominance early on, a bad sign for the home team.
But beginning with Dwayne De Rosario’s goal in the 39th minute, the second period (from roughly the 35th through 50th minutes) saw the Black and Red with control of the match. &nbsp;In a positive for DC, both goals came off of set pieces. &nbsp;The first was Andy Najar’s free kick from outside the box which found De Ro’s head and the back of the net. &nbsp;The goal was DC’s first headed goal of the year incredibly and gave the home side the momentum. &nbsp;Two minutes into the second half, DCU struck again off a set piece. &nbsp;This time, Santino Quaranta’s corner was put on goal by De Ro and the save deflected into the net by defender Ethan White for his first MLS goal.
At this point in the match, it looked like DC would cruise to victory just like they had ten days ago. &nbsp;But some critical mistakes by DC and some smart substitutions by Chivas USA turned the tide of the match. &nbsp;After the first Chivas goal, Ben Olsen sent on Steven King for Josh Wolff in hopes of grabbing more midfield possession. &nbsp;Instead, the exact opposite happened. &nbsp;Chivas subs Justin Braun and Laurent Courtois provided a major boost to the Goats lineup by adding some bite to the attack while the Chivas midfield began to dominate possession. &nbsp;The visitors from the fiftieth minute on looked like the more dangerous team, with probing runs and smart one-time passes through the DC midfield while all DC could do when they got possession was clear. &nbsp;In the 57th minute Angel scored his first goal of the night and Chivas kept up the pressure. &nbsp;His second in the 69th minute was no surprise, as Chivas was dominating the run of play. &nbsp;For DC, they had trouble mounting a comeback as Olsen’s substitutions had removed Charlie Davies and Wolff from the lineup, leaving just Joseph Ngwenya as the only offensive substitution he could have made.
The controversial moment in the match came in stoppage time, when Angel seemingly pushed De Rosario to the ground in the box. &nbsp;Replays showed the push was rather weak and the contact was likely not a penalty. &nbsp;Regardless, referee Chris Penso pointed to the spot, and De Rosario botched the penalty by sending a low shot to the right that was expertly saved by Dan Kennedy, preserving the draw.
The draw basically kept Chivas USA’s playoff hopes on life support, and Robin Fraser’s team had some positives to take from the contest (in addition to the road point). &nbsp;Juan Pablo Angel continued his good run of form since his “move” from the Galaxy. &nbsp;Their next two games (Toronto and Philadelphia) are absolute must wins because they close the season against LA and Seattle.
After the game, Ben Olsen went on a rant about the lack of urgency on the team, according to <a href="http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com/sports/united/united-vs-chivas-usa-dc-gives-away-lead-and-crucial-points-in-tie/2011/09/21/gIQATInImK_story.html" target="_blank">Steven Goff</a>. &nbsp;“Up 2-0, now we think the game’s easy. Now we think we don’t have to tackle, we don’t have to win second balls: Let’s just roll the dice and hope we get lucky. It’s absolutely gonna stop — it has to stop or we will not make the playoffs.” &nbsp;The combination of letting off by DC and poor substitutions by Olsen hurt DC in this game, but regardless this was a must win for DC. &nbsp;Saturday’s game against Real Salt Lake, who demolished New York, is now another must win for DC to keep up in the playoff race. &nbsp;Another draw or loss could mean desperation time in the nation’s capital.

Chivas Force 2-2 Draw with United - World Soccer Talk

Chivas Force 2-2 Draw with United

<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 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

Breaking this weekend was the surprising news that 2010 MLS MVP candidate Edson Buddle was poised to make his long-discussed move overseas.&nbsp; What made it surprising was that the move was not to Birmingham City, which is where he had long been rumored to go, but to FC Ingolstadt, a Bundesliga 2 club that is currently in danger of being relegated to the third German soccer division.&nbsp; Fox Sports, <a href="http:\/\/msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/mls/story/Buddle-signing-with-FC-Ingolstadt" target="_blank">which broke the story</a>, reports that the major reason why Buddle chose the German club was his work permit fell through in England and the club was offering him double his MLS salary.&nbsp; Ingolstadt may sound familiar to American soccer fans – American national Amaechi Igwe is currently on the roster while Freddy Adu held a try-out with the club recently.
For the Los Angeles Galaxy, the moves leaves them in quite a bind.&nbsp; Their leading scorer is gone, and the player they selected in the re-entry draft (Juan Pablo Angel) to compliment him has not yet signed a contract, leaving the club with a huge void up front.&nbsp; Expect Angel now to have a huge boost in his negotiations and be able to obtain the designated player slot he is seeking.&nbsp; But even if Angel does sign, the Galaxy can no longer be considered the overwhelming pre-season favorites for the 2011 MLS Cup.&nbsp; Their only signed forward is Jovan Kirovski and while Angel is quite good, he is also older than Buddle.&nbsp; More importantly, it is a big hit to their depth up front.
But there is a larger issue here, and it is the failure of MLS to secure American internationals for the league. Regardless of how highly you view the league (and I personally regard it very highly), some Americans are better served playing overseas than in MLS.&nbsp; Not just the best national team players like Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey, but even players who have played in the U.S. and need to see if they are as good as everyone thinks they are (Stuart Holden) or are up-and-comers that need to be tested in an international system (Jozy Altidore).&nbsp; But Buddle is the kind of player that not only benefits from MLS but also benefits the league.&nbsp; He grew up in the U.S. system and achieved his big break through this year playing for an MLS club.&nbsp; He is the kind of player that, if he continues to succeed in the U.S. and on Bob Bradley’s team, becomes more of a name in the American soccer world and makes MLS a more legitimate league for having quality players like him.
That’s not to say that Buddle does not deserve a shot overseas; maybe MLS is holding him back and he needs to see just how quality of a player he is.&nbsp; But when that opportunity falls through due to a permit problem, he moves to a side that will not allow him to play against the world’s best.&nbsp; Ingolstadt is not a top-flight club; in fact the club in its current incarnation has only been around seven years and has never played in the Bundesliga.&nbsp; This is not a move up; it’s a move down in terms of league quality.
The Fox Sports article nails the issue – Ingolstadt offered Buddle twice his salary after Galaxy would not give Buddle a designated player contract.&nbsp; Now with two designated players already, LA had some choices to make but on any other club Buddle would be considered DP-status.&nbsp; And he should be – as I said, he raises both MLS’s and the national team’s profile, as well as any club on which he would play (as well as being a really good player).&nbsp; But again an American goes overseas because MLS will not fork over the money to keep them in the U.S.&nbsp; In this way, Buddle is very similar to his possible teammate Freddy Adu – Adu’s career is stuck in neutral but he is not going back to MLS, a logical place to jumpstart his career, because he is making more overseas playing for second division clubs.
MLS has made good progress in keeping talented players in the U.S., both experienced and star players (designated player rule) as well as young college stars (Generation adidas).&nbsp; But now MLS needs to consider how it can keep the Buddle-type players (who are successful) and the Adu-players (who could be successful) in the United States.&nbsp; I would recommend a new designated player category for American players, which similar to other designated players would only have part of their salary count against the cap.&nbsp; This would allow teams financial flexibility to bring these players home and not only give them exposure to U.S. audiences, but allow them to compete against good competition.&nbsp; Ultimately, the answer may be a system like in Europe of free agency and academies, but until MLS is as lucrative as those leagues an American DP slot is the best way to keep American stars in the most beneficial place – here.

Edson Buddle Signing with FC Ingolstadt a Disgrace for MLS - World Soccer Talk

Edson Buddle Signing with FC Ingolstadt a Disgrace for MLS

All of us have had friends who are in a complicated relationship.&nbsp; It may even have been us: the guy recently began dating a much more attractive woman who, while not a young bombshell, is still a gorgeous woman.&nbsp; This woman recently ended an intense relationship but does not treat your friend like a rebound – she says all the right things when all your buddies meet up for drinks and she obviously cares for him.&nbsp; They had a rough beginning – your friend had jealousy issues, she had to get used to your friend’s idiosyncrasies – but they seem to be going well together.&nbsp; But you notice she likes to eye the bar a little too much, and seems to often stare off at other men, with that look in her eyes asking “what if”.&nbsp; She knows your friend is the best fit for her, but can’t help wondering if she can relive the glory days with other, more glamorous guys like the one she used to date.
What would you tell your friend?&nbsp; Wouldn’t you warn him about where this relationship is headed, if not tell him he should begin thinking about breaking it off before it gets too messy?
The Galaxy and David Beckham have reached that point.&nbsp; After a few years of settling in and finding their grooves in their relationship, Beckham is again the center of transfer rumors to England.&nbsp; This time it is a loan deal to Tottenham for a few months, to help Harry Redknapp’s team make a run at the title.&nbsp; The Galaxy have patiently dealt with Beckham’s desire to play top-flight football, quietly conceding most of the 2010 season after he picked up an Achilles injury playing for AC Milan and uttering nary a protest when he speaks of his desire to play for the English national team again.&nbsp; And it’s not like they have not benefited, having made tons of money off the Beckham name.&nbsp; But it has to stop.
How many games has David Beckham, he of the $250 million contract, played for the LA Galaxy since the beginning of 2009?&nbsp; 16.&nbsp; Just 16 (hat tip <a href="http:\/\/www.twitter.com/SteveDavis90" target="_blank">Steve Davis</a>). It’s time for this experiment to end and for the Galaxy to make a permanent transfer of Beckham to an English team.
The LA Galaxy are poised to make a run at an elusive third MLS Cup.&nbsp; If the club can sign Juan Pablo Angel and hold on to internationally coveted players like Edson Buddle and Omar Gonzalez, Bruce Arena has constructed the ultimate win-now team.&nbsp; It has experience, fire power, and enough defense to win the MLS Cup.&nbsp; Beckham is an important part of this, expected to play a solid midfield and do what he does best – scare the heck out of teams during corner kicks and free kicks.&nbsp; But if Beckham leaves or, God forbid, gets hurt, where does that leave LA?&nbsp; Experienced yes but missing a starter in the midfield.&nbsp; It’s better for them to plan now and use his DP spot to get another midfielder.
We’ve seen this story before – David Beckham wanted to go on a short loan to AC Milan that basically turned into a two-year commitment and an injury.&nbsp; Now, knowing that he has to keep in front of the English coaching staff’s vision to fulfill his dream of playing for England (again), there are these reports of a short-term loan to Tottenham.&nbsp; What if he finds success coming off the bench?&nbsp; What if Spurs are still in a title hunt in March?&nbsp; They will certainly be in the hunt for a Champions League spot.&nbsp; Will this time Team Beckham reject a longer loan and come back to LA?
I remember watching the LA Galaxy dominate the Seattle Sounders (sorry Seattle fans) in the second leg of this year’s playoffs.&nbsp; Beckham was starting and played maybe his best game of the past two years.&nbsp; He was flying all over the pitch, helping thwart the Sounder’s attack and serving as a conduit to the Galaxy attack.&nbsp; This was the Beckham MLS and LA fans have wanted to see since “the Beckham rule” went into effect, and it has been a rare treat these past few years.&nbsp; A loan spell could guarantee they may not see that again this year, and because of that it is time to finally cut the cord.&nbsp; MLS and the Galaxy deserve better.

The Beckham Experiment Needs to End - World Soccer Talk

The Beckham Experiment Needs to End

<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

So the dust seems to be finally settling on the criticism about Berbatov’s mishit penalty on Sunday in the semi-final defeat against Everton. There’s no doubting it was a badly hit penalty, but it seems to have unpicked a scab over his performances for Manchester United as his time so far with the Red Devils.
After the protracted courting ritual that saw Berbatov fluttering his eyelids at Sir Alex Ferguson all Summer long to try and engineer his dream move, it seems that for some, Berbatov’s debut season is turning into one long underwhelming performance. For a player that lit up White Hart Lane for two years, it seems as if his less talented twin brother has taken his place or has it really?
Now I’m not one of those Spurs fans that still thinks it’s the mid 80’s and we’re challenging for major honours every season. I’m a realist, I know we can’t compete with the Big Four. It’s tough to take but I can understand when one of our top players wants to join Manchester United, why wouldn’t they. We’ve still not replaced Michael Carrick and when Berbatov finally went on transfer deadline day to join him last August for £30.75 million, I was disappointed but I understood his reasons for wanting to leave. He didn’t go about it in the right way and Tottenham didn’t have a replacement lined up but that’s football these days.
Once he went to Old Trafford, I thought he’d show those United fans just what us Tottenham fans had been spoilt with for his two season at the Lane, with 46 goals and countless assists in his 102 appearances. What has surprised since Sunday is the level of vitriol aimed at the Bulgarian by Manchester United fans and the fact that people seem to be judging his season by that snail paced penalty.
Now I’m not sure just what type of striker people thought Berbatov was before he joined Manchester United, but I do know one thing. He’s no Ruud Van Nistelrooy, he’ll never get you 30 goals a season, but by god he’ll set 30 up for you. For people to start clamouring that he’s one of the worst transfers ever, one of the costliest flops is ludicrous, regardless of his experience of the Premier League, he’s still getting used to being a Manchester United player.
He’s no Juan Pablo Veron scale flop, who’s performances still have me scratching my head and thinking, is that the same player I saw so imperious for Argentina, Sampdoria and Lazio or Chris Sutton hell bound spell when he moved to Chelsea and couldn’t score a goal against the Pensioners, never mind anyone in the Premier League. Even a player of Shevchenko’s reputation failed to set his time in England on fire with just 22 goals in 2 seasons at his stint at the Bridge.
Yet to write him off now is crazy, 13 goals and 15 assists so far this season isn’t too bad a return but I think he’s still suffering from a little bit of nerves. I thought he’d dovetail perfectly with Rooney and Ronaldo this season but its not quite come off yet. Once he gets his first season out of the way and gets a full preseason of training rather than courting under his belt, he’ll show the Unitedites just how good he really is but remember he’s no Eric Cantona, he’s no Van Nistelrooy, He’s Dimitar Berbatov and people need to remember that.
That’s the crux of Berbatov’s problem for me, he needs to be judged on who he is, not who people want him to be.

Will The Real Dimitar Berbatov Please Stand Up? - World Soccer Talk

Will The Real Dimitar Berbatov Please Stand Up?

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Will The Real Dimitar Berbatov Please Stand Up?