It has never been before. No MLS club has ever, and I mean EVER, eliminated a Mexican opponent from the two-legged series of the CONCACAF Champions League since Kansas City eliminated Santos in the Champions Cup back in 2002. And it was at home nonetheless!

But it’s different now; the Seattle Sounders beat UANL Tigres on a 3-2 aggregate, heading to the semi finals, the first time in club history. Excuse me while I dance obnoxiously.

DeAndre Yedlin, Djimi Traore and Eddie Johnson scored second-half goals while Elias Hernández had a well-deserved goal before the half.  The first 20’ were hectic for the Sounders as they pushed forward with final touches and beautiful passes, unfortunately finishing was the issue.

Gspurning was tested throughout the whole match but continued to recover quickly saving the Sounders from falling even more behind. Eddie Johnson had incredible chances, the 34-35’ specifically as Alonso and Zakuani fed the ball to Johnson, who couldn’t get past the keeper. Yet again the culprit was…finishing.

It wasn’t until the 44’ when the whole game changed. Manuel Viniegra found his second yellow, being sent off, giving the Sounders that spark they needed entering the last 45 minutes of the match. It was first goals from Yedlin and Traore, who scored within 7 minutes of each other.

Steve Zakuani and Eddie Johnson partnered up in the 79’ when Zakuani fed Johnson the ball giving the Sounders their 3^rd and final goal thanks to terrible, absolutely terrible positioning from Tigres keeper de Leon.

The final score: 3-1 Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders will face the winner of the Santos Laguna – Houston Dynamo match in the semi final.

We head back to MLS action on Saturday when we host our rivals, the Portland Timbers – kickoff is at 5 pm PT.

What a day in the soccer world yesterday! For me, I was pumped the very moment I woke up at 6 a.m. that morning. The news that Real Madrid beat Barcelona for the second time this week was just the beginning. But then I looked at my Avengers calendar, my eyes drawn to the gigantic green & blue star covering today’s date.

Dun dun dun! Yesterday was the first day of the new 2013-2014 MLS season, everybody! I hope you are all just as excited as I am. Last night was the opening match for the Seattle Sounders who faced off the Montreal Impact.

Sadly, the Impact shut us out. At home. In front of 38,998 people. The sea of rave green covering the stands at Century Link field. It wasn’t the best way to start the season but you have to remember, the season is just beginning!

The Sounders were brilliant on the pitch throughout the match and with every chance for a goal; the ball just didn’t want to go in. Eddie Johnson came dangerously close to scoring late in the second half but that crossbar just had to demolish Seattle’s chances of an equalizer.

It seemed as if that crossbar was the 23^rd man on the pitch tonight, blocking shots from Brad Evans and Montreal’s Davy Arnaud. However Arnaud scored early for the Impact in the 34^th minute finding a gap in the midfield (with an assist by Felipe Martins), lobbing the ball through Seattle’s loose defense and past Gspurning for the lone goal of the match.

On Wednesday I pointed out Dijimi Traore, the new signing for the Sounders. Rumors had it that the veteran defender would be playing tonight but that wasn’t the case.

Even with our first loss, it was great to witness the lead up of the first kick. Social media networks blew up with fan anticipation, making even the less die-hard soccer fans excited.

The Sounders next match focuses on CCL when they head down to Monterrey, Mexico to face Tigres.

Until next time Sounders fans…..rave on!

Stay tuned to @AerysSoccer for all your soccer updates and in-depth MLS coverage!

Photo courtesy of Seattle Sounders FC

Photo courtesy of Major League Soccer’s Twitter account

How to start this, how to start this. Hmmm.

At the conclusion of the U.S. Men’s National Team match against Guatemala in Kansas City tonight, I did one thing I think the majority of USMNT fans did. I let out a big, huge breath. One I think I had been holding since Friday and that ugly, ugly game in Antigua. And let me tell you, if feels so nice to breath easy again.

I feel like praying to the soccer gods because tonight I saw a U.S. team I would like to see continually. Was it perfect? Lord, you know this song and dance from me by now. It wasn’t perfect at all. But it was something. And that something was solid. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what this national team needs.

Remember, we are still in the infancy of the Klinsmann era here. He’s smack in the middle of a push of World Cup qualification and it puts the pressure on immediately, but that doesn’t take away the fact that he’s implementing a change here. A change revolving around attack. It’s created some trials, a whole lot of errors, but it’s shown fans and critics there is a lot of potential under it.

We saw the worst of it in Antigua. But tonight we saw where he can start. In the first five minutes of the game, it seemed like the same old song and dance. USMNT held the majority of possession, but a simple mis-communication between Carlos Bocanegra and Geoff Cameron found Carlos Ruiz with free range to slap one past Tim Howard.

The death blow? Not quite. In the post game interview, Kasey Keller said, “With that, (Guatemala) poked the bear in the beginning and the U.S. woke up a bit.” What I believe is always the telling factor of a team is how they respond. Do they get frustrated? Do they continue to error? What happens, as a team, after they go down in a crucial match?

Tonight, the U.S. responded just as they should; they dug in and they took that control back. They responded effectively, clinically, and most importantly, calmly.

Yes, they were smooth and cool. Frankly, a USMNT I’m not use to seeing. It was a solid performance from everyone. Every. Single. Player.

Sure, Boca and Cameron had that miscue earlier in the night. But you could see, by the mid of the first half, it became a “Ruiz who?” game. If Bocanegra wasn’t shutting down the speedy Guatemalan forward, Cameron sure as hell was. Because of that, Parkhurst and Cherundolo could push up.

Did the midfielders get passes picked off? Yeah, but they tracked back to help shut down the Guatemalan offense. Hell, even Tim Howard seemed to be having an off night, which would have normally frightened the ever-lovin’ dickens out of me. But tonight … it didn’t really bother the USMNT that much.

Granted, this was just Guatemala, who have one speedy forward in Ruiz. But like I said, if the USMNT can be solid like they were tonight, consistently, then it’s a platform to build on. To get stronger and be able to be formidable opponents  to say, our neighbors to the south?

So really, what does this mean? Other than the U.S. won their group and their moving on to the hexagonal? Well, it means a few things actually.

It means that if no one knew it before, they know it now – Michael Bradley is not just needed in the USMNT line up, he is  essential. I remember first watching Michael and thinking he had a lot of growing to do. And now, he’s matured so much as a player, it’s fantastic. He’s one of those resources the U.S. cannot afford to lose. He was pure class tonight and when the USMNT is working as a well-oiled machine, the things Michael Bradley can do are pure magic.

It means that Eddie Johnson has come full circle. I’m not going to hate on Jozy Altidore, but Eddie Johnson has done in two games what Jozy hasn’t been able to do in a long time. And that’s score in open play and if he’s not scoring, he’s creating the chances to help score. He, Clint Dempsey and Herc Gomez played beautifully off each other. He could have been the missing link we needed all along.

It means that Geoff Cameron is clearly the heir apparent to the throne that is Carlos Bocanegra’s reign over the back line. And he’s definitely capable of that crown and the responsibility that comes with it. I admit, I was weary of Cameron at first. But he’s done well, he’s learned and he’s come into his own. And tonight after the blunder, instead of continuing to fumble, he and Bocanegra learned from the mistake. Cameron took what happened and built on it. It’s a positive thing and also shows that he’s versatile – he plays on the right for Stoke, not the center.

I could go on, (Graham Zusi, Herc Gomez, etc., etc.) but this is already a novel. So, here’s my sum up. Solid play gets solid wins. If this team continues being cool and collected, Klinsmann can finally start going more forward with his grand scheme. And that’s good news indeed. Because a cool, calm, smooth USMNT is one that can be a force to be reckoned  with.

And that will help me breathe easier again.

Christ. On. A. Bicycle.

The U.S. Men’s National Team took on Antigua and Barbuda tonight in Antigua. To say that this game wasn’t of the most important in the U.S. quest for World Cup 2014 would be a lie. Pretty much all of the USMNT fans today were a nervous wreck about what tonight would bring, especially when we found out Fabian Johnson would be out with the flu and Landon Donovan and Brek Shea would be left home due to injuries.

But, I’ll be honest, when the line up came out about an hour before the match, I didn’t find myself too worked up about it. I was a tad concerned about Graham Zusi, only because of his lack of USMNT playing time. But anyone who’s seen a Sporting Kansas City game knows this kid has talent.

Then there was Eddie Johnson.

Now, this has happened to me before with one Geoff Cameron. When he was named in the starting line up earlier this year, I can admit, I was pretty terrified. But he’s stepped up and proved he can be a top notch player for the USMNT.

When EJ was named on tonight’s starting line up, I had the same mixed feelings. And again, I was happy to be shown up by Mr. Eddie Johnson. The brace of headers he notched were fantastic, and, well, the last one pretty much saved the USMNT’s necks.

So – as it’s been tweeted by several times tonight – Major League Soccer, in the form of Zusi, Johnson and Alan Gordon, saved the U.S. Men’s National Team.

But let’s get down to the grit.

That game was ugly. No, it was more than ugly. It was brutal and terrifying.

And out of this, one basic fear emerges, yet again. Our midfield.

One can point out that our defense collapsed on the play that allowed A&B to score. I won’t deny that. But the midfield shouldn’t lose possession as easily as they do. I don’t like to knock other teams because I don’t like to count anyone out. But let’s get real here. What should the score have been tonight? Definitely not 2-1.

Grant Wahl made an excellent point in his after-game post; Mexico would have beat Antigua and Barbuda 5-0. The U.S. should be doing the same.

And thus here we find the sum of all our fears.

A friend of mine and I were talking about the game on Twitter and the point was made that even though the U.S. won, it was a scary win. When the USMNT play teams like Antigua and Barbuda, they should be doing one thing and one thing only – dominating. They should not be making it to the 90-minute mark barely escaping with the skins on their backs.

With this take-away win, the U.S. fans and the team can breathe a sigh of relief. A tie in Kansas City next week will get the team through to the hexagonal.

But really, things shouldn’t have been this close. Things shouldn’t have gotten this scary. I feel sick to my stomach when I think about what could have happened if the U.S. hadn’t gotten those three points tonight.

I believe in Jurgen Klinsmann and his plan. I believe in an attacking mentality and I believe the U.S. can be that type of team. But I admit, if the USMNT can’t get things under control, things might only get uglier. Here’s hoping the ugly is over and the up swing can begin.

After two years of getting their butts handed to them by Manchester United, many media personalities and fans were wondering just what this year’s MLS All Star game would bring. With the regulars like David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Thierry Henry in the roster for first-time All Star coach Ben Olsen, the MLS’ers had the power.
But could they finish?

The answer was yes. And while I do love the star power that Major League Soccer has signed and kept over the past few years, I have to admit with pride I’m happy it wasn’t those big name guys that scored.

Yup, you read right. Becks and Henry were key in a few of the goals and really during all minutes they were on the pitch, yes. And … well, was Landon Donovan even on the pitch during the first half? ( More on him later, by the way.)

In the end, it would be what Alexi Lalas deemed our “second tier” MLS players that had the three goals on the night – Chris Wondolowski, Chris Pontius and Eddie Johnson.

Wondo’s goal was set up by Becks and Henry, and while Chelsea captain John Terry was able to clear it away the first time, Chris was there to snatch up the sloppy kick and kick it right in. It was a case of “sniffing out the ball” according to Taylor Twellman, and proves just why Wondo is so damn good this season. He knows where to be and when to be there.

Pontius’s goal … oh Chris Pontius’s goal. It was lovely, absolutely lovely. The one-two from Pontius and his teammate Dwayne De Rosario was just beautiful chemistry at work, and it put the MLS’ers on top in the second half.

But it was Eddie Johnson’s last minute goal in stoppage time that would cause celebrations for the league fans in the stadium to hit a high note.

And Jay Demerit! I can’t forget to mention him! He didn’t score, but his defensive work – and did he ever work – was superb through out the night.

So the biggest and brightest of MLS beat Chelsea, the current European champions. In the end, what does that say about our growing, darling little domestic league? Make fun all you want, but I think it says quite a bit.

Okay, I’m not naive. I know, Chelsea is in pre-season. I know some of them haven’t played for a while and I KNOW not all the power was there for the Blues. But do we have to be such Negative Nellies? Our MLS All Stars beat Chelsea! The guys came together, worked together and showed some nice moves. People in England woke up to news this morning that their English side LOST to Americans! I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that, right?

It’s a step for the league. Not a huge one, not one to prove that we aren’t the new kids on the block anymore. But it does show how in 16 years, America is getting pretty good at this soccer thing. We’re learning and growing, and we’re bringing in some damn decent players who are upping our game.

What I don’t get, though, is some of the reactions to this game, even from a few of the players. Now, this is just based off my observations, but I know I wasn’t the only one to notice.

1.) “It’s just a frilly little All Star Game – confetti and a big trophy that means what?” – I saw a lot of this or statements like this on Twitter yesterday. Again, I’m not naive, okay? But can’t people see a good thing in a win? I guess it’s just the perpetual doomsday outlook of American soccer fans. We know our players aren’t the best in the world; we know we’re the underdogs. But come on people! This game proves we’re working on it!

If Becks or Henry had scored all those goals, then I might not laude the score line as much. But they didn’t. Two of our outstanding American players in the league scored the first two and Eddie Johnson… well, love him or hate him, he’s one of us. And he did his job. This is improvement and talent showing from American players, and that’s something to be proud of.

2.) Landon Donovan – Okay, I know you’re not reading this LD, but I’ve got a bone to pick with you. You can play the part of the good boy all you want in the media; you can tell reporters how important the All Star Game is, how you want to make a statement … blah blah blah.

But you know what I saw? Well, first of all I hardly saw anything of you on the pitch during the game which means you either allowed Chelsea to shut you down or you just didn’t try.

Secondly, I saw captain Dwayne De Rosario try to hand you the All Star trophy on that stage, and I saw you, in front of all MLS fans, decline to take it.

I get it, okay. You can tell everyone how awesome it is to be an All Star, but I get it’s like a week off from your team to hang out with other players and play against some random EPL team. I understand it’s a lot of pomp and circumstance. But you, Landon Donvaon, are the face of a league. And the All Star Game is a showcase of that league. Be proud of it, not just with your words, but in your actions. When De Rosario went to hand you that trophy, you should have picked it up and held it with the same pride you did the MLS cup last year.

The Carling Cup might not be as important as the EPL title, but you bet your ass when you win, you pick the damn thing up and show that you’re thankful for it and you want it just as much as anything else.

In all reality, the All Star Game is what it is. Kind of like a church camp with more soccer and … well no church. But the similarities are they are a break from the norm – getting away from the usual and doing something a tad different. It’s not the most exciting game some players will ever be in nor the most prestigious.

But it’s still a representation of our league. And that representation last night was solid. Fans of the league should be proud of that; and the players too.

So the Sounders just lost to Montreal. I’m now sitting in my room, licking my wounds before I make a long, 6 hour trip over to Eastern Washington. Let’s start out, though, with a quick recap of this cringing game before I have to rush out the door before the sun sets.

In the 18th minute, Montreal scored their first goal off the foot of Martins. The game would go to the half with Montreal leading 1-0. Feeling confidant that my boys would come back, I petted my new toy Honey Badger that my friend gave me today for a birthday present with a grin on my face.

My smile disappeared at minute 51 when Justin Mapp found the back of the net due to bad defending. Then again, Andrew Wenger scored at the 58th minute with a beautiful shot.

Speaking of bad happenings with defensive players, around the 55th minute, John Kennedy Hurtado was shown a red card and was forced to leave the game off a questionable call. It made me yell out a string of certain words that probably should not be repeated.

We were a man down, losing 3-0 when Fredy Montero decided to show some magic. He passed the ball around Montreal’s defense, finding Eddie Johnson who chipped the ball into the net at 61st minute. Fredy would later be taken down in the midfield from a two-footed, studs up tackle that would have gotten anyone else sent off if the ref was actually good at what he was doing. The criminal got off with only a yellow when it was clearly a red.

Then Lamar Neagle came on and showed Sigi why he should have not been traded for Eddie Johnson. At the 87th minute, he scored the final goal in the match, beating Brad Evans and Bryan Meredith and hitting the netting.

After the match, Sigi had a few choice words for the referee after the game. Who could blame him, though?

Well it’s finally Thursday soccer fans!! One league title is pretty much wrapped up after yesterday’s games and MLS teams had an interesting midweek battle. Also, there’s an Italian manager in trouble for attacking a player and the USMNT adds another date to their friendlies this year. Here’s your Daily Kick Around!

La Liga

They’ve done it! Yesterday after their 3-0 win against Bilbao, Real Madrid – unofficially – could call themselves champions of La Liga. To say it’s been an easy road to get here would be an understatement. It’s the 32nd league title for the Spanish giants and our own Tamara Reinhart, hardcore Madridista, has the run down of the match and some very excited Real Madrid players.

Major League Soccer

What a night for midweek soccer! Have you heard of this San Jose team? If you haven’t, you need to get with the program! The Quakes are on FIRE this season, and they added another win to the tally last night as they notched 5 goals to D.C. United’s 3. The Seattle v. L.A. rivalry heated up last night too, with the Sounders finally coming out on the plus side against the defending MLS Cup champs; Eddie Johnson and Fredy Montero each hit the back of the net to finish off the Galaxy 2-0. New England and Colorado faced off last night too and it would be the Revs that would get the three points, beating the Rapids 2-1.

If you are wondering what in the heck is going on with this Simon Borg guy, check out my post from earlier this week about his remarks that MLS female “super fans” might be unappealing to the opposite sex. Fortunately, MLS responded to his remarks and suspended him for seven days. There’s been a lot of talk from both sides on this issue, and I’ll wrap up my opinion by saying this – diverse opinions and debate in the league is a good thing, it’s what you want. But to be diverse, you don’t have to lash out at half of your fan base. And just because Borg has a reputation for saying remarks such as the ones he uttered April 30 doesn’t make it right to let him continue.

English Premier League

Chelsea may be in the final of the Champion’s League, but they are definitely on the outside looking in when it comes to the EPL. Newcastle defeated the Blues Wednesday 2-0 and it’s quite possible Chelsea will finish below the fourth spot for the first time in 10 years. While it’s clear the club has something – they are in the CL finals after all – it looks like there is still a little struggling at Stamford Bridge.

Serie A

Fiorentina manager Delio Rossi landed in hot water with his club recently when he apparently went after one of his players and slapped him! During Fiorentina’s match with Novara, Rossi subbed out Serbian forward Adem Ljajic. When Ljajic complained about the substitution, Rossie physically attacked him for the remark. While the manager said he would apologize, the power that be at Fiorentina fired him. Can’t say I wouldn’t blame them.

U.S. Men’s National Team

If you are USMNT fan in the midwest, get excited! The team will be back in Columbus, FINALLY, taking on Jamaica Sept. 11 at Columbus Crew Stadium. As a USMNT fan and a Crew fan, I have to say, I’m really excited about this match up!

Happy Friday y’all! I bet you’re as excited for the weekend as I am. We’ve got plenty of MLS and EPL matches, and of course the big one: El Clasico. Aside from all the upcoming games this weekend, there was a bit of a shakeup in the Pacific North West today, plus bad news for Arsenal as the season comes to a close. All that and more, here’s your Daily Kick Around!

Major League Soccer

Two big announcements out of Portland today. First, former Seattle Sounder–and Timbers rival–Mike Fucito was traded to the Timbers from his current side, Montreal Impact. Depending on Fucito’s performance, the Impact will receive either the Timbers’ highest second-round 2013 SuperDraft pick or a 2013 international roster slot.

But that wasn’t the end of the news out of Portland for the day. It was just announced that Timbers forward Eddie Johnson will be retiring. Johnson has been out since February after suffering his third concussion. At just 27, Johnson’s 10 year professional career is coming to an end. Best of luck to Eddie in his future endeavors!

It’s no secret that Sporting Kansas City are absolutely on fire to start the season. They are now 7-0-0, and look unstoppable at the moment. There is so much joy every time they play, you can’t help but love watching them. Well, it seems the team is also having a blast off the field. Check out the latest quirky video out of SKC, featuring Bobby Convey in a bathrobe with his dog. No, I’m not kidding.

La Liga

Tomorrow morning La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona will face off in an epic clash. Our own Tamara Rinehart previews the El Clasico here.

English Premier League

Bad news for Arsenal fans. etAs the season is quickly coming to an end, it was announced today that Mikel Arta will have to be sidelined for the last four games. He does not need ankle surgery, but it is a sprain, so the Gunners won’t be able to use him to maintain their position in the league table.

Apparently fans aren’t the only ones sick of Manchester United’s Ashley Young diving all over the pitch, trying to get penalty kick calls. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Young against these antics, saying he goes down too quickly when challenged. “I’ve had a word with Ashley and he understands where we’re coming from. Hopefully it makes a difference.’‘ Even this United fan hopes to see Young stay on his feet–goals from penalty kicks after a dive just aren’t satisfying.

It’s Saturday Game Day folks! There’s tons going on in the footy world, per usual, and we’ve got lots of headlines for you today! From Leeds United getting a new manager, Balotelli adding a racial complaint to the news and trouble in China as the country’s former deputy soccer chief heads to jail. It’s here in today’s DKA!

World Soccer

China may not be little, but they’re soccer world is in big trouble. Yang Yimin, China’s former deputy soccer chief, was sentenced today to 10 1/2 years in prison after taking $20,000 in bribes to fix matches. He was just one of 39 people convicted – including four refs. Big Trouble in Little China indeed.

Will he or won’t he? It seems that instead of asking who will lead England’s National team in the coming months, the real question is if Harry Redknapp will take the job. After insisting he doesn’t want the command of the Three Lions’, Redknapp now is “opening the door” to talks of managing the squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 tournament. Hmmm….

Major League Soccer

In a huge, late night surprise, Seattle Sounders fans were shocked as the club announced it would trade fan favorites, forward Mike Fucito and midfielder Lamar Neagle, for USMNT international Eddie Johnson, who returned to MLS. Fucito and Neagle are now headed to Montreal. It’ll be interesting to see how things play out after this.

If you’re a regular reader of DKA, you know MLS has been moving and shaking things up all off season. The Bleacher Report has a nice article outlining the 10 most important moves MLS teams have made during their months off.

Europa League

I hate to talk about it – Hell, all of the girls here at Aerys Soccer hate when we have to talk about this – but there is another complaint of racism in the EPL. Apparently Manchester City has officially filed with UEFA stating Italian striker Mario Balotelli suffered racial abuse during the Tuesday Europa League game against Porto. Midfielder Yaya Toure could have also been on the receiving end, but it seems only Balotelli is the only one the club has confirmed. UEFA stated they will make a decision to launch an investigation after they have received and reviewed the delegate’s match reports.

Championship League

Apparently Leeds United have finally settled on a new manager; former Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock. And ol’ Neil is already making an impression as Leeds was able to notch a late win over Doncaster today at home. Side note: US International Robbie Rogers made his debut with the squad, only to be stretchered off 5 minutes later after a horrid collision with Tommy Spurr. Apparently, Rogers suffered a concussion, but Leeds has not issued an official statement. Here’s hoping both Robbie and Tommy Spurr are all right!

Serie A

Inter Milan got a little wake up call this week as they were hammered by a struggling Bologna. Inter went down 3-0, a hard loss after winning 8 consecutive games in the league.

Some of the big news out of Italy however this week seems to be centered around penalties. Juventus and Inter Milan are both issuing out negative remarks about refs decisions on penalty kicks this season. You just can’t make everyone happy, can you?

FA Cup

Chelsea 1 – Birmingham 1

Everton 2 – Blackpool 0

Millwall 0 – Bolton 2

Norwich 1 – Leicester 2

Sunderland 2 – Arsenal 0

Hey footy fans! As today’s title suggests, we’re going to be looking at a LOT of MLS headlines today. From Brian Ching back in Texas, Carlos Bocanegra to Vancouver and a new sponsor for Columbus, plus USMNT news and a little fear in the EPL! Here’s your Daily Kick Around!

Major League Soccer

After the heartache for Houston fans at seeing their beloved Brian Ching snatched up by Montreal in the expansion draft, it seems the Dynamo are making amends. Sources are reporting today that Ching will be back in Houston after a deal is set between Montreal and the Dynamo. The Montreal Impact will get a conditional first-round 2013 Super Draft pick in exchange for Ching. But really, the deal also rested on Ching, who will probably have to take a salary cut to fit into the Dyanmo’s budget. It seems he’s a go for it, however, as he is expected to train with the Dynamo today.

Everyone is brushing up on their allocation knowledge as rumors swirl that USMNT captain of choice Carlos Bocanegra could move back to MLS and be snatched up by the Vancouver Whitecaps. The ‘Caps picked up Scottish international Barry Robson today, but coach Martin Rennie is saying the shopping isn’t done in Scotland as the club would like to pick up the U.S. defender as well. With the Glasgow Rangers recently going into administration and being docked 10 points, Boca could be looking for a move to get himself a championship trophy.

Another U.S. International is coming back from overseas. Former Kansas City and Dallas player Eddie Johnson has entered the allocation process and his new club will be named on Friday. 

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero – the man who woke a little girl from a coma with his voice – may be coming to MLS. His agent is telling media he believes a move to America would be the best option for the Italian super star, whose contract with Juventus will come to a close at the end of the season. With several former European stars currently in MLS making such a great impact on teams, it could be a move everyone would be happy with.

Finally, it looks like the Columbus Crew have a new sponsor to add to their jerseys (you know, the ones we aren’t so sure are good looking). Barbasol joined the team yesterday, announcing a jersey sponsorship, complete with commercials. The jokes have already begun to filter in, but as a Crew fan, I’m excited about possible foam parties on the Nordecke.

U.S. Men’s National Team

There have been so many leaked jerseys, I have no clue what the USMNT will wear in the coming year. However, this latest one MIGHT be closer to the truth than others.  But really, we won’t know anything until it’s out officially. What do you guys think?

USMNT U-23 coach Caleb Porter named his roster for the upcoming camp and match with Mexico on Feb. 29. There are a total of 15 MLS players named and include Brek Shea, Freddy Adu, Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury.

English Premier League

With Scottish team Glasgow Rangers going into administration (bankruptcy basically), there is a little fear the same thing could start happening to English Premier League clubs who see red in their budgets. But the Premier League insists the same won’t happen to its teams and that everything is in tip-top shape… Time will only tell I suppose.

Europa League

After being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United has dropped down to the less-desirable Europa League. But since they’re there, why not try to win it all? They got off to an excellent start today, with a 2-0 win against AFC Ajax in the first game of their two-leg series. They head back to Old Trafford with an easy job: don’t lose.

For all the scores from today’s Europa League action–and there are a lot of games to digest–go here!