Sylvae
31Dec/110

David Beckham: Former England Star Would Be Dumb to Choose L.A. Galaxy over PSG

Former England international star David Beckham is foolishly considering signing a new deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS over French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain.His current contract with the Galaxy expires at midnight of the new year, and though Beckham has been rumored to be considering a transfer to PSG, the Galaxy could remain with his current club according to the Daily Mail: Sources close to the former Manchester United midfielder on Friday night said that, as it stands, the veteran is more inclined to stay in America. Beckham, 36, will hold talks with his adviser, Simon Fuller, over the coming days before making his decision but is reluctant to uproot his wife Victoria and four children, who are settled in Los Angeles. Beckham is not the superstar midfielder he once was for Manchester United, but he is still capable of being effective in the French league, and PSG are currently an exciting team with a bright future.They just hired former AC Milan and Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti to be their new manager, and the club currently sit atop the Ligue 1 table with a three-point lead over Montpellier.Beckham would be able to give the PSG midfield some creativity ...
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31Dec/110

Toronto FC: 5 Biggest Names That Flopped for the Club

By far, the best part of living anywhere near Toronto is that there is always something to complain about in terms of sports.  Let's face it, Toronto clubs have all been rather pathetic over the past decade or so.  With the introduction of Toronto FC into the fold came another avenue to scrutinize, examine and complain about.  MLS is a growing league, and with the introduction of David Beckham and the Designated Player Rule, each team has sought European talent to strengthen their side.As you will soon see, not all of these European imports live up to their pedigree, name or price tag.  Here are the five biggest import flops in TFC's young history. Begin Slideshow
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30Dec/110

Red Bulls Offseason Report: Marquez Status, Henry to Arsenal and Ream Transfer

This is your New York Red Bulls offseason report for the month of December.At the start of the Red Bulls' offseason, I made a list of five things that the team had to do before the much-anticipated start of the 2012 season. Those five things were: Get attractive home jerseys, sell Rafa Marquez, keep Henry happy, test Ream in the market and find a playmaker.How is the team doing on the five objectives I assigned to them? Click through this slideshow to see. Begin Slideshow
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29Dec/110

5 Reasons TFC Should Never Have Traded Dwayne De Rosario

2011 was a year of great drama regarding the most successful player to lace up for Toronto FC.  With two great seasons under his belt in his native town, Dwayne De Rosario made public demands for increased wages.  Then the great Celtic fiasco began, in which De Rosario began training with Celtic FC without permission from Toronto.   Goal.com reported intern management stated, "We were unaware of Dwayne's plan to train with Celtic and we will contact them to understand the situation.  Obviously, if there is interest in a short-term loan arrangement by either him or Celtic, they will need to approach us and the league formally, and we will consider based on what is in TFC's best interest." These two moments spoiled De Rosario's name in Toronto. However, despite the conflict surrounding Dwayne in his last months with The Reds, this is a list of five reasons Toronto should have held onto this Canadian star.Begin Slideshow
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29Dec/110

MLS Transfers: Houston Dynamo Make Their First Deal of the Offseason

Nathan Sturgis, a 24-year-old journeyman midfielder, joined his fifth MLS club in only seven years yesterday evening, landing with the Houston Dynamo.  This young utility player has seen brief stints of both success and lackluster play throughout his MLS career.  Houston signed Stugris from Toronto FC for a conditional 2014 draft pick (essentially not much).  It would appear that Toronto unloading Sturgis might mean that Aron Winter has his targets set on bringing in another piece to his side.  Losing Sturgis (who did not particularly impress in Toronto) frees up both cap room and an American international slot.  Having just last season signed Sturgis from the Vancouver Whitecaps for a first overall (eighth) pick in the 2011 SuperDraft, Toronto sees a great deal of loss as this deal goes through.Houston looks to Sturgis to add depth and leadership.  President of Business Operations Chris Canetti told MLSsoccer.com that:Dom [Kinnear] knows in his mind what he likes, and when he really likes a guy he envisions, far more than anyone else, how that guy will fit into the club and into his scheme. That was certainly the case with Adam Moffat and hopefully it will be the same situation where Dom sees Sturgis in a certain role with our club and ...
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28Dec/110

Reggie Lambe: Toronto FC Signs Young Bermudian Winger To Boost Offense

I feel obliged to share the information at hand, seeing that it has not yet been mentioned.  Early this December, Toronto FC inked 20-year-old Reggie Lambe to a professional contract in Toronto.  The team did not release financial details.Lambe joins Toronto from Championship side Ipswich Town F.C.  Despite lack of playing time at Ipswich, Aron Winter stated on the Toronto FC website he was very glad to add another attacking winger with speed to complement his side. Winter said, "Reggie is a dangerous winger with a great amount of speed and ability. He will be an important player and will fit in well with our club."Lambe may not have found a great deal of success in England. However, he has already seen 13 caps for his Bermudian national side for which he was named captain earlier this year.  His speed and ability on the ball should definitely add attacking options to Winter's squad and provided depth.Toronto fans are hoping that Toronto's technical directors are on to something with this acquisition.  Following the formula of the successful drafting of the small and speedy Joao Plata, who proved to be a fan favorite and very capable MLS player, Toronto is looking to Lambe to compliment Plata's speed, skill and success on the other side ...
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27Dec/110

MLS Teams Clash: Rogers Centre to Host Toronto/LA Galaxy CONCACAF Matchup

The hotly debated topic regarding a venue for Toronto FC's leg of the CONCACAF quarter-final match on March 7, 2012 has finally been resolved.Paul Beirne, Senior Director of Business operations to the club, announced Wednesday that Toronto would move this all-important game indoors to the multipurpose Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.  This decision has been heavily scrutinized by Toronto supporters for months. However, as reported by torontofc.ca, this venue change was a necessity due to the unpredictability of March weather in Southern Ontario. Bernie said of the decision:"A lot of thought went into selecting the home site for this very important match.  While we would have loved to host our quarterfinal match at our home, BMO Field, ultimately the decision came down to our ability to deliver a safe and enjoyable event in a venue that could withstand the unpredictability of March’s weather conditions."Obviously, an important and very difficult process, Toronto management made a very tough decision on this occasion. But, it was the proper choice. Although some supporters may still yet feel disappointment, there are definite positives going forward with this venue—which I have outlined in a previous article.Toronto has the opportunity to make this game memorable. With an improving ...
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27Dec/110

MLS Playoff Format: Improved for 2012, Still Not Perfect

It's been a while since Major League Soccer announced their new playoff format, but I wanted to take my time and think about it before I passed my personal judgement on itTo be perfectly honest, MLS has been looking for a better playoff format for a long time. It seems like they change the format every year. This one is better, but not perfect.For comparison purposes, let's look at the 2011 playoff format. The top three teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs, then the next four teams based on points, regardless of conference. The Wild Cards, seeded based on regular season points, would play a single elimination play-in game. The lowest remaining seed would play the Supporters Shield winner. The higher seed would play the other conference champion. The conference semifinals would be two-leg affairs, winner decided on aggregate score, with the winners advancing to single-game conference finals. Those conference winners would then move on to a neutral site MLS Cup.The playoff format for 2012 is a little simpler. The top five teams in each conference will make the playoffs. The fourth- and fifth-place teams will play each other in a single game, winner advancing to the conference ...
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26Dec/110

MLS Predictions: 5 Reasons to Believe in Toronto FC in 2012

Toronto FC has struggled throughout its young beginning.  In five years, Toronto is yet to receive a playoff berth and has been a constant revolving door of players and coaches.  Toronto fans are again having to deal with a rebuilding team five years after TFC's conception.  With a new head coach in place to begin the 2011 season, TFC is disappointing yet again, buying and selling players, and finishing bottom-dwellers of the MLS Eastern Conference.  With a new season quickly approaching, there are positive signs that this might be a turnaround year for this struggling Toronto franchise. Begin Slideshow
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23Dec/110

Ranking the Top 15 Pure Scorers in MLS History

What is a pure scorer? According to my definition, a pure scorer is a player who can score in more ways that one. It's not just give-and-go. It's also being able to have a good first touch, great dribbling and the ability to score from different angles.Major League Soccer completed its16th season just over a month ago, but throughout its history, there have been a number of players who have been able to record goals in bunches, from different angles, establish a good first touch...but most importantly score and score at will.Let us take a look at the Top 15 Pure Scorers in MLS History.Begin Slideshow
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