Brazilian Geovanni Brings Flair to San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes signed their first designated player, Brazilian midfielder Deiberson Mauricio, on Monday.  The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Geovanni is known as a versatile and creative attacking midfielder who can score. He started playing professionally in Brazil when he was 18. Since then, his career has spanned from Portugal to Spain to England. Last year he played a crucial role in helping Hull City avoid relegation during the 2008-2009 season. Geovanni scored 13 goals in 65 games with the Tigers during his two year stint there, including a Goal of the Month strike in 2-1 victory against Arsenal. San Jose is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference with 26 points and have played fewer games every team they trail. They are in ninth place overall, meaning they are the first team out of a playoff spot. The main question is where he will play as San Jose now have a number of options going forward. These include Khari Stephenson who debuted with an assist and well talked about performance against Kansas City last week. Despite a season ending injury to Andre Luiz, San Jose is deep going forward, with Arturo Alvarez, Bobby Convey, Sam Cronin, and Chris Wondolowski among ...

Henry, Marquez Converge at Red Bulls-Fire Game but Are Out-Shined

Arguably the greatest trio in MLS history played their first game together at Toyota Park in Chicago. Despite numerous chances the final score was 0-0.    New York's combination of Thierry Henry, Juan Pablo Angel, and Rafael Marquez overshadowed the massive Fire trade for Freddie Ljungberg and the acquisition of Nery Castillo during the pre-game hype. Yet, the story of the game was rookie Fire goalie Sean Johnson, who made a number of critical saves to keep a clean sheet.   The majority of the talk surrounded Thierry Henry, who has looked very good in his two Red Bull appearances thus far. He has been involved in three goals and connected well with teammates, especially star striker Juan Pablo Angel.   Rafael Marquez signed last week, and this was his first game in a Red Bull uniform. He is expected to be a force in the midfield and at the back. Winning the ball and directing play are his strengths.   Meanwhile, Freddie Ljungeberg moved to Chicago in late July from Seattle for a couple of draft picks. He has much experience playing in the MLS and is great at moving the ball down the field.   The other Fire signing, Nery Castillo, also debuted tonight. He is ...

New World v. Old World: The MLS All-Star Game’s Significance

Think back to when you were 15 years old. You had already lived a good chunk of life and were somewhat established as a person. Yet, you also had not finished your development and probably not known where you were going to end up. Tonight is the 15th All-Star Game in MLS history. And from it, we can learn a lot about where the MLS came from, what it is, and maybe a little about where it is going. The premier American soccer league is strikingly cosmopolitan. Twelve of the 25 members of the All-Star team are from outside the United States. Still, the structure of the league is very American. The All-Star game is an American invention. The success of the All-Star team against Premier League competition is a testament to the quality of the league. And players such Jaime Moreno as well as buildings such as the future Houston Dynamo stadium reveal the stability of Major League Soccer.Begin Slideshow