(Get) A Sporting Life

Screaming doesn't seem to work, so I will say this quietly. Toledo simply is not good at his job. He calls the game in what could be called an "imaginative" manner as it bear little to no resemblance to the match being played on the pitch. His obvious lack of quality seems to also affect the assistants who work with him, as they seem strangely apt at compounding Toledo's numerous errors of judgements with missed offsides calls. Incompetence breeds incompetence I suppose. Toledo's continued employment does a disservice to fans, players and the sport in general. We all deserve better than Toledo.

Unfortunately, I'm probably not going to get it: MLS players prepared to strike MLS players have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike if a collective bargaining agreement with the league is not reached in time for the season openers in two weeks, the Insider has learned. In a written vote, more than 350 players supported a strike and only two opposed it, a source close to the situation said. "We will not start the season without a new agreement," said a veteran player, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations. "To be quite blunt, it doesn't look good at all." When I look at the situation I have to, by and large, come down on the side of the players in this one. I simply think it is time to alter the structure put in place during the league's infancy. I certainly didn't support the players when after 3 or 4 season they began to make strike threats, it now is a different landscape. The owners cannot forever live ...

That makes a grand total of one sports commishes I can say that about. Here is why : MLS Commissioner Don Garber is getting fed up with the David Beckham issue and whether the English superstar will remain with the Galaxy or move permanently to AC Milan. In an exclusive interview with the Insider, he set a Friday deadline to finalize a deal. Beckham, who has played two seasons with Los Angeles, is currently on loan to the Italian power. "By Friday, he is either coming back or he is transferred," Garber said. "If it is not resolved by Friday, I will not approve the transfer. This has been going on too long. I understand Milan needs to come to some conclusion on their own and I understand from David's comments that he would like to find a way to stay. The only way that happens is if Milan makes an offer to buy him out of his contract that makes sense for MLS and makes sense for the Galaxy. We've got tickets to sell, games to schedule, sponsors have programs, we hav...

Watch out Collinsville...uh, I mean St. Louis *wink*... here comes Albert : National League MVP Albert Pujols is trying to bring Major League Soccer to St. Louis. St. Louis Soccer United announced Tuesday that the Cardinals first baseman has joined the proposed ownership group, which is committed to bringing an MLS expansion franchise to the area in 2011. The announcement came one day after Pujols was named the MVP for second time in four years. “I am very proud and excited to join the effort to bring Major League Soccer to the St. Louis area,” Pujols said. “This means a lot to me and my family, as we all love soccer and we believe in MLS. “This is something that will be great for our community, especially our youth. I strongly encourage St. Louis business leaders and sports fans to join me in this effort. St. Louis is an unbelievable sports town and we’ll be a great city for Major League Soccer.” Ha! Take that Miami and Portland! What you got, eh? Nothing I tell you...NOTHING. Because...

I hate being forced to root for anything Chicago related. I mean anything. I see a web poll pitting New York Thin Crust Pizza vs. Chicago Deep Dish and I having a rooting interest in New York. That's just the way I am. Tonight, however, I'm screwed. If DC United are to make the playoffs it would really help if Chicago can beat the Red Bulls. (MLS' ExtraTime is worth watching for a breakdown on the playoff possibilities.) I'll admit, I'm skeptical that United can go into Columbus on Sunday and get the needed win...but if they can go in having a shot... Go FIRE!!!!! Crap. Now I need to take a shower.

Just saw this from Steve Goff's blog : What was worse: United's collective defending, the officiating crew or the high-pitched squealing that serves as the Beckham soundtrack? Tough call. (Just don't let Terry Vaughn make it.) A-fucking-men. Here is what Goff wrote for the Washington Post : United was certainly willing to dwell on the officiating by referee Terry Vaughn and linesmen C.J. Morgante and Sean Hurd, who appeared to miss several offside calls. The most devastating decision was made by Vaughn, who ejected Marc Burch for a sideline challenge on Beckham, leaving resurgent United a man short for the final 27 minutes. Burch certainly made contact, contributing to Beckham's tumble into a sign board, but it was hardly a malicious tackle. After the match, Beckham said he had told Vaughn at the time that the ejection was not warranted. "The momentum took me over the line and I lost my balance," he said. "I swung for the ball and hit the back of his leg,...

Look, I don't think DC United should have won this game, but when you look at the highlights it becomes clear that the referees completely ruined what should have been a barn burner of a game. 1) The red card to Burch was a joke; a complete steaming pile of a call that no one who actually likes the game could support. If MLS turns Beckham into even more of a prissy boy, how is that helping the league exactly? 2) Donovan's last goal is offside by a country mile. It is so not close it beggars belief that it could have been an honest mistake. Look, almost every league has shitty refs. The problem with MLS is the refs are beyond shitty. My God, what I wouldn't give for garden variety incompetence.

It wasn't always pretty but tonight's Chivas/Galaxy match was balls-to-the-wall fun. In the past couple of years I've seen countless matches among the top four in the EPL. While they are not technically derbies, they are hyped to the max as the matches that matter, whether they are EPL, FA Cup, League Cup or Champions League. They almost always disappoint as defensive (not in a good way), tentative, shitty soccer. Invariably, the soccer punditry in England bitch about how worthless these matches are, lament that none of the teams are willing to play an open go-for-a-win game and someone points to the lower leagues as the proper example. Nonetheless, whenever the MLS is mentioned to these same types, it is ridiculed as a lower English league. Yep. And tonight they proved the point by playing some damned enjoyable soccer. And Razov's goal was an absolute gem.

Ignoring the time-honored cliche, MLS wannabe Jeff Cooper has quit his day job : "It means that we are so close that I've gone full time on this project," Cooper said, "to push it across the finish line. I'm confident we'll get there. The whole time this has been a matter of passion on my part. Now, I've really put everything else aside, including the business I've built for the last seven or eight years." Essentially, Cooper has gotten out of the law business and into the soccer business. Cooper seems convinced that the deal is imminent. And if the soccer franchise doesn't work out, he can always try to lure the Rams across the river, right? (Everybody's talking about the new sport; funny but it's still foo-ootball to me.)

Shaka Hislop has been given the nod to write a weekly MLS blog post for the Guardian. His first installment published last Friday. The MLS has been getting some attention on the Football Weekly podcast with the crew even going so far as to ring up Mike Cardillo, whose soccer dominated blog is That's On Point . Any MLS mention on Football Weekly usually elicits a wave of stupidity and pettiness in their blog comments. So I took a peek into the comments on Hislop's first MLS post, expecting the worst. To my astonishment, the comments thread was a long remarkably well-informed and serious back and forth that touched on the MLS/North American franchise draft model vs. European youth development model, comparisons between the MLS & Mexican League and general discussion of where the MLS stands. There was a fantastic mix of contributers who are Brit ex-pats in the US, Canadians, Americans and I'm guessing a few American ex-pats in the UK. Several of them are among the best o...

The prospect of a truly dedicated Santino Quaranta playing for DC United has me excited. What kind of dolt am I? Hopefully, not the completely gullible kind: Quaranta's Second Chance The nameplate above Santino Quaranta's locker in the basement of RFK Stadium provides a stark reminder of his status with D.C. United. "GUEST PLAYER." For the most part, he is no different than the other nameless candidates competing for a contract and a roster spot, just another hopeful young player trying to make an impression on the coaching staff in the waning days of MLS training camp. But with Quaranta, there is a history unmatched not only by the other contenders, but also some established players. After never fulfilling the promise he displayed as a 16-year-old rookie midfielder-forward with United seven years ago, after being sidelined by countless injuries, traded twice and waived this winter, the Baltimore native has resurfaced on a trial basis with his original club. "Th...

From Bernie Miklasz today : After finalizing funding for a suburban soccer stadium, Philadelphia will officially receive a Major League Soccer expansion franchise next week. The announcement is scheduled for Thursday. Jeff Cooper and St. Louis have been shut out again. Even though Cooper fulfilled the league's No. 1 wish by securing financing for a beautiful soccer-specific stadium complex in Collinsville, the St. Louis bid has been skipped over in favor of San Jose, Seattle and now Philly. Cooper remains undeterred and upbeat. Though Philadelphia will get the 16th MLS team, Cooper is confident that St. Louis will be No. 17, pegged to begin play in the 2010 season. And he expects that announcement to happen by early summer. ... There should be no more waiting. It frustrates me, the way the MLS and league commissioner Don Garber take Cooper for granted. The league couldn't ask for a better owner than Cooper. He's a soccer devotee and a goodwill ambassador, and he will build ...

So....DC United has won the supporters shield for the best regular season record in MLS. For some , this is the only accomplishment that matters: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! As far as I’m concerned, we’re done. In a real league, we are the champions. I'm as much of a Eurosnob as the next U.S. soccer fan, but it doesn't feel done to me. I like postseason tournaments (in all sports), so I don't see why MLS should be any different. (If we had a twenty team league I'd be clamoring for a single table louder than anyone...but I still wouldn't have a problem with a postseason.) I view the "Supporter's Shield" the same way I view the "President's Trophy," it's a nice thing for the trophy case but if you lose in the postseason it don't mean much. I think back to the Blues in the 1999-2000 season and I don't remember much about the 114 point regular season. I still see the opening round loss to San Jose in my nightmares. So, the regular season su...

Does the IM have any additional thoughts/insights into the latest on the MLS giving St. Louis a team for the 2009 season? As someone who plans to eventually move back to the Midwest, it's exciting. I can't bring myself to care too much for the MLS from my exile here in Florida. There is no team within 1200 miles and my strict policy of never rooting for a Florida-based sports team, doesn't make even the remote chance of a franchise here appealing. As for closer to home, Chicago and KC are right out. UPDATE (by IM): I think Southlandish should hold out for the establishment of "Farmersville 1821", nickname "The Irish Daze", kit green & white horizontal stripes. After all Farmersville has much going for it : Farmersville is located off of Interstate 55 at Exit 72. There are currently two gas stations located at this exit as well as three eateries, which are Subway, Champ's Bar & Grill, and Arts Restaurant. Farmersville currently has festival da...

I haven't had much time to write lately (starting a new job don't ya know) but I've caught a few games of late.....to wit: I. The Cards have been playing pretty well considering the starting rotation is a complete mess. I have to wonder if this team has the ability to win big games when push comes to shove. II. Mizzou is 2-0, as I predicted, but they are playing exactly like I thought they would play. The offense is something to watch...sometimes. The defense is mostly offensive. The team still lacks any semblance of a "killer instinct" which will spell trouble...yet again. III. The U.S. played pretty well against Brazil right up to the point we scored the first goal. After that we were pretty dire....especially up front. ("Where have you gone Brian McBride, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you...") IV. The DC v. Chivas match on Thursday had to be the worst game played in MLS this season. BORING. UPDATE: I forgot to add...did you notice the Mizzou game ...

In case you didn't catch this great goal, here is a minute and a half love fest to the work of St. Louisian Chris Klein.

Evidently, with the signing of Denilson FC Dallas is in the position where they will soon have to drop one of their four Senior International players. It seems likely that Adrian Serioux will be the player jettisoned as he has only made it into three games this year, and Dallas' other SI's ( Ricchetti , Ruiz , and Saragosa ) play much larger roles on the team. Serioux is a Canadian defender who had some experience playing for Millwall in England. If we can play one of the back positions, DC might think about it. Right now DC only has used three SI slots (Fred, Emilio and Gomez), so if they are not going to bring in a big name soon...why not? Of course DC may not be the only team with an open SI slot right now. I believe the LA Galaxy have an open slot and they need all the defensive help they can get.

The effort to get an MLS team into St. Louis (or at least Collinsville) is getting into high gear. You can check out the AP story here . Or you could look at the Post-Dispatch's take here . Or you could look at Jeff Cooper's pitch at the new St. Louis Soccer United website . From the PD: Efforts to bring professional outdoor soccer back to St. Louis will enter a decisive phase on Monday when a prominent Metro East lawyer will propose a $100 million stadium complex in Collinsville that he intends to be home to a Major League Soccer franchise. The Collinsville City Council will hear a presentation from East Alton attorney Jeff Cooper about a 400-acre development project that would include an 18,900-seat stadium, a hotel, at least two restaurants, about 1,000 single-family homes, several youth soccer fields and nearly 500,000 square feet of office and retail space. While the complex would be a destination point in the Metro East area, it would not come without risk; Collinsville w...

From the BBC: Beckhams arrive in Los Angeles David Beckham has touched down in California to start his new job as a player for the Los Angeles Galaxy. The former England football captain arrived in the US with his wife Victoria, greeted by screaming fans. After a night's sleep, Beckham is due to appear at a news conference of the LA Galaxy, where he will be introduced to the world as their new star player. In a scene that resembled a Hollywood premiere, the Beckhams were welcomed by an army of TV crews and photographers. The football star walked with a big smile on his face through the airport. Barricades had to be set up to keep the crowd under control. Hmm...I wonder if Yao Ming got that sort of reception?

It is ironic that I just was talking about Eddie and he makes some news tonight. Eddie Pope will be retiring after the end of this season. This saddens me no end. It also saddens me that he has to go out on a team as poor as Real Salt Lake. Maybe DC should send a draft pick out Salt Lake's way. Anyway, here is a clip of he MLS best all time XI as of 2005, starring one Eddie Pope.