So this just happened.
I assume there are a couple things in play here. One, obviously, is City’s planned visit to play Chelsea at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Secondly, I think that since there is no current place for this team to actually, you know, play games, they need to figure out a stadium situation as soon as possible.
Thoughts on this news?
USA fans know Herculez Gomez as the USMNT & Santos Laguna regular and know he isn’t afraid of speaking his mind. That goes for Twitter Q&As with MLS commissioner Don Garber, and obviously Gomez is a bit sore that Sporting KC still hold “first rights” to him even though he was out of contract with the then-Wizards and left for Liga MX.
Graham Parker doesn’t just track the Twitter sorta-spat, he explains why MLS remains a weird outlier when it comes to players’ rights ahead of negotiations between the league and the players.
The internet is just loaded with good news today. Landon Donovan has emerged from the wilderness and rejoined the Los Angeles Galaxy for training this morning. This shot was posted to the official team Instagram account.
The announcement has just come out that David Beckham will be retiring from professional soccer after the MLS Cup on December 1, 2012. He will lead the Los Angeles Galaxy that night against the visiting Houston Dynamo.
Sporting KC fans have no love for Seattle Sounder fans. (via @MLS_insider)
Kirk Urso was 22 years old and had recently undergone surgery for tendonitis. From the Crew’s website this morning:
The Columbus Crew has learned that midfielder Kirk Urso has passed away on Saturday night.
While the circumstances of Urso’s passing are still being determined, no further comments will be made at this time.
The thoughts and prayers of the entire Columbus Crew and Hunt Sports Group are with the Urso family in this time of need.
The header of “DAVID FREAKING BECKHAM” that GIFULMINATION provided with this GIF also sums it up nicely.
(sobs in corner as a Timbers fan)
This summer, top football/soccer clubs from across Europe will invade America’s shores to work into preseason form, play a few friendlies, and sell loads of kits. Below is a full schedule of those games. Do your best to attend one and report back. Come on you Ventura County Fusion!
JULY 18
- Seattle Sounders v. Chelsea — CenturyLink Field (Seattle, WA)
- Philadelphia Union v. Aston Villa — PPL Park (Philadelphia, PA)
JULY 21
- Toronto FC v. Liverpool — Rogers Centre (Toronto, ON)
- Chicago Fire v. Aston Villa — Toyota Park (Chicago, IL)
- Orlando City v. Nottingham Forest — Florida Citrus Bowl (Orlando, FL)
JULY 22
- AS Roma v. Zaglebie Lubin — Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL)
- Chelsea v. Paris Saint-Germain — Yankee Stadium (New York, NY)
JULY 24
- Columbus Crew v. Stoke City — Crew Stadium (Columbus, OH)
- Colorado Rapids v. Swansea City — Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Denver, CO)
- Sporting Kansas City v. Montpellier — Livestrong Park (Kansas City, MO)
- LA Galaxy v. Tottenham — Home Depot Center (Carson, CA)
- Montreal Impact v. Lyon — Stade Saputo (Montreal, QC)
- Portland Timbers v. Aston Villa — JELD-WEN Field (Portland, OR)
JULY 25
- Chelsea v. MLS All Stars — PPL Park (Philadelphia, PA)
- AS Roma v. Liverpool — Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
JULY 27
- AS Roma v. El Salvador — Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ)
JULY 28
- Chelsea vs. AC Milan — Sun Life Stadium (Miami, FL)
- Montpellier v. Lyon — Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ)
- Orlando City v. Stoke City — Florida Citrus Bowl (Orlando, FL)
- DC United v. Paris Saint-Germain — RFK Stadium (Washington, DC)
- Liverpool v. Tottenham — M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, MD)
- Ventura County Fusion v. Swansea City — Oxnard College Stadium (Oxnard, CA)
JULY 31
- Juventus v. Paris Saint-Germain — Stade Olympique (Montreal, QC)
- New York Red Bulls v. Tottenham — Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ)
- San Jose Earthquakes v. Swansea City — Buck Shaw Stadium (San Jose, CA)
AUGUST 1
- Sporting Kansas City v. Stoke City — Livestrong Park (Kansas City, MO)
AUGUST 2
- LA Galaxy v. Real Madrid — Home Depot Center (Carson, CA)
AUGUST 5
- Real Madrid v. Santos Laguna — Sam Boyd Stadium (Las Vegas, NV)
AUGUST 8
- Real Madrid v. AC Milan — Yankee Stadium (New York, NY)
AUGUST 11
- Real Madrid vs. Celtic FC — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
Important information for all our American readers.
David Beckham, scoring a glorious free kick:
David Beckham, trolling by kicking the ball at a downed player and the ref:
David Beckham, fighting with the opposing mascot after his team lost 4-3:
All GIFs via GIFULMINATION.
In what’s probably the biggest shocker in the U.S. Open Cup in some time (let’s say ever), an amateur team on the fifth tier beat an MLS team on the road, 0-1 in extra time. The former, Cal FC, may be coached by Eric Wynalda, but this is a gross embarrassment for the Portland Timbers, and the tweets from the former’s coach and the latter’s owner say it all.
(Personal note: I’m a Timbers fan. Could I please get one football club that doesn’t suck right now? It’s not too much to ask.)
Eric Hassli has done it again.
Remember his unbelievable hit from last year? Well, it wasn’t a fluke. Eric Hassli pulled it off again in the first leg of the Canadian Championship finals between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC last night. In injury time, Hassli’s right-footed strike had so much power that it actually made you feel for the net, nevermind the goalkeeper.
Studly.
(via pitchinvasion)
Some interesting insight here into how ESPN productions work behind the scenes, second-by-second, at the MLS game in Philadelphia between the Union and the Red Bulls.
The BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas opens tonight as the Houston Dynamo will be hosting DC United. This video was taken by remote control drone plane with a camera attached. Good luck to the Dynamo in their first match in the new grounds.
Freddy Montero’s first goal of the season for Seattle Sounders was a sight to behold. The Los Angeles Galaxy and keeper Bill Gaudette may feel a bit differently though.
