In the final week of the MLS season, seven teams will contend for three playoff berths. Only three clubs have been eliminated from the playoffs (New York, San Jose, Kansas City), while five have clinched passage to the playoffs (Columbus, Houston, Los Angeles, Chivas USA, Seattle). There are several scenarios for the remaining clubs and it is complicated to say the least. All of this is discussed in detail in the 2009 Rules of Competition.
The Montreal Impact were crowned USL-1 Champions as they defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday afternoon. Goals for Montreal came from Donatelli, Gjertsen, and Brown while Toure was the lone scorer for Vancouver. Marc Dos Santos deserves a great deal of credit as he did wonders with the team since taking the reins this spring.
Several outlets are reporting that TOA members have been meeting with MLS executives regarding a Second Division for MLS. Our source reports that another level for MLS is not happening any time soon. Here is a comment from that source close to the situation: “Major League Soccer has had conversations with TOA clubs (including the Vancouver Whitecaps) but no arrangement is on the table.”
A source in New York reports that a meeting between the new ownership group and club officials was scheduled for today. Apparently some final details are being discussed and some questions are being answered. It is unclear whether the new ownership has entered the due diligence stage with the league office. However, we were told by yet another source that finances are not an issue for the new owners.
The Ohio Vortex have tenatively scheduled their official press conference for Wednesday, October 21. Some major announcements are expected including details about their sponsors, ownership group, and head coach.
David Testo received the Giuseppe-Saputo Trophy, while Marc Dos Santos was nominated as a finalist for USL First Division Coach of the Year. Testo received the award as the team’s Most Valuable Player. He played in all 26 matches, logging 2,235 minutes. Testo also registered one goal and one assist and led the team with 38 fouls. Dos Santos became interim head coach on May 14 and led the Impact to a 12-8-6 record over 26 matches. He is known for his strong work
The U.S. has qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup thanks to a 3-2 victory over Honduras on Saturday. The coming months will be full of exciting moments and lots of decisions for Bob Bradley. It will be interesting to see who is named to the final World Cup roster. Bradley has looked at a lot of players since his hiring and there will be plenty of talent to go around. It was a busy night as we added pieces to the World
Adrian Heath is one of the premier coaches in the United States. His extensive experience as a player and his impeccable reputation have brought him to the U.S. to lead one of the USL’s newest clubs. The 10th place finish this season is not a true representation of the club’s potential. It was the first year in USL for Heath and many of his players and front office staff. He describes the experience as having “an incredibly huge learning curve.” The
Congratulations to Frankie Hejduk of the Columbus Crew, who was named to the U.S. roster for the qualifiers against Honduras and Costa Rica. Hejduk is the heart and soul of the Crew and can provide a similar presence for the National Team. Frankie will provide veteran experience to a squad that is a few small steps from qualification for the 2010 World Cup.