By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

Jürgen Klinsmann’s anticipated first USMNT match as the man in charge is tomorrow. But, it’s been a little bit over-shadowed by a fellow German with U.S. ties: Timmy Chandler.
And until USSF president Sunil Gulati was able to finally nab Klinsmann a few weeks ago, Chandler has been just as elusive for USSF.
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Filed under Jurgen Klinsmann Timmy Chandler USMNT Bundesliga Sunil Gulati Andy Najar Neven Subotić Giuseppe Rossi 1. FC Nürnberg Steve Cherundolo
By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

Thierry Henry and Bruce Arena have made some pretty bold statements over the past couple of weeks concerning the state of MLS.
Henry said something that everyone already knows and Arena said something that everyone has been thinking.
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Filed under Barcelona David Beckham Don Garber MLS Manchester United NASL Real Madrid Soccer United Marketing Thierry Henry UEFA designated player Lionel Messi Cristiano Ronaldo MLS All-Star Game L.A. Galaxy Seattle Sounders
By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

I’m fairly certain that Pearl Jam’s “Off He Goes” is about Carlos Ruiz. Considering the news that he’s on the move again, it just has to be.
Shortly after the Philadelphia Union’s 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Friday, in which Ruiz was inactive, manager Petr Nowak explained that the Guatemalan striker will be leaving the team. Only then did the club publicly announce it, via Twitter.
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By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

I’m excited about it, too, Jürgen Klinsmann. Naming the German soccer legend USMNT head coach is a big step for USSF.
And it’s a step that should have been taken five years ago if it wasn’t for the supposed stubbornness of USSF president Sunil Gulati.
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Filed under Bob Bradley Jürgen Klinsmann USMNT Sunil Gulati Alexi Lalas
By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

Bob Bradley has become the United States Soccer Federation’s newest victim. The five-year USMNT head coach was canned Thursday.
Bradley’s firing was inevitable, even though he wasn’t even a year into a four-year contract extension he signed last September. Any vote of confidence from USSF president Sunil Gulati just never seemed convincing.
And in some ways, this firing should be sweet relief for the 53-year-old Bradley. He no longer has to deal with (at least on the USMNT level) his son’s constant temper tantrums and justifying his undying love for Jonathan Bornstein.
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Filed under Bob Bradley Bruce Arena Gold Cup Jonathan Bornstein Jurgen Klinsmann Mexico Michael Bradley Steve Sampson Sunil Gulati USMNT USSF
By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

The 2012 London Olympics soccer ball has officially been dubbed “The Albert” according to Adidas.
It’s in reference to Royal Albert Hall, a historic concert venue in London. Many a live performance has been recorded there, including Bob Dylan’s infamous 1966 bootlegged show.
“Albert Hall” is also means “ball” in cockney. So, high five on the cleverness.
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Filed under 2012 Olympics 2010 World Cup Jabulani The Albert Adidas Bob Dylan Royal Albert Hall Fat Albert
By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot
MLS mid-season attendance numbers are up again for the second season in a row —an increase of 6.3 percent to be exact.
That’s mostly thanks to the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps joining MLS this season to boom the Pacific Northwest (or southwest for Canada’s Vancouver) rivalries with Seattle Sounders FC.
The Cascadia Cup teams make up three of MLS’s top five attendance-drawing clubs.
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By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

Nothing about Uruguay feels dirty this time around. Its Copa America success is well-deserved — free of any “hand of fraud”-type blemishes that slightly tarnished its summer in South Africa last year.
Luis Suarez, the evil genius responsible for the “hand of fraud” with his impromptu goalkeeper performance against Ghana in the World Cup quarterfinals, has been on his best behavior in Argentina the past few weeks. And in more ways than one.
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Filed under 2010 World Cup Asamoah Gyan Carlos Tevez Copa America Diego Forlan EPL Fernando Muslera Ghana Giovani Dos Santos Gonzalo Higuaín Javier Chicharito Hernandez Liverpool Luis Suarez Mexico Uruguay football soccer
By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

The Chicago Fire are about to get it a shake-up. And it’s something they desperately need, especially for a team that has a frustrating amount of one-point results: 12 draws in 18 league games.
This shake-up might not just be in the form of newly-signed Sebastian Grazzini of Argentina, though. There’s a good chance midfield anchor Marco Pappa could be in Europe by the end of August.
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Filed under 2010 World Cup All Boys Argentina Primera Division Chicago Fire Cory Gibbs David Beckham Diego Chaves Dominic Oduro EPL Gold Cup MLS Manchester United Marco Pappa Newcastle Newell's Old Boys Racing Club Sean Johnson Sebastian Grazzini Serie A Serie D Spanish Primera Division Villarreal football soccer
By Gareth Sleger, From The Spot

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (USOC) continues to be the most underrated, underappreciated and underachieving sporting event in the United States. And in all honesty, it’s a very telling sign about where professional soccer stands in the U.S.
If there’s one thing that sports fans love (and not just American sport fans), it’s seeing a magnetizing underdog get its fair shot at a powerhouse. And that’s exactly what the USOC offers: the lower class USL(s) against the upper class MLS. This type of event is certainly nothing new to the international soccer landscape (for example, England has the FA Cup and Carling Cup), but this idea is completely unique to the U.S. landscape. No other meaningful and historic team-based U.S. tournament allows minor league teams the chance to compete against a top-flight league.
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