On the latest edition of the MLS Talk Podcast : This Week in US Soccer, your hosts Chris Webb and Chris Riordan bring you up to date on all the latest MLS News. There’s the returns of two Galactic heroes, Le Toux to Vancouver and much more. The second segment continues the array of league news before giving way to USMNT and Yanks Abroad talk. Does it matter who’s better … Donovan or Dempsey? Who do Chris and Chris think will graduate from Camp Cupcake to a more relevant position? Chris squared give their opinions on these topics and much more. It’s a brand new MLS Talk Podcast : TWIUSS … as always bringing you a view of the beautiful game from an American and regional perspective!

When the 2012 preseason opened for the New York Red Bulls, there were a lot of questions that had to be answered. No one knew the club’s plans after a season that looked disjointed and at times looked disgraceful – especially after the end of their first leg quarterfinal at home against the eventual MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy.

As the silence was getting louder, slowly but surely the pieces were starting to take shape, and certain parts were returning to give a sigh of relief. Estonian midfielder Joel Lindpere signed a multi-year contract extension; Stephen Keel was given a new contract to fill depth for the backline.

But there was a shock during the MLS SuperDraft this past January. The Red Bulls made a draft day trade with the Portland Timbers for striker Kenny Cooper. Apparently this move was made as English striker Luke Rodgers had issues renewing his visa (approval was recently granted).

Add to that the lingering ankle injury which will cause lost time for Juan Agudelo, and bringing in Cooper could be a nice pairing up top with Thierry Henry (currently on loan with Arsenal). Head Coach Hans Backe is well aware that Cooper is not simply a target striker; he can score on the ground as well as in the air. On trial right now with the club is former FC New York striker Jhonny Arteaga who scored thirteen goals in USL Pro.

The back line was strengthened with the addition of two tall central defenders, since Tim Ream transferred to Bolton Wanderers in the EPL. Enter Swedish defender Markus Holgersson and former Chicago Fire defender Wilman Conde, who wanted to move here when Juan Carlos Osorio left the Fire. After a stint with Atlas of the Mexican Primera Division, he finally got his wish.

Home grown defender Connor Lade, who started with the Red Bulls academy and spent his college years with St. John’s of the Big East, was signed to a contract. Reports from preseason training have been positive, and he has impressed the coaching staff.Clifton,New Jersey native Jonathan Borrajo has returned from playing inNorway and will also push for starting minutes.

But the two or three big question marks the team is facing right now are: 1) goalkeeper, 2) Rafa Marquez and 3) will they bring a creative midfielder during the summer transfer window?

In terms of the goalkeeping issue, Frank Rost has decided to go back to Germany as his contract terms were only for a few months. Jeremy Vuolo was signed but some feel he is a backup. Drafted Fordham man Ryan Meara is a 3^rd stringer. If the club can’t find a true number one and Vuolo can impress enough to take the job, it will be an interesting season if he can mirror what Tally Hall did with the Houston Dynamo in his rookie year.

As for Marquez, after everything that was reported (including by me) about the possible departure of Mexican National Team Captain Rafa Marquez, he has returned to the club and he is getting serious about the 2012 season. He has said that reports about a move to either Club America or Flamengo were false, and that he is ready to erase the problems of last season. Reading those reports, it appears that Marquez is ready to get back into the good graces of the supporters and the club.

Overall the Red Bulls look like they are going to rebound from a season where lingering questions were supposed to be answered, but instead became questions anew. Can Hans Backe have faith in his bench, or will that problem come back to bother him? Those questions will be answered on Sunday, March 11^th.

As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it’s time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself.  The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man.  The best are the ones who can bring a diverse team together and make it into a trophy-winning side.  Rarely can a side win an MLS Cup, Open Cup, or Supporters Shield with a mediocre or poor manager.  However, at times its the team that makes the man and only the perfect marriage of players and manager that can make a championship.  A manager is especially important in MLS, with the salary cap and built-in rules designed to promote parity.

These men are masters of the realm, the best managers in MLS today.  The following ranking is my own top five managers in MLS going into the 2012 season.  Keep in mind this is not an all time list but simply looking ahead to the 2012 season.  Agree or disagree?  Make your opinions known in the comments section.

5.  Piotr Nowak:  Maybe the restructuring going on in Philadelphia is Nowak’s way to challenge himself.  The veteran coach has taken a new franchise and by year two had made the Union into a Eastern Conference championship contender.  Building the team around a stout defense and the timely scoring of his offense, Nowak has made the club in his image and, even with the departures, Philadelphia is now a team to watch every year.  His work with DC United, leading them to their fourth MLS title in 2004, only adds to his coaching resume.  Although he does not have the large number of trophies some of the others on this list have, he is undoubtedly established himself as one of the best head coaches in the league.

4.  Schellas Hyndman:  Although at times his decisions are questionable (Brek Shea as a full back?), Hyndman is a long-time collegiate coach who finally got the right opportunity to prove his worth with FC Dallas in 2008.  His defining win was a 3-0 defeat of Los Angeles in the 2010 Western Conference finals over a team that looked like the best in the league with a healthy David Beckham.  Although Dallas lost the 2010 MLS Cup in overtime, the former SMU head coach has done a good job balancing his roster and replacing departed players, especially in the midfield.  Under his watch David Ferreira blossomed into one of the most dangerous midfielders in the league and with some promising youth coming up through the system this year, Hyndman may soon be able to chase down that elusive MLS Cup.

3.  Sigi Schmid:  For a guy who never played professional soccer, Schmid gets this league.  His uncanny ability to identify talent and his in-game ability to identify mismatches has made the former UCLA Bruin the brain behind the constantly-successful Seattle Sounders.  A team with a rich history and demanding fan base, Schmid gave the league a blueprint for how to compete in MLS from year one, a blueprint that teams as recently as Montreal are looking to emulate.  He is the most successful U.S. Open Cup head coach in the modern era and has guided the careers of many of MLS’s greatest stars.  His LA Galaxy team was also one of two MLS clubs to ever win an intercontinental cup.  He is the winningest head coach in MLS history and has the Sounders poised to challenge for the 2012 MLS Cup.

2.  Dominic Kinnear:  The coach of this year’s Eastern Conference champions narrowly edges Sigi Schmid in my rankings because since 2006, Houston has been one of the league’s most successful teams.  Besides winning back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007, this year may have been his best coaching job, leading an arguably less talented team to the MLS Cup.  All of this is even more impressive considering the fact that the team has worked within a tight budget and a changing ownership situation.

1.  Bruce Arena:  The National Soccer Hall of Famer continues to prove that he is arguable the greatest American soccer coach of all time.  Even though he had three famous designated players, it was his work with the Galaxy’s defense that was most impressive about the 2011 Galaxy.  The keys to the defense were that the two major contributors, A.J. De La Garza and Omar Gonzalez, were Arena draftees.  Arena guided a dominant team through a dominant season, essentially staking claim to the MLS Cup early in the season and never relinquishing it.  His history is unparalleled in the U.S., but even going into the new season he is still in a class by himself and recognized by many as the best head coach out there.

Mention the word contraction in American sports circles and many fans will shudder. It was this word that was mentioned in the mid-90s by Major League Baseball in hopes of dissolving teams in markets that made little money. However, MLB never contracted a team; rather, they expanded the league in Tampa Bay and Arizona.

In Major League Soccer, contraction was put into action as the league dissolved two teams in the early part of the century. In 2001, after four seasons of play the league contracted the Miami Fusion and after six years of play the league contracted an MLS original in the Tampa Bay Mutiny.

Terrible names aside, the league was losing money each season and was attempting to shake things up. People weren’t coming out, and it wouldn’t be until the US Men’s National Team’s successful 2002 World Cup that attendances increased around the league.

One of the teams MLS didn’t contract, rather, than two Florida/southeast based clubs was the New England Revolution though they may have had reasons to dissolve them at the time. In their first six years of existence the club was quite poor performance wise, though they boasted the likes of Alexi Lalas, Joe-Max Moore and John Harkes, and never progressed past the first round of the MLS play-offs. This was a time that MLS fluctuated between 10 and 12 teams, a far cry from what the league is today. As a matter of fact, on the surface MLS today resembles very little of what it 11 years ago did.

In 2002, New England slowly turned into one of the better sides in MLS thanks in large parts to former manager Steve Nicol. It was Nicol whom transformed the club into a solid defensive team. Add in the likes of Taylor Twellman, Matt Reis, Andy Dorman, Clint Dempsey and Steve Ralston and the club produced a purple patch of results for several years. Though in the end, they only achieved heartache losing the MLS Cup Final four times; including being runners-up three consecutive seasons.

Since 2007, however, the club has been in a downward spiral. Consistently being the cheapest team in the league hasn’t helped as owner Robert Kraft instead prefers to put his money into his NFL team the New England Patriots. Many believed the Revolution turned the corner last season with the signing of Benny Feilhaber, but with the talent around him Feilhaber looked less like an US international and more like another run of the mill MLS player.

This is a franchise that has relied heavily on the MLS college draft to fill out its roster and find diamonds in the rough. Luckily, the Revolution had Nicol and one time assistant Paul Mariner to help sift through the duds and find some capable quality. Unfortunately for Revolution fans, Mariner left in 2009 and after a spell with Plymouth Argyle in England is now with Toronto FC. Nicol parted company with New England this off-season.

Former Revolution defender Jay Heaps has been given the responsibility of bringing the club back to the forefront of MLS. Many see Heaps’ hiring in a similar fashion to that of Real Salt Lake’s Jason Kreis and DC United’s Ben Olsen. However, unlike Kreis and Olsen who went from playing to managing, Heaps was working for a financial company and doing color commentating on the side following his retirement from the game.

Being overlooked in the criticism of Heaps’ hiring is whether or not he holds a relevant US coaching certificate. That same question could have been asked about Kreis and Olsen when they took over their respective clubs as well. Regardless of certificates it’s whether or not he can produce results on the pitch, and his hiring is most likely the cheapest club being even cheaper.

The New England Revolution is not a club in transition; rather, it is a club attempting to play in MLS as if it was still 1996. This is a club that is being left behind by the rest of the league. While teams such as Kansas City re-established itself with a new stadium, colors and name. The Revolution has stayed true to its origins; and not in a good way.

Perhaps, it’s time for MLS to make a decision on Robert Kraft and company. Get serious about your team, your stadium and change with the rest of the league or face the consequences: Contraction.

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Just when you thought the Philadelphia Union had acquired some key pieces to supplement last year’s playoff team, two unexpected roster moves have left Union fans with questions galore heading into the 2012 season.

This morning, Sébastien Le Toux announced on Twitter that the rumors bubbling forth over the previous two weeks were true. While the French striker/winger will not be headed across the Atlantic to Bolton Wanderers F.C. (where he trialed two weeks ago), he has been traded within MLS to the Vancouver Whitecaps. The terms of the trade have not been disclosed or announced by the Union as of this publication.

This was the second major loss for Philadelphia in the past few days. While some of us were watching the United States Women’s National Team qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, reports surfaced from South America that Faryd Mondragón was being pursued to return to his home club in Colombia, Deportivo Cali. As the weekend progressed, the rumors gained steam, and yesterday the Union officially announced the mutual dissolution of Mondragón’s contract. The former Köln goalkeeper will presumably finish his career in Colombia.

Nobody should fault Mondragón for this move. Any of us who have had to move away from home to pursue their dreams tends to dream of returning home one day. Of course it leaves things a little less certain with respects to the Union defense. Zac MacMath was strong in net while Mondragón healed from a wrist injury last season, going undefeated in 7 matches. Will that mean that the Union entrust him with the gloves to start the 2012 season? MacMath may also be selected for the Olympic team, which could leave the Union with questions later in the summer. They may need a backup keeper they can trust for a few games regardless.

With Mondragón’s sizable salary being wiped from the books, many thought the Le Toux situation had resolved itself with him staying out his contract, up after this season. Instead, the Union have traded their leading scorer to Vancouver. It is not known whether the Union will receive a player in return for Le Toux.

The trade leaves fans and outsiders asking, “Why would the Union do this?” The fact of the matter is that the Union appear to have prepared for this loss.  Not only have they brought in Josué Martinez from Deportivo Saprissa, reports suggest they are close to signing another strikers, Lionard Pajoy from Colombia. Those are two international additions to a forward crew consisting of youngsters Danny Mwanga, Jack McInerney, and 2012 first round pick Chandler Hoffman.

While they have many options, none of them are as proven, or as beloved by the fan base, as Le Toux. Le Toux did struggle early in the 2011 campaign, unable to find goals in the run of play while playing beside Carlos Ruiz. Only after the Guatemalan striker left did Le Toux find his form. Perhaps with these new signings, the Union didn’t want to chance another slump from Le Toux.

Lastly, I’d be remiss not to mention his contract situation. Le Toux was signed back in 2008, as the first MLS player for Seattle Sounders F.C. Based on his play for Philadelphia, he was a veritable bargain. With a team built for the next few years at forward, the writing was on the wall that the Union would not extend his contract. It remains to be seen if the Whitecaps have any desire to extend Le Toux’s stay in British Columbia.

As for the Union, they clearly are going forward with a youth movement. Two players who made up the core of the team are gone. It’s clear that President Nick Sakiewicz and Manager Peter Nowak are entrusting the success of the team to players like MacMath, Mwanga, and Freddy Adu.

2012 is going to be a pivotal year in the progression of the Philadelphia Union.

- UPDATE - The Union have just announced the trade officially, and received allocation money in exchange for Le Toux.

- UPDATE 2.0 - More news that impacts the future of the team. This afternoon, Philadelphia also announced the full transfer of Roger Torres from América de Cali to the Union. Torres is 20 years old, and has shown flashes of being a future playmaker in his loan stint with Philadelphia. Many will remember the goal he scored immediately after coming on in the Union’s 1-0 victory over Red Bull New York in April.

On the eve of the much-anticipated American Civil War between Everton and Fulham, American soccer fans are relishing the chance to see three of their best players take the pitch at the same time at the highest level of competition.  Other American sports’ fans do not understand the importance of this match: Kobe plays LeBron often (usually on Christmas) and Manning and Brady seem to play every year.  However, U.S. soccer fans for years have settled on seeing their best players either square off in MLS or not face each other competitively, due to playing in different leagues.

When the players take the pitch tomorrow another interesting sidebar will be discussed, and that is why the three best American soccer players are playing in, well, this game.  To put it another way, is this the best American soccer players can do, two clubs that are mid-table at best or, in Fulham’s case, seemingly always in danger of slipping into the relegation zone?  Why isn’t this historic match-up taking place in a Manchester derby or West London derby?  For the Everton U.S. players, the answer is that the chance has already slipped by.  Tim Howard had his time at Manchester United but has really found his place with Everton, a smaller club.  Landon Donovan has gone through a similar situation, except he simply failed to catch on at Bayern Munich and is just now being seen as potentially EPL worthy.

Clint Dempsey is different.  Although not a young prospect, the Texan is hitting his peak and his peak is pretty damn good.  His goal total for 2011-2012 is up there with players who could be considered with the Ballon d’Or, trailing only Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie, and Sergio Aguero.  He became the first American to notch a hat trick during an EPL match and it was his second in all competitions this year.  The man scores goals but at age 28 his peak productivity window is closing.  So, should he strike out now while his Q rating is at its highest and make a move to a larger club?  Or is Fulham the best place for him right now?

One man with a large voice in the U.S. Soccer Federation made his opinion known last week.  In the press conference after the Venezuela friendly, Jurgen Klinsmann addressed the Dempsey hat trick and made clear that he wants his players to play at the highest level (audio can be found on the Total Soccer Show podcast).  In essence, he said that he wants to see players like Dempsey play at the highest level of soccer, which is not just the EPL; it is playing for a Champions League contender or, at the very least, a Europa League contender.

Practically speaking this may be a hard task, even if Dempsey desires a move.  While I will leave the analysis of team needs in the Prem to our sister site EPL Talk, I will say that there are few opportunities for consistent playing time in the Top 6 of the EPL, due to congestion at Dempsey’s position and budgetary restrictions.  The best fits may be Tottenham or Arsenal (which the Gunners being the better fit of the two) but even those two London clubs would not potentially give Dempsey consistent playing time.  And that is the biggest negative for Dempsey if he moved to a larger club: playing time.  Right now he has established himself as a fixture in the starting XI for Fulham.  Except for injury or forced rest, he’ll play for The Cottagers.  He will play against the best clubs in England and have a chance to refine his skills at the highest league level, something that will definitely benefit him in international play.  A move would likely impede this playing time as he would not be assured a starting spot in any of the top six clubs.

However, there are two major reasons he should seek a transfer to a larger side (we’ll stick with the EPL for ease of comparison).  The first is the competition would be extremely beneficial to push himself to the next level; it’s one thing to fight off a player below you for time and it’s another to push someone like Andrei Arshavin for a starting spot or first sub off the bench position.  The ability to play with the best players in the world in the best competitions in the world will not only improve Dempsey as a player but really test him for World Cup qualifying.  This is worth the trade-off of a few starting minutes.

There is another, off-the-pitch reason to make this move and Brian Straus nails it completely in his recent article on Dempsey.  Straus quotes an exchange from a recent The Guardian ”Football Weekly” podcast when discussing Dempsey’s hat trick:

“Pundits always say, ‘Oh, Clint Dempsey, I always like Clint Dempsey.’ What is it about Clint Dempsey? I think it’s that infectious spirit of, basically, he’s an American, which is quite exciting and glamorous. He’s a rapper, yep. What else we got?” one writer asked.

“He’s got a cool name, Clint Dempsey. He’s just cool. He scores great goals as well,” said another.

“Is he redneck? I asked this before and got accused of all manner — it’s a genuine question!”

While anyone who listens to the podcast knows that it has a sense of humor about itself, the undertone to the exchange is the lack of respect that American soccer players have in larger leagues.  They are at times a sideshow, primarily because in the past when they’ve played for the best clubs, they’ve failed to perform.  An American player should step up and show pundits and soccer fans how far this country has come.  Dempsey is our best shot, and he certainly could fail with a Champions League contender.  But I suspect he won’t, and we’ll never know unless he steps up and grabs the opportunity.

Less than a year after hosting it’s first playoff game, PPL Park will be showcased on July 25th as the venue for the 2012 MLS All Star Game.

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber officially announced the event at City Hall, alongside Mayor Michael Nutter and Philadelphia Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz. The format will not change, with a leaguewide group of top players facing an international club on their preseason friendly tour. MLS will announce the identity of the opponent at a later date.

This is a momentous occasion for the Union, heading into their third year of operation. Attendance at PPL Park has been strong and has led to early buzz of an expansion. Another obvious positive about the selection is its proximity to both New York City and Washington, DC. It also represents the continued support of soccer specificity in MLS facilities. The last time they played the match in an NFL stadium was in 2010 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

Of course, with soccer specific stadiums come a smaller capacity. PPL Park holds 18,500, but could probably be expanded slightly for this match.. It will likely be the smallest crowd since the 2007 All Star Game, held at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in suburban Denver. It will be interesting to learn the identity of the opponent. With a smaller number of seats, a large European club could mean a premium on tickets – especially given the number of people within 3 hours of PPL Park.

From the timing standpoint, July 25th will conflict with the Olympics, so assuming the qualification goes without issue, some stars (Brek Shea, Freddy Adu, and reigning MVP David Beckham) will not be able to participate. While that may take some name recognition out of the MLS squad, usually the opponent is as much the draw as the squad of MLS standouts.

On the latest edition of the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast : This Week in US Soccer, your hosts Chris Webb and Chris Riordan bring you discussion of the latest North American soccer happenings. The crew starts out going through the newswire for both MLS and Americans Abroad news. The top story is of course David Beckham’s new deal with both MLS and LA Galaxy. Top Yanks Abroad story is the streaking form of Fulham striker, Clint Dempsey.

The second segment is all about the USMNT Camp Cupcake edition’s first match, a 1 – 0 win late over Venezuela. Who impressed and who needs to be forgotten come callup time? Who has the potential to garner a potential 2014 WC roster spot? Chris and Chris also briefly preview US – Panama. All this and more on the latest MLS Talk Podcast : TWIUSS … as always, bringing you a view of the beautiful game from an American and regional perspective.

On the latest edition of the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast : This Week in US Soccer, your hosts Chris Webb and Chris Riordan play catchup on the massive amount of news already accrued during this year’s first half month. Whether it be European stars going back across the pond on loan or young Americans trying their hands (er, feet) on another continent, the gang has thoughts.

Also on the billing is a review of the MLS Superdraft and a discussion on how important the draft is to team building. Chris squared also discuss CCL and US Open Cup format changes. US Men’s National Team news and notes closes out the show. All this and more on a brand new MLS Talk Podcast : TWIUSS … as always bringing you a view of the beautiful game from an American and regional perspective!