A few things...

Is it just me or do Everton's Marouane Fellaini and Jô look like extras from the cast of Welcome Back, Kotter?

#1 - My Frankie Hejduk feature is now up. It was a pleasure to talk to The Dude.

#2 - I've been asked if I look at any of the other MLS power rankings around before I roll with mine. The answer is no - before or after. As I said once, I rarely read other opinion columns on topics I'm set to cover myself. It's mostly to keep my line of thinking distinct, but also to ensure I can't subconsciously pick up outside ideas.

#3 - Oh, it's on like a ham-bone (one must use the Birmingham, Alabama accentuated pronunciation of "ham-bone" to read this properly). In his weekly MLS prediction challenge, Red Card ace Luis Arroyave is taking on ESPN's Alexi Lalas & Rob Stone.

#4 - A couple of O.R. notes from overseas: Hannover 96 right back Steve Cherundolo is done for the season, while Xerez loan striker Jozy Altidore is out for a month-long repair.

#5 - NSC pal Chris Courtney says Vincenzo Bernardo appears on the verge of getting a first team shot.

#6 - Oi vey. More from the Portland expansion saga. What's going on there? Has the city changed its collective mind on the franchise's civic worth?

#7 - The Distracter's favourite (she insists I add the "u" for her), the Kansas City Wizards, paid a nice visit to Whiteman Air Force Base for a clinic with the soldiers' kids and The Back Post was there to snap some photos.

Ohhhhhhh Jimmy Conrad bobblehead, is there anything you can't do?

#8 - The U.S. squad for CONCACAF Under-17 World Cup qualifying has been named. What do I think? I think Stefan Jerome could blow this tournament apart.

#9 - Another young rocket may be ready to take off: Toronto FC's Abdus Ibrahim.

#10 - One more quick reminder about tomorrow's Marcia Williams donor drive stop in New York tomorrow...




- Greg Seltzer