Ready your breakfast and eat hearty...

I am getting a sneaking suspicion that 'Gladbach fans are fast falling in love with Michael Bradley's blood 'n guts style...

(click pics for full size)

- Greg Seltzer

A few things...

Another lucky Friday the 13th...

#1 - USMNT coach Bob Bradley has announce his squad for the March 28th World Cup qualifier at El Salvador and the April 1st visit of Trinidad & Tobago to Nashville.

Most notable among the returns? Freddy Adu, Marcus Hahnemann and Eddie Johnson.

Keepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 4/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton: 8/6 SO), Marcus Hahnemann (Reading: 1/1 SO)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 17/2), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland: 3/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford: 1/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew: 15/1), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege: 13/1), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock: 8/0), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United: 2/1)

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Monaco: 5/1), DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers: 22/6), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach: 7/4), Maurice Edu (Rangers: 3/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA: 7/0), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids: 12/0), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca: 2/0)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Xerez.: 4/1), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 13/6), Clint Dempsey (Fulham: 13/4), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 26/9), Eddie Johnson (Cardiff City: 9/8)

*numbers indicate all-time World Cup Qualifying caps/goals

#2 - In case you missed it, here is my MLS West capsule preview and my bit with K.C. midfielder Jack Jewsbury.

#3 - MLS commish Don Garber put lipstick on the Davide Beccamano saga pig. And it's still a pig.

#4 - Red Card ace Luis Arroyave reports that Mr. White is not fully fit for their opener against Brimstone nemesis FC Dallas. He could be relegated to sub duty.

Meanwhile, the Fire have also landed a Bulgarian #9 to groom as Brian McBride's eventual replacement.

#5 - Xerez loan striker Jozy Altidore isn't exactly sure why he's not playing, but at least he's keeping his head straight about it all.

Unlike the club's suddenly ex-owner...

#6 - Seattle Times scribe Steve Kelley says the Seattle Sounders (cue Underdog music) have arrived in town to save the day.

#7 - It's always a good read when Jimmy Conrad is the interview subject. Goal's Zac Lee Rigg re-proves it.

#8 - Fulham attacker Clint Dempsey discusses his growth at Craven Cottage.

#9 - As expected, Portland was doled out the 18th MLS team this afternoon.

I'll be honest: I am very happy for both the Rose City and Vancouver, and yet, I am a bit perturbed with the way MLS conducts such things (big surprise).

This league has done well to grow so far, but the continuing "cash now" short-sightedness has made this a winter of discontent for me. I am also not one to rail against including Canada being included in the league, but I find it very galling when a deserving American city is passed over for one north of the border.

Seriously, how there can be 18 top-flight professional soccer clubs in America without one of them being in St. Louis is utterly beyond me - and that is not pure bias talking. Anyone who knows the town and the sport, knows what I mean.


- Greg Seltzer

Sounders open in style

The MLS season kicked off Thursday with the expansion Seattle Sounders putting a 3-0 hurting on 2008 runners up New York at a manic Qwest Field.

I told ya Fredy Montero was the goods...



- Greg Seltzer

Tracy debuts in UEFA Cup

AaB rookie forward Marcus Tracy entered a scoreless UEFA Cup match against Manchester City with nine minutes left, and assisted with a flick for Luton Shelton to make it 1-0 with five to play.

One more goal gets Aalborg to extras. I'm watching and will update. Stay tuned...

87'

AaB have the momentum, and Tracy is drawing raves for his aerial play. Outstanding run to lose the marker, though.

89'

Tracy has a difficult touch on a lob over his shoulder, and Richards recovers at the last moment to boot away for a corner.

90'

On the second straight corner, City's Evans handles in the area! PK coming! Jakobsen... no doubt! 2-0 AaB! The Tie is all square!

FULL TIME 2-0 AaB (2-2)

Stay tuned for the first extra session...

91'

Citeh kick off. Game on...

Tracy is playing as a straight #9, by the way.

98'

Lost channel momentarily, back on, still scoreless in extras.

103'

Shelton has a free header from a left wing cross, but misses badly as Tracy bumps into him.

104'

Tracy hustles back to help break some City pressure.

END FiRST EXTRA PERIOD

The second 15 coming up...

Side note: I will have a talk with Kansas City midfielder Jack Jewsbury up over at S365 shortly.


106'

Game on...

108'

Elano is on for Kompany. Citeh want a goal now.

109'

AaB corner, Nomvethe takes... cleared away easily.

111'

AaB take a poor short corner. Do they not read the blog? Sheesh.

113'

Another Aalborg corner... very poor, and a second chance cross is nodded away.

FULL TIME 2-0 AaB (2-2)

Penalties coming up...
--

Jakobsen starts... and finishes. 1-0 AaB!

Evans for City... slams it past Zaza. 1-1.

Johansson... barely in off the post. 2-1 AaB!

Elano... it's good. 2-2.

The captain, Augustinussen... saved by Given.

Wright-Philips... scores. 3-2 City.

Nomvethe... takes a crazy risk with a chop to the corner, but scores. 3-3.

Dunne... fired past Zaza. 4-3 City.

Shelton to keep it alive... Given stops another poor PK. City advance.

UPDATE: The highlights...




- Greg Seltzer

Orozco bags a Copa goal

I nearly missed this... U.S. defender Michael Orozco scored the 2-1 for San Luis in Copa Libertadores action - the first (and only) such tourney goal by an American since Luchi Gonzalez did it for Sporting Cristal in 2004.



- Greg Seltzer

And why can't we just have six 30-hour days in a week? I'll tell you why! Stupid sun...

Sorry I haven't been so active for a couple of days. I've been gruesomely busy studying for and writing up my nearly encyclopedic MLS previews for S365. The East edition is up now and the West drops later today.

Meanwhile, Vancouver will get one expansion team for 2011 later today, and Portland has apparently scheduled a press conference for Friday to celebrate being the other choice. As you might imagine, I am not pleased.

Loading my schedule further was the dumb luck to score a pair of tickets to tonight's Ajax v Marseille UEFA Cup decider. Mon ami Pierre wanted to see the match and I was very fortunate to land a couple seats to the sold-out affair yesterday. It should not have been so difficult, but somebody let my supporter's club card expire.

So yes, this will be my first game going as a fan since... (John Dorian face)... well, it's been at least a year. I do have hope that my boys can flip that 2-1 first leg deficit, assuming we can find four defenders that aren't injured, suspended, cup-tied or 17.

No, really. Marseille is going down.

UPDATE: Marseille should have gone down. Thanks a lot, Marco. Your irrational Kenneth Vermeer decision cost Ajax advancement. He is not even close to the keeper Maarten Stekelenburg is... oh, I am so angry right now. I HATE soft goals.

Must. Smash. Something.



- Greg Seltzer

A few things...

Man, I rea-he-he-he-heeeeeally am glad Scrubs is finally back tonight...

#1 - It looks as though last week's MLS overturn edict allowing Jeff Parke to train while serving the final four games of his substance abuse ban compelled the defender to ditch his Mons trial with the intention of returning to America.

If Seattle (who wisely took a chance on plucking him from NYRB in the expansion draft) can sign him to pair with talented newcomer Jhon Hurtado, this expansion team may not just threaten to make the playoffs.

Then again, I'd imagine they're also hearing trade offers... but wouldn't the suitor need to cough up a defender to get him? I'm fairly sure he'll be a Sounder soon.

#2 - I have really got to hand it to Soccer Insider Steven Goff for a wicked awesome idea: a poll-based NCAA Tournament-style World Cup. He's already posted two sets of four first round polls, here is the first group with accompanying explanation.

So who did the U.S. draw to start? The #5 seed Americans must face Hungary. I'd fret over the trouble PSV's Balázs Dzsudzsák and Zenit's Szalbolcs Huszti would do from out wide, but our center backs can handle the rain of crosses - I say USMNT would win 3-1 by capitalizing on all the danger free kicks they'd be sure to get against a slow, hacking defense.

As for the real thing? MIZ! ZOU!

#3 - Paul Oberjuerge once again has the Landon Donovan lowdown at his blog; this time, he explains why a European move may be quite tricky until 2011 (yikes!).

#4 - Speaking of (part-time) Galaxticos, the worm has turned hard in the the UK press (big shocker, I know).

As you all know, a Milan move was previously hailed as the only reasonable David Beckham solution, and they generally did it while showing respect to the American game.

Well... now, they seem to have decided that 1) the player doesn't really care about England, 2) L.A. should be glad to get rid of him, 3) MLS was in danger of failing before he arrived, and still is & 4) he was still too good for MLS when he arrived.

Meanwhile, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp says he may rival Milan for Beckham's services when the Galaxy season is finished.

#5 - Christian Gomez talks to Goal about returning to D.C. United.

#6 - A report out of New Zealand says San Jose will indeed soon announce the signing of midfielder Simon Elliott. I can't imagine they'd need to give Columbus a huge deal for his rights.

#7 - IK Start defender Hunter Freeman told me he felt 'comfortable' on his Tippeligaen debut, a wild 3-3 away draw. He also says the manager has given him the attacking green light.

In other American right back news, Charles Kazlauskas and TOP Oss booked a promotion playoff berth for the third time in four years by winning the Period 5 crown despite a final day away loss on a 90th minute RBC Roosendal goal. I will talk to Kaz about it all very soon, and you'll also find that at Soccer365.

#8 - My capsule preview of the MLS East will go up some time tomorrow at S365, with the West under my partially-capable microscope on Wednesday.

#9 - I must reluctantly end today's rundown on a horrific note - not to get you down, but to remind you to be grateful for the freedom to safely play, watch and cheer the game you love.

A nightmarish story has come out of Baghdad, where an amateur player for Buhairat was in alone on the derby rival's keeper with the chance to score a late equalizer when he was gunned down from the crowd.

Can anyone explain to me why a firearm would ever be allowed into a soccer match, much less a low security amateur game? Good grief.


- Greg Seltzer

Who likes goals?

Yep, I'm running late today. Wrestling the headache monster has slowed me down. Back later with A few things...

We begin with an action message from Arsenal's Andrei Arshavin which reads "Hello, London"...



Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimovic may be leading the 2008/09 WLG? player standings after this frightening free kick.



Is it just me or would Barcelona's Lionel Messi make a great slalom racer in the Winter Olympics?



Rennes talent Jirès Kembo-Ekoko puts a little mustard on it to net his first career goal.



Everton's Marouane Fellaini with a deluxe takedown touch and finish.



Finally, Dortmund's Alex Frei with a nasty long range screwball.





- Greg Seltzer