Duke Reid Just Might Be My Dad News

From the Seattle Times: The MLS competition committee is going to allow the new Seattle team to protect some of the players currently on the Sounders roster, "which will hopefully help us move into MLS with a few of those really key players," part owner Adrian Hanauer said.


MLS Cup Finals
Sunday November 18 at High Noon in Washington DC's RFK Stadium
New England v Houston
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rich Thompson of the Boston Herald wonders if the 4th time is the charm for the Rev's.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Frank Dell'apa writing for Soccernet says New England is ready to end this finals curse.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dell'apa of the Boston Globe writes about the great job done year after year by Rev's forward Taylor Twellman. (video interview included)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Canadian Press are excited that their native boys Pat Onstad and Dwayne De Rosario are playing for Houston in the Cup final.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Don Cuddy of Soccer365 does a Q & A with New England first yearer Wells Thompson.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle says that the Dynamo players don't care about individual awards, they just want the Cup.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mike Biglin of MetroWest Daily News says the Revs are trying to keep it loose at practice sessions.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dave Lifton at US Soccer Players Assoc has a Q & A with Houston captain Wade Barrett.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tons of stuff from Seattle on the official announcement of their new MLS team:
-The name "Sounders" has not been tacked on to the team yet. It may be, or it may not be.
-The new team will start in the 2009 season.
-The current team will play one more season in USL's First Division, where they are the defending champions.
Articles from the Seattle Times:
-Soccer in Seattle - Stakeholders project first-class image
-Steve Kelly: Best foot forward - MLS arrives with burst of optimism
-MLS primer
-MLS in Seattle primer
Articles from the Seattle Post Intelligencer:
-MLS officially adds Seattle
-Big-time soccer arrives in Seattle -- or has it?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Goal.com reports that there could be trouble in Crew-ville. Columbus midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto is back in Argentina and telling people he just might head back home to play next season.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune and Nick Firchau of Chicago's Daily Southtown on the retirement of Chris Armas yesterday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grahame Jones of the LA Times with his weekly soccer news roundup: Corner Kicks.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Michael Lewis at Big Apple Soccer talks to former Metrostars coach Octavio Zambrano, all these years later, about the decision to pick Steve Shak rather than Carlos Bocanegra in the SuperDraft. (Some have called it the biggest draft gaff in MLS history.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dane Richards, winger for the New York Red Bulls, has been called in by his national team in Jamaica for 2 home friendlies in the next week - Sun Nov 18 v El Salvador & Wed Nov 21 v Guatemala.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yanks Abroad looks at the next steps MLS needs to take to continue the improvements.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rob Ziegler of Top Drawer Soccer with an article on MLS expansion in St Louis and youth development in that area.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Philadelphia Daily News with the ever-creeping, slow burning news on a potential MLS team & stadium in Philly.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peter Wilt, who many of you know as the man who helped start the Chicago Fire, has been working for several years now on trying to bring an MLS team to Milwaukee. But those efforts have failed, and Wilt has now left the project all together.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Vancouver Sun says that if their city wants a MLS team it will be a long uphill battle.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shawn Hunter, Pres & CEO of Chivas USA, has been elected to the LA Sports & Entertainment Commission.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

North American Club Friendlies
-Tue Nov 13
Columbus 2-0 UAdG Tecos - goals by Adam Moffat & Alejandro Moreno.
-Sat Nov 17
Guadalajara Chivas v Chivas USA - Benefit match for the victims of the Tabasco flood.
-Fri Nov 30
TT Pro League Foreign All-Stars v FC Dallas - the Shaka Hislop Tribute Cup in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.
-Sun Dec 2
TT Pro League Local All-Stars v FC Dallas - the Shaka Hislop Tribute Cup in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Seattle Sounders WILL be playing in the USL First Division next season.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup
-Sat Nov 17
South Africa v USA - 8am central time on FSC.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

US Soccer has a video interview with USA coach Bob Bradley on his history, technique, tactics etc etc. You know, coaching stuff.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

US Soccer talks to assistant coach Petr Nowak about the retirement of Chris Armas. Download or listen now.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Official Team USA blog.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mexican Premiera Playoffs
First Round first leg Matches & Scores:
-Wed Nov 14
Pachuca v Cruz Azul
-Thu Nov 15
Morelia v America
Second leg Matches & Scores:
-Sat Nov 17
Cruz Azul v Pachuca
-Sun Nov 18
America v Morelia
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Copa Sudamericana - Semifinals
Second Leg Matches & Scores:
-Tue Nov 13
America 2-0 Millonarios - Club America are in the final, winning 5-2 on aggregate. Goals both by Hernan Rodrigo Lopez.
-Wed Nov 14
River Plate v Arsenal (0-0)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lots of 4th round matches this week in Spain's Copa Del Ray. Scores & matches from Soccerway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Former Mexicoach & villain Ricardo La Volpe has quit as coach of Velez Sarsfield in Argentina. He quit last year as coach of Boca Juniors.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Urawa Reds of Japan have won the AFC (Asian) Champions League! In the second leg they beat Sepahan of Iran 2-0, and won 3-1 on aggregate.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Changchun won the Chinese Super League title.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some of you maybe remember, others are just hear about it, but last winter a group of people in England set up this website called MyFootballClub. The goal was to raise money via this site for all contributors to become owners of an English football club. And this week the group did just that. They bought lower division team Ebbsfleet United. Read on.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Guardian with an article wondering if once successful English club team Preston North End can find their way back to glory?