Crampin' What Little Style Is Left News

Dallas has sold forward Carlos Ruiz back to the Los Angeles Galaxy. The got Ruiz 3 years ago in the deal that freed up money for LA to sign Landon Donovan. Now they have em both.

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The deal for forward Eddie Johnson to be sold to Fulham is nearly done. Expect it to be all set tomorrow. Kansas City has a lot of work on their hands. Can you believe that FFC will now have 5 Americans on their team?!?! They better not get relegated or our country will look pretty lame.

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Which brings us to this - San Jose has traded the #1 overall pick in Friday's Superdraft to Kansas City for center back Nick Garcia. And KC didn't stop there, as Ives Galarcep of Soccer By Ives is reporting that KC is shipping left back Jose Burciaga off to Colorado.


Fox Soccer Channel is going to broadcast a live show from the NSCAA convention in Baltimore this Thursday night. They did the same thing last year and it ended up being pretty cool with lots of guests, so scheduled, some impromptu. See it live at 7pm Thu Jan 17 on FSC. The host will be my man Max Bretos, and hopeful guests include Don Garber, Francisco Marcos, Dom Kinnear & more.
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MLS Ringleader Don Garber will be the guest tomorrow on Voice Of America's next chat session. Here's the details on how to check it out.
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Frank Dell'apa of the Boston Globe is reporting that New England has declined to pick up the option on the contract of forward Pat Noonan. I would assume that they would be willing to re-sign him at a lower pay rate.
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In a sure sign that things are changing in soccer in America, the Boston Herald has a big story on Taylor Twellman's divorce. Wha? I am not linking to that. I almost feel about even mentioning it.
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Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune on his Red Card Blog has a few words with Fire coach Denis Hamlett.
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The Examiner has a quickie Q & A with San Jose manager Frank Yallop.
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Jack Bell of the New York Times with a story on former USA & MLS great Eddie Pope and his life after the field. Plus other USA & World soccer notes.
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Nick Firchau of the Chicago Southtown Star on the Fire's deal to put a Best Buy logo on the front of their shirts. The deal looks very lucrative to me.
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Paul Gardner of the New York Sun gives us his thoughts on the first season of Beckman in America.
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Robert Wagman of the Soccer Times says MLS has spent too much time worrying about parity, and not enough on quality. I think they started to address that last season and have every intention of upping the quality from here on out. To me Wagman is two years late with this article.
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The MLS Superdraft will take place this Friday, Jan 18, in Charm City.
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Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle looks at what the Dynamo might do in this weeks Superdraft.
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Frank Giase of the Newark Star Ledger looks at what the New York Red Bulls might do in this weeks Superdraft.
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Michael Lewis of the New York Daily News also looks at what the New York Red Bulls might do in this weeks draft.
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Jeff Carlisle of Soccernet with a draft preview.
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Steve Davis of Soccernet with his list of the Top Ten unearthed gems in draft history.
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Pat Walsh of Goal.com goes through the archives and looks at past #1 over all draft picks.
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After 5 incredibly hard working years, Robert Zeigler has shut down his site Top Drawer Soccer. The good news thought is that his work will continue at 2 other sites: USFC, about elite youth soccer, and Soccer Capital, giving a cultural flair to the game in America with video, music, games and gear.
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USA Training Camp in Carson CA
-Official team blog.
-I missed this one - Sweden won in Costa Rica at Saprissa Stadium 0-1 on Sunday. Sweden got their goal from Samuel Holmen. The match was a tribute and farewell match for long time Costa Rican forward Paulo Wanchope.
-With Eddie Johnson's departure for England that makes 3 players from this training camp that have left to explore new club options - Clarence Goodson signed with Start in Norway, and Matt Pickens has interest from at least Norwich and possibly others.
-We also hear that Danny Califf is having problems with a hamstring strain.
-Yanks Abroad talks to Toronto defender Marvell Wynne about his time in the current USA training camp.
-Nick Green of the LA Daily News writes about the types of players in the current USA camp.
-Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune on his Red Card blog has a few quotes from Fire & USA forward Chris Rolfe about the training camp. Rolfe comments on a few teammates too.
-Andrew Rogers of Soccer365 does a Q & A with USA & Sheffield Wednesday defender Frank Simek. The entire conversation is about his days in the Arsenal youth system though.
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The possible first USA opponent in World Cup Qualifying, Barbados, won a friendly over the weekend, 3-2 over Antigua & Barbuda.
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USA U23 aka Olympic Team Training Camp - in Bradenton FL
-U23 official blog.
-The U23's scrimmaged the USA U17's the other day and beat them 7-1. Goals were scored by Charlie Davies(2), Arturo Alvarez, Chad Barrett(2, 1 on PK), Robbie Rogers & Johann Smith. U17 goal by Jack McInherney.
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Glenn Davis of the Houston Chronicle talks to American midfielder Clint Dempsey about life at Fulham.
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Yanks Abroad talks to American defender Heath Pearce about the upcoming second half to his first season at Hansa Rostock. target="new" ONCLICK="out=false"
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Luis Bueno of the Press Enterprise raves about the game & the crowd on the final weekend of InterLiga.
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English FA Cup
12 matches that ended in tie scores last round will be replayed on Tue & Wed this week. Here are all the games.
-Several Americans are in action:
-Tue Jan 15
Bristol Rovers v Fulham
Sheffield Wednesday v Derby
Reading v Tottenham
-Wed Jan 16
Man City v West Ham
-The 4th round will be played Jan 25, 26 & 27.
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The Guardian with several hot topics today:
-The quality of football being played in the English Championship division - It's not good.
-Jonathan Wilson gives us the low down on life in Bulgarian soccer.
-Ben Lyttleton on the power struggles of the wealthy in French football.
-Kevin McCarra tells us that Avram Grant has made Chelsea less hateable.
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Will former Liverpool & Lyon manager Gerard Houllier take over Newcastle? Odds would be better if the name started with an L. Lewcastle maybe.
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Phil Ball at Soccernet recaps the first half to this La Liga season - he calls it remarkable.
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Brian Glanville writing for World Soccer gives us some insight into new Fulham manager Roy Hodgson.
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Here is a picture of those new colored Nike shoes I talked about yesterday.
-And now the USA national team blog has an entry on these shoes. Landon Donovan's got his new shoes and there is a close up picture of them, and there is also a video clip of a new Crisitiano Rolando commercial with them featured. They look nuts.
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African Cup of Nations
-The San Antonio Express News of all newspapers with an ACN preview.
-Business Day of Africa previews Group A.
-Reuters Soccer Blog with an article on some of the more interesting coaches.