Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) Became The First American To Appear In A Champions League Final

 

    The USMNT still has a ways to go but today was a special moment as its brightest star-Christian Pulisic-became the first American to ever appear in a Champions League Final as Chelsea blanked its Premier League rival Manchester City 1-0 to win its second Champions League title in club history. The 22-year-old from Hershey, PA subbed in for striker Timo Werner in the 66th minute and just missed scoring the insurance goal that would have put Chelsea up 2-0 on the favored Manchester City who won the Premier League this season. In 24 minutes of action off the bench, Pulisic had 19 touches of the ball and made 16 passes while recording one shot. He capped off an up-and-down season personally in the best possible way, as a legitimate contributor to the top club team in the world. 

    In 10 Champions League games this season (which included four starts), Pulisic had two goals and two assists. In 27 Premier League appearances in 2020-21 (18 starts), he had four goals and two assists. He also played in six FA Cup matches (three starts) and two USMNT friendlies where he added a goal in two starts. It's been a very busy stretch for Pulisic who battled a hamstring injury and saw his former manager at Chelsea-Frank Lampard-get fired and be replaced by his old Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel. It's easy to get caught up in the frustrating aspects but the bottom line is that there he was smiling from ear-to-ear and lifting the Champions League trophy this afternoon in Porto with his Chelsea teammates so that had to make all the hard times well worth it. 

    For the record, he wasn't the only American there either as Manchester City's backup goalkeeper for most of the season was Zack Steffen-another native of Pennsylvania. He was understandably stuck behind City's star Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson but the 26-year-old still managed to get in the occasional starts in the League Cup, the FA Cup, some USMNT friendlies, the Premier League and the Champions League in this past campaign. This is a guy who was in MLS just a few years ago so I'd say that his future also looks very bright considering how far he's come in his career. More than anything with the next World Cup coming up in 2022, seeing Pulisic and Steffen as key parts of two of the best club teams in the world, as a fan of the USMNT you have to be psyched about the future with so many talented players scattered all around the world.

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No Problem Tim (Seriously), Take the Next Year Off from the USMNT

If anyone currently on the U.S. men's national team has earned himself a sabbatical, surely it's goalkeeper Tim Howard. This afternoon he made the unexpected decision to take the next year off from the squad to concentrate on his powerhouse club-Everton-while also spending more time with his family. For most players (cough cough Landon Donovan) this would be a recipe for disaster to go away in their prime but there are a few reasons why this makes perfect sense.

Howard is 35 so while he's not getting any younger, his goal of playing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia is attainable (since goalkeepers can hang around forever). Saving himself extra wear and tear with the U.S. should help maintain his legs. Keep in mind that other than the Gold Cup next summer (and really, who cares?) and some random friendlies, the Americans don't have many important matches through next September-when he'd prefer to return.

Also unlike Donovan, you can't doubt Howard's passion for the sport and underlying motivation. Plus, it's not as if he's taking time off just to do nothing or simply hang out/chase women after a divorce. He'll still be the No. 1 goalkeeper for one of the best clubs in England and by extension the world. That'll keep him plenty busy with that and remember that the EPL season (which just started last weekend) goes all the way until May with very few breaks.

Enjoy your USMNT time off Tim, hope you come back refreshed for head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and your teammates. For the next year, Brad Guzan (Aston Villa) figures to be the No. 1 goalkeeper for the U.S. with Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) backing him up. I've always said that goalkeeping is the one position that we can match up favorably with any other country in the world. Guzan is very good, another starter in the EPL, while Rimando has become one of the top goalkeepers in MLS history.

Their first chance to shine will be on September 3 when the U.S. takes on Czech Republic in Prague. Howard and Everton host Arsenal on Saturday (12:30, NBC) at Goodison Park in arguably the top match of the weekend.

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DeAndre Yedlin Gets It: Heading to Tottenham from Seattle

Regarding the USMNT, nothing pisses me off more than seeing guys either leave Europe and return to MLS (Clint Dempsey) or even worse, never taking that risky plunge and remaining in MLS for possibly their entire careers (Graham Zusi, Matt Besler). That's why today's expected news, long rumored for weeks, that defender DeAndre Yedlin is transferring from Seattle (MLS) to Tottenham (EPL) makes me so happy.

At age 21, Yedlin is just starting to come into his own as a player and I'd argue that nobody on the USMNT saw their stock rise more in Brazil this summer at the World Cup than him. Think about it, nobody really knew who he was going into the tournament (myself included wondered why he was on the 23-man roster) and as it turned out with injuries and poor performances, he was thrust into the spotlight and really made the most of it. He appeared in three games as a substitute, playing nearly 90 minutes in their round of 16 loss to Belgium. On a team lacking creativity, speed and game-breakers, he brought all those elements that so many of his less talented teammates can.

Yedlin will play out the rest of the season with the Sounders then go to Tottenham to start next season, he signed a four-year deal with Spurs-one of the top clubs not only in England but the world. The only way that the U.S. will ever take the next step and truly be a threat to get to a World Cup final and dare I say win one, then they need players like Yedlin willing to test themselves at the highest level rather than remaining in MLS fat and happy.

Will he play much at Tottenham? Probably not at first but still, just training and being at their matches with some of the top players on the planet will bring him far more benefit than dominating in MLS could ever accomplish. Tottenham will pay a $4 million transfer fee to MLS with 75% going to Seattle since Yedlin is a homegrown player (he's from Washington state). USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has to be thrilled that Yedlin is going to one of his many former clubs. It has to tear him up to see other guys stay in the U.S. and never really challenge themselves.

Good luck DeAndre, we know you can do it!

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Major Respect to Landon Donovan for Going Out on His Own Terms

I was never a huge Landon Donovan fan but I have to admit that you'd have a hard time coming up with an American men's soccer player that has put together a more impressive professional career. At the ripe old age (yeah right) of 32, Donovan made the surprise announcement this afternoon that he's stepping away from the game that has given him so much (and vice versa) after this MLS season with the LA Galaxy is completed.

You realize how rare this is to see an athlete basically in his prime (although not according to Jurgen Klinsmann) retire before he becomes old and washed up? It's refreshing and it makes me find a whole new level of respect for Donovan. His whole life has been centered around soccer and who are we to tell him when he has to retire or not?

The midfielder/forward is the top goal-scorer in MLS history (138 regular season; 22 postseason, also a record) and U.S. national team history (57 goals, 58 assists in 156 caps) that played in three World Cups (2002, 2006, 2010) where he scored five total goals. He won five MLS Cups between the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy along with the Golden Boot in 2008 and MLS MVP in 2009.

Not content to simply tear it up in the JV MLS and with the U.S., he stuck with it and tested himself overseas with some of the top teams in Germany (Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich) and England (Everton). Much like life itself, not every stop along the way was smooth or enjoyable but he continued to plug away and eventually left a lasting mark in the EPL with Everton in 2010 and 2012 loan spells.

Getting left off the 23-man roster for this summer's World Cup in Brazil caused plenty of controversy and I have to hand it to him that he didn't let it become too much of a distraction when everyone tried to make it one. He agreed to work as an analyst on ESPN during World Cup coverage, which had to be extremely awkward, but he didn't resort to low-rent tactics of sniping at Klinsmann or others when the U.S. struggled at times and eventually bowed out to Belgium. Clearly he would have helped the team and he should have been there but that's a moot point by now.

When I think of Donovan's illustrious career, two main things will come to mind first in a world of rich memories: 1) the way that Mexican fans absolutely despised him which in a weird way was the ultimate sign of respect; 2) his top moment for my money was the group-clincher vs. Algeria in 2010. That is on the short list of best moments in USMNT history.

In summation, thanks for the memories Landon and enjoy your retirement. You certainly earned it!


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Clint Dempsey Is Coming Back To MLS, Wait What?

This truly caught me by surprise: U.S. men's national team superstar Clint Dempsey is reportedly returning to his roots in MLS. Various reputable outlets (ESPN.com, CNNSI.com, etc.) sprouted similar stories tonight that he was about to transfer (for $9 million, an MLS-record) from Tottenham and sign a four-year deal with the Seattle Sounders worth $32 million. Huh?

If this goes through-apparently he'll be watching at Seattle's match on Saturday-and introduced on Monday then he only spent one season at Tottenham after transferring from Fulham. As expected, he didn't score at nearly the same rate since he was on a much better team but 22 starts (out of 38) and 12 goals (7 in EPL matches) seemed like a decent return for the 30-year-old midfielder/forward.

From the sense of challenging himself and wanting to play at the top level, this move makes no sense whatsoever. Dempsey has been the U.S.' top field player for years and this will really damage the international credibility he had built up by competing so well at Fulham and to a lesser extent Tottenham. Now he's just another American toiling in MLS.

If he wanted to cash in and set up his family for life (not that they were starving before), well who can hate on that? It's just weird that his priorities changed so quickly. Keep in mind that Tottenham finished fourth last season in the EPL but missed out on the final Champions League spot since Chelsea (defending Champions League winner) received it for their past achievement.

Not that he'll probably ever disclose the real reason but it'll be interesting to hear how Dempsey will explain this bizarre decision. He's at the top of his game professionally which is why this makes me so disappointed. Oh and it is less than a year away from the 2014 World Cup. MLS will always be here, why not test himself a few more years in England? Ugh.

I'd say Dempsey returning to MLS (for the first time since 2006 with the New England Revolution) might make me watch it or at least pay attention more but the fact is it would take many additional great players spread around the league before I start to care. Sorry Deuce. I will still watch the EPL faithfully but with Dempsey gone and Gareth Bale possibly going to Real Madrid, looks like I won't need to pay extra attention to Tottenham anymore.

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Brek Shea Hits The Lottery: Signs 4.5 Year Deal With Stoke City Worth $3.96 Million Dollars

I have never really understood the allure of U.S. midfielder Brek Shea; he's a decent enough player that has never scored a goal in 15 appearances for the United States. Today is not the time for hating though since before the January transfer window closed, he went from FC Dallas (MLS) to Stoke City where he signed a 4.5 year deal worth $3.96 million dollars with the English Premier League club.

From ESPNsoccernet.com
Stoke boss Tony Pulis told the club's official website: "It's fantastic news that we have been able to push through a deal.
"Brek is a very, very exciting player, and one who we firmly believe could go on to become an outstanding player for this football club.
Shea is the Potters' first signing of the January transfer window.
"He has terrific pace, a very good left foot and is capable of scoring goals," Pulis said. "He has all the tools needed to be a success here."

Shea turns 23 on February 28 so he's still very young with plenty of potential. He had played for Dallas since 2008 but he is recovering from surgery on his right foot in November. He will find a few familiar faces in the dressing room, on the practice field not to mention on the road and at games: fellow American Geoff Cameron, the defender has started 21 games for Stoke (6-12-6) who finds itself in 10th in the EPL. American midfielder Maurice Edu is also on the team but he's only played in one game (as a substitute) this season so I'm not sure what the deal is with him.

It will probably take Shea time to rehab his foot some more, not to mention adjust to the pace and quality of play in England but this is the biggest thing to happen for his young career. As always, we love to see American players test themselves in the best leagues possible (ie. not MLS). Good luck Brek!

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Eddie Johnson Rescues The U.S. Men's National Team With 2 Goals Vs. Antigua & Barbuda

Not being able to watch U.S. men's national team games that mean so much is torture, particularly when they play down to awful CONCACAF opponents that they should easily beat by like five goals every time. As I frantically checked the stattracker on ussoccer.com and the U.S. men's twitter feed tonight, I was ecstatic when they pulled out an improbable victory.

Making his first appearance in two years, Eddie Johnson saved the U.S. with a pair of goals tonight as they beat Antigua and Barbuda 2-1 in North Sound, Antigua at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. It was the first time since 2004 (!) that he scored multiple goals for the national team (he had a hat trick in 2004 vs. Panama). Everyone (myself included) was up in arms about Jozy Altidore being left off the roster but at least this controversial move couldn't have worked out any better for Jurgen Klinsmann.

Guatemala's 2-1 win vs. Jamaica means that all the Americans have to do on Tuesday in Kansas City is beat or tie Guatemala and they'll advance to the semifinal round of 2014 World Cup qualifying. The U.S. and Guatemala are tied atop Group A with 10 points.

Johnson leads MLS in goals on headers (9 for the Seattle Sounders) so it's no surprise that he made it 1-0 in the 20th minute on a leaping header off Graham Zusi's looping lefty cross. After a defensive breakdown including Clarence Goodson falling down, Antigua and Barbuda quickly tied it in the 25th minute on Dexter Blackstock's tap in.

It looked like this was destined to be a tie after Michael Bradley's header was stopped in the 85th minute but Johnson and Alan Gordon (his first CAP for the U.S.) teamed up for an absolutely vital strike. Gordon crossed it to Johnson who somehow found an opening and connected with another powerful header.

I can't imagine the reaction if the U.S. hadn't won this match but thankfully, we don't have to think about that too much. Even better news is that we can all watch the game on Tuesday (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) and we don't have to pull our hair out sitting in front of our phones or computers. Other than the first half against Jamaica on September 11, the U.S. hasn't played well at all in this round of qualifying. A positive person would say they are due to put together a full effort. It's late and I'm tired so we'll just run with that.

UPDATE 10/14: Fabian Johnson is still sick so he won't join his teammates in Kansas City for Tuesday's game. No replacement will be added for him as the U.S. will face Guatemala with 19 healthy players (3 goalkeepers). Jermaine Jones is back with his club in Germany after picking up another yellow card on Friday therefore suspending him for Tuesday's match. Has he ever played a US game without picking up a card?

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Another U.S. Men's National Team Player Heads To London: Geoff Cameron Signs With Stoke City

Another U.S. men's national team player is headed overseas as defender Geoff Cameron has agreed to a deal with Stoke City of Barclays Premier League.

Most recently, the University of Rhode Island graduate was on the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer. After Jurgen Klinsmann came aboard for the U.S. men, Cameron started to get CAPs.

At 27, Cameron has versatility since he can play defense and in the midfield. He's made five appearances for the U.S. and he appears to be in the mix for World Cup 2014 qualifying (which starts up again in September).

Stoke City is currently on a preseason tour of the United States. They met the Columbus Crew on Tuesday (a 2-1 loss) then they play Orlando City (a USL team) on Saturday and Sporting Kansas City next Wednesday. That means it will be easy for Cameron to meet up with his new team and get acclimated before they cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Believe it or not, the EPL season begins three weeks from tomorrow. Stoke City opens on Saturday, August 18 at Reading then the following Sunday their home opener is against Arsenal. That should be a great introduction to England for Cameron, let's hope he gets some minutes in that match.

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Another American Will Play In The English Premier League: Tim Ream Goes To Bolton

Ironically on a day when four Americans face off in an FA Cup match pitting Everton (Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann and Landon Donovan) vs. Fulham (Clint Dempsey), another U.S. teammate Tim Ream officially completed his signing with Bolton.

He inked for 3.5 years with the EPL squad that is struggling to stay above relegation. Bolton is currently 17th out of 20 teams (the bottom two get relegated) over halfway through the season (22 of 38 matches played already).

The 24-year-old defender, formerly of the New York Red Bulls, had to cut short his honeymoon in Tahiti to head to England.

Ream convinced Bolton manager Owen Coyle of his worth while training in December with Bolton's squad and completed a transfer from Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls on Thursday.

"I was married for all of 24 hours when I got the phone call," Ream said. "The manager asked if I'd be willing to cancel the honeymoon and come to Bolton and honeymoon here. As much as we were disappointed that we had to pass up the trip, I think we both knew it was in our best interests. Hopefully, it shows my commitment to being here and doing well here."

Ream's wife took a little more convincing.

"I can't really repeat what she said," Ream said. "But her and I have talked, and as long as we're together in whatever we do I think both of us will be happy. She wants the best for me, and I just want her to be happy.

Ream fills the gap in Bolton's roster created by the sale of Gary Cahill to Chelsea earlier in Europe's January transfer window.

Stuart Holden, an American midfielder, is also on Bolton so Ream will have a familiar face around the training grounds and at the games.

Ream's transfer fee of $2.75 million is the highest ever for an MLS defender and sixth highest for an American player-behind Maurice Edu, Jozy Altidore, Stern John, Howard and Dempsey.

"I knew there was interest in me when I came over last year and trained for a couple of weeks, and then after Christmas time things really did start to ramp up," Ream said. "Negotiations started, and that's when I knew things were getting serious. Even before that week I aimed to challenge myself in England and, if an opportunity arose, I wanted to come over and try to make it here."

Coyle is sure Ream has what it takes to succeed in the Premier League.
"He is a U.S. international - a player that year-on-year has progressed and got better, and he will continue to do that," Coyle said. "Tim is everything that we want in the players we are bringing to the club when we spend in the transfer market. He is young, has a tremendous attitude and a winning mentality."

A finalist for the MLS Rookie of the Year award in 2010, Ream was selected to the MLS All-Star team last year and has played seven times for the U.S. national team.

"This was a hard decision for me considering the fact that I enjoyed playing for the Red Bulls and was looking forward to the upcoming MLS season," Ream said. "However, after consulting with those closest to me, I decided that this was a once in a lifetime chance that I could not pass up."

Let's cross our fingers for a couple things: Holden's health, Ream getting playing time and of course, Bolton not getting relegated. This is a great move regardless, but it definitely loses some shine if they get bounced from the EPL this spring and fall back down to the League Championship.

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John Harkes Replaced By Another Bozo American (Taylor Twellman) For MLS & U.S. National Team Coverage

One of the biggest problems surrounding coverage of U.S. men's national team games in the United States is the parade of clowns that cover them: Alexi Lalas, John Harkes, Marcelo Balboa and Taylor Twellman have all gotten their shots and proven that besides Eric Wynalda (snatched up by Fox Soccer Channel), they're all useless.

Still, I applaud ESPN for dumping Harkes (who was told his contract wouldn't be renewed) in favor of Twellman, the former New England Revolution legend. Harkes' rambling, egocentric announcing style has been nothing but distracting since he was paired with the excellent Ian Darke.

Sadly the 1994 U.S. men's team are totally delusional. I respect what they achieved and I loved it at the time but they think they invented soccer stateside. For some reason they all believe they were Messi or Ronaldo (thanks to my buddy Casey for that superb line) and not the scrappy overachievers they are truly were.

Twellman is a know it all douchebag who has been doing studio coverage on ESPN and Philadelphia Union games in MLS but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he's younger than Harkes so maybe there is some hope he'll improve. Also on his side, he couldn't be worse than Harkes.

The best news is that Darke will continue in his capacity as ESPN's lead announcer for U.S. national team games, the English Premier League, Euro 2012 and select MLS games. That dunce Lalas will be stuck in the studio while Adrian Healey (fine backup) will do the MLS games that Darke can't make.

May I also suggest that Julie Foudy and Tommy Smyth get more gigs too. Foudy is better than any of her American male counterparts. She brings experience, a good sense of humor and timing for the game. More than anything, she doesn't take herself too seriously unlike all the dopey guys. I'm not sure what's happened to Smyth who was basically ESPN's go to Euro before Darke showed up. Maybe his age is the hindrance, who knows? It's ESPN so there's probably some scandal behind the demotion.

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U.S. Men's Soccer & MLS To Be Shown On NBC In 2012 Thanks To New 3-Year Deal

Since I don't work for a television network, I'm not one to usually get excited about broadcast deals but the U.S. men's national team along with MLS scored a big one today as NBC and NBC Sports network will show 49 MLS games and four U.S. men's game per year starting in 2012. It's all part of a wonderful three-year deal.

Today was already a big day for U.S. soccer with Jurgen Klinsmann set to coach his first game for the Americans against Mexico tonight at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Eagles). This lucrative television deal means that sputtering MLS will gain more exposure (which can only help it start to turn more of a profit and get better players) while the U.S. men's team will likewise gain more viewers across the country.

From nbcsports.com
NEW YORK - Major League Soccer (MLS) and the NBC Sports Group today announced a three-year media rights agreement, which commences at the start of the 2012 MLS season. The partnership calls for 45 MLS games and four U.S. Men’s National Team contests to be televised live across both NBC and NBC Sports Network each season. This marks the first rights deal for the newly-named cable channel that will be re-branded from VERSUS on Jan. 2, 2012. The announcement was made today by MLS Commissioner and Soccer United Marketing CEO Don Garber and Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group.

“Everyone at the NBC Sports Group is thrilled to begin this partnership with Major League Soccer,” said Lazarus. “MLS is a perfect fit for our new group, and we are uniquely positioned to help grow soccer in the United States with extensive coverage on NBC Sports Network, significant programming on the broadcast network and our growing digital platforms. Additionally, this agreement complements the partnerships that five of our regional sports networks have with their local MLS teams.”

Each season, NBC will broadcast two regular-season MLS games, two playoff games and two appearances by the U.S. Men’s National Team, marking the first time four MLS matches will be broadcast on English-language network television since 2002. The NBC Sports Network will televise 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two U.S. Men’s National Team matches. All telecasts on NBC and NBC Sports Network will consist of pre-game and post-game coverage. According to the agreement, the NBC Sports Group obtains digital rights across all platforms and devices for the games it televises.

“Our new partnership with the NBC Sports Group is a significant step forward for Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer,” said MLS Commissioner and Soccer United Marketing CEO Don Garber. “The NBC Sports Group is world-renowned for its award-winning coverage, superb broadcast quality and promotional expertise. We are excited to be part of NBC’s ambitious plans for soccer and look forward to reaching a considerable audience on multiple platforms.”

Featuring an exciting mix of players, including world-class stars such as Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Thierry Henry, MLS is one of the nation’s fastest growing sports properties. It has seen considerable growth across many metrics, including number of teams (10 clubs in 2004 to 19 in 2012) and new stadiums (two soccer stadiums in 2004 to having 15 of 19 clubs playing in venues built with soccer in mind, including new soccer stadiums in Houston and Montreal next year). This season, the League is enjoying the highest average attendance and largest number of corporate sponsors in its 16-year history.

Along with already-established MLS partnerships with five Comcast SportsNets (California, Chicago, Mid-Atlantic, New England and Philadelphia), this agreement provides the league with coverage across the NBC Sports Group’s unique four-tier portfolio of assets: broadcast network, national cable, regional sports networks and digital platforms.

With the 2012 Olympics next summer, which is always covered on NBC, this seems like a logical move for the NBC executives to make as they'll build up some excitement for the product and then deliver the Olympics in London. Soccer in the Olympics is always one of the better competitions since along with a mostly U-23 roster, teams can send a few older superstar players to help the younger studs. The timing appears to be perfect for NBC and with any luck, MLS (which really needs it) and the U.S. men's national team will flourish under this new partnership.

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Feilhaber MLS-bound

U.S. men's national team midfielder Benny Feilhaber is coming to the MLS.

The question that remains is to what team exactly and that will be determined this afternoon by 5 p.m.

Chivas USA has the first opportunity to sign the 25-year-old because it is atop the MLS allocation list and must decide by 5 p.m. ET Tuesday. If Chivas USA passes, Philadelphia is next.

A member of last year's U.S. World Cup team, Feilhaber had been with Denmark's AGF Aarhus since 2008 but had been looking to leave the second-division club. After playing for UCLA, he went to Europe and played for Germany's Hamburg and England's Derby.

MLS is paying a transfer fee to Aarhus, and Feilhaber will earn at least $335,000.

As he showed last summer at the 2010 World Cup, given the right opportunity, Feilhaber is a very solid player. Like most young guys that haven't seen their careers take off yet, he hasn't really found the right landing spot for his talents. Hopefully this journey to MLS will get his game in gear and allow him to go back to Europe to a higher club.

The world's most famous soccer player to appear on Late Night's most average show

Another day and another appearance on television for David Beckham.

Where does he squeeze soccer practice and games into his non-stop media blitz? Haha, makes you wonder. Plus, his agent and PR people must be the most busy handlers in the industry.

Becks will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight starting at 12:05 a.m. EST on ABC. Other guests include Wes Craven (director of Scream 4) and Sum 41.

So yeah, it's a show that would have been a lot better five years ago. I look forward to Beckham pretending he cares about MLS, the Los Angeles Galaxy or anything else in our country not involving his big money contracts.

Manchester United coming back to the U.S. this summer

This summer, the most bandwagon soccer team on the planet will be making an appearance in Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Why I'm talking about Manchester United of course. Sir Alex Ferguson's team will play the New England Revolution on July 13 at Gillette Stadium and at Red Bull Arena on July 27 as they take on the MLS All-Stars.

Man. U came over last summer to play the MLS All-Stars and the English superpower won 5-2 at Houston's Reliant Stadium. It's a great draw for the MLS to get connected with the most popular team in world.

They'll also play the Seattle Sounders (July 20), Chicago Fire (July 23) and the main event-Barcelona-wraps up their U.S. tour on July 30 in Washington DC.

Charlie Davies makes a memorable MLS debut

If you're like me, you probably missed it over the weekend as you were caught in the wonders of March Madness.

Thanks to the magic of the interwebs and Deadspin-one of my all-time favorite sites-I was able to see Charlie Davies' awesome debut with DC United from Saturday night against Columbus.



As you can see, the former Boston College star put in two goals (a penalty kick and a sweet shot in the run of play) and punctuated them with his favorite celebration (the stanky leg).

Like always, I could honestly care less about MLS but if Davies can continue to find his game, I will definitely start to tune in. That's a promise. If you're a U.S. fan and/or a New Englander, you can't help but root for this local guy.

FYI: Davies also launched a new website cdavies9.com. Check it out, looks pretty slick (and no he didn't pay me to plug it or say that).

Reis is staying with the Revs

I've explained it a million times that I'm not an MLS fan anymore. I used to be when I was kid and I didn't realize there was a whole other (better) world of club soccer out there. Plus, I went to a bunch of games at Foxboro Stadium and Gillette Stadium when the New England Revolution were great but couldn't get over the hump and win an MLS Cup.

That pointless introduction was to segue to the news that Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis signed a new contract with the team.

Reis has set team records for games by a goalkeeper (188), wins (75), saves (757) and shutouts (50). He appeared in 14 games last season, after being sidelined until June following preseason shoulder and knee operations. He then had a season-ending ankle injury in October.

The 35-year-old has made two appearances with the U.S. national team, in exhibition wins over Canada in 2006 and Denmark the following year.

I wish him good luck and health and better results for the Revolution next year (I paid just enough attention last season to know that they were awful).

McPride

If you are between the ages of 20-30, American and you liked soccer at one point, odds are that Brian McBride was one of your favorite players growing up.

That's what makes seeing McBride retire as well so hard to take.

Who could ever forget his clutch goals for the U.S. national team against Portugal and Mexico in 2002 and the elbow he took in the face vs. Italy in 2006?

He also was a mainstay with Fulham and helped them avoid relegation in 2008 after coming back from a bunch of injuries. Fulham fans liked the Yank so much that they named a bar "McBride's" in honor of him at Craven Cottage, their home stadium.

Watching that Mexican match in the middle of the night after I graduated high school, a couple of buddies and I started calling McBride McPride cause he had so much heart.

That sounds pretty lame but it's true and no strikers have ever put the U.S. on the map like McBride.

"I haven't looked at it from that standpoint," McBride said when asked what he wants his legacy to be. "I hope that I've added quality to wherever I've been and also done things in the right way, with class. Hopefully I've been able to pass on a few words of wisdom."

DeMerit in the MLS? Sure, why not?

Besides having one of the most inspiring stories (that is ripe for a Disney movie) of any international player that I know of, U.S. men's national team defender Jay DeMerit can still play (as evidenced in the 2010 World Cup when he played every minute for the U.S.).

However, he is currently unemployed after his contract at Watford ended in May and he's contemplating a final tour in MLS.

Various reports had linked DeMerit with English Premier League side Everton, as well as Wolfsburg of the German Bundesliga.

But given the tepid state of the player market in Europe, DeMerit indicated via e-mail that signing with MLS is now his preferred option.

"Since playing back in the U.S. was always something I wanted to do, and have yet to do, it seems like the time is right," he said.

Without delving into specifics, DeMerit indicated that several MLS sides have shown interest. Earlier reports had expansion side Vancouver chasing the U.S. defender, and given that the Whitecaps occupy the top spot in the league's allocation rankings for U.S. international players, they would appear to have the inside track.

It is by no means a certainty that he'll end up in British Columbia. Should DeMerit prefer to play elsewhere, Vancouver could always trade the top spot in exchange for draft picks or players.

DeMerit spent the early portion of his career with the Chicago Fire's entry in the USL Premier Development League, which comprises the fourth tier of U.S. soccer, and a return to the Midwest would appear to suit the Green Bay, Wisc., native. A Fire spokesman denied that the team was pursuing DeMerit, however. DeMerit also didn't completely rule out the possibility of staying in Europe.

"Until I sign a contract with any club, of course I'm open to anything," he said. "But my main focus at the moment is coming back to the MLS. I know things can always change in a second in this sport."

He is one of my favorite U.S. players in recent memory based on his toughness and fearless style so I would be psyched to see him play for the New England Revolution and to a lesser degree another MLS franchise (Vancouver or Chicago both make perfect sense).

David Beckham is still alive? And he still plays for the Galaxy?

David Beckham was activated on Thursday by the Los Angeles Galaxy, meaning he can play on Saturday in their match vs. Columbus.

"I think I could possibly be on the bench," Beckham, who in March tore his left Achilles' tendon while playing for AC Milan, said after training Thursday.

"Obviously, it's down to talking to the physio, the guys I've been working with and, obviously, the manager and deciding, but, fingers crossed, I'll be eligible to be on the bench."

Getting on the field is altogether something else. Beckham doesn't have the match fitness to contribute a whole lot, especially in a match so important to the Galaxy (13-5-5) and Crew (13-5-5), who are atop the Supporters' Shield standings. But he'd love the chance.

"I think I can play at some point of the game," he said. "With not playing for six months, there has to be kind of a careful ... a few minutes here and there. If I can play 10, 15, 30 minutes, then hopefully I can do that."

Galaxy coach Bruce Arena isn't so optimistic.

"I don't think that's likely," he said. "All taking him off the disabled list simply means [is] he's eligible [to play] in a game. You're required to be on [the injured list] for six weeks, and we're at the end of the six-week period.

"We fully expect him to be involved with our team for the month of September. All the decisions are going to be based day to day and week to week."

The 35-year-old Beckham says he thinks he could play for "quite a few more years," growing excited about the Galaxy's playoff push and the still-faint possibility of returning to the English national team someday.

Beckham is less interested in playing again for a European club. After several years of nearly nonstop play, Beckham indicated he's likely to decline a loan to AC Milan or another team in favor of a more relaxing winter.

"I need that -- my body needs that," Beckham said. "I've been hitting it quite hard for the last couple of years, and this injury is because of that, so I think now it's time maybe for me to look at myself and look at my fitness."

While focused on Los Angeles' remaining season, Beckham hasn't written off the possibility of playing again for his country. England manager Fabio Capello was widely criticized last month for saying Beckham was too old to play for the national team again, forcing Capello to backpedal.

"I've always had a good relationship with Fabio, and that's not changed," Beckham said. "He's England manager, and he has to look to the future, look to some great, talented young players coming through. These players need to be given the chance, and they will be. But obviously the manager is aware that there needs to be some old heads in there, and some experience.

"If I'm part of that, then great, but like I said, my main objective right now is to get myself fit and playing again."

My thoughts and opinions on Becks have been expressed long ago so I don't really have anything new to add here other than I wish him good health and no further injuries before his playing days are over.

The most predictable list you'll see this year

Anyone with a pulse in the United States that likes soccer even a little bit would ace this exam: who is the highest paid player in Major League Soccer?

Answer: David Beckham. About as predictable as that, Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez come in second and third respectively.

Henry and Marquez, who joined the New York Red Bulls from Barcelona following the World Cup, are the league's second- and third-highest paid players, according to the latest MLS Players Union salary list.

Henry, a World Cup and European champion with France and a Champions League winner with Barca, will earn $5.6 million in guaranteed compensation this year. Marquez, who captained Mexico in South Africa, will earn $5.54 million.

Marquez's Mexico teammate Nery Castillo, who joined the Chicago Fire last month on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine, will make $1.79 million.

Beckham, who hasn't played for the Los Angeles Galaxy this season because of a torn Achilles' tendon, tops the league at $6.5 million.

Beckham's signing has been mostly a nightmare as we all know but I'm more confident that Henry and Marquez (coupled with their sweet stadium and the fact that they're near a great sports city) have much more lasting power than Becks in the States.