The More Germans The Better On U.S. Men's National Team Roster

With the end of August almost upon us, it was time for U.S. men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann to announce the rosters for exhibitions against Costa Rica and Belgium in the beginning of September.

Without question, the most intriguing name on the list is Fabian Johnson. He started for Germany in the U-21 European championship just two years ago but he's followed Klinsmann to the U.S. I can't say that I've ever heard of him but his credentials seem pretty legit: he's a midfielder for Hoffenheim, a German club.

Another former German Timmy Chandler will also get to make his debut for the new U.S. head coach after he got pulled off the roster at the last minute before the Mexico match. Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey get their first CAPs under Klinsmann while Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Ricardo Clark were left out of (supposedly to deal with transfer issues with their clubs) this group.

"All three of these players are trying to sort out their club situations, and the deadline for transfers is a week away," Klinsmann said. "They have also not been playing matches, so for these reasons we decided to select different players for this roster."

Freddy Adu wasn't selected, either. The former phenom recently returned to Major League Soccer, and is still adjusting to his new Philadelphia Union team.

The U.S. and Costa Rica meet frequently in CONCACAF play, but this is their first exhibition since 1995. The Americans have an 11-11-6 record overall against the Ticos, including a 2-2 draw on Oct. 14, 2009, that cost Costa Rica a spot in last year's World Cup. The tie dropped Costa Rica to fourth in North and Central American and Caribbean region qualifying, and the Ticos then lost to Uruguay in a playoff for the spot shared by CONCACAF and South America.

This will be the fourth game against Belgium, and first since 1998. Belgium has won the last two meetings.

Roster
Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Everton, England), Bill Hamid (DC United).
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Edgar Castillo (Club America, Mexico), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg, Germany), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Clarence Goodson (Brondby, Denmark), Zach Loyd (Dallas), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis, Mexico), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA), Tim Ream (New York)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim, Germany), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht, Belgium), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado), Robbie Rogers (Columbus), Brek Shea (Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New York), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Teal Bunbury (Kansas City), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles).

Other new players in the mix include Hamid, Larentowicz (a former Revs player) and Bunbury.

With more time to train and get prepared, expect some better chemistry between Klinsmann and his team. Likewise, Costa Rica and Belgium represent a step down from the level of Mexico so the U.S. should be more ready to handle teams of that caliber.

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Does This Look Like The World's Soon To Be Highest Paid Soccer Player?

I'm not a hater, never have been and never will be. Therefore, when I see a guy making an absurd amount of money to play a sport, I can only tip my hat towards him and say well done sir.

Samuel Eto'o is a fine soccer player. Is he the world's best? Haha not even close but that doesn't matter since some Russian club that I've never heard of-Anzhi Makhachkala-has agreed to a transfer with Inter Milan which will make the Cameroon star the world's highest paid player ($28.8 million per season).

After several days of negotiations, Italian media report Sunday that the two clubs have agreed on a transfer fee of $38.9 million and that the deal will be formalized Monday.

Anzhi is expected to give Eto'o a three-year contract worth $28.8 million per season, surpassing the estimated $17.3 million that Cristiano Ronaldo earns at Real Madrid and the $15.1 million that Lionel Messi is paid by Barcelona.

Anzhi, from the southern Russian province of Dagestan, is owned by billionaire oil tycoon Suleiman Kerimov.

The 30-year-old Eto is considered still in his prime. He has already won three Champions League titles -- two with Barcelona and one with Inter -- and is apparently excited about playing in the developing Russian league.

In Forbes magazine's latest list of the world's richest people, Kerimov's net worth was estimated at $7.8 billion, tying him for 118th place with Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi and family.

Anzhi's captain is 38-year-old Roberto Carlos, once the standout left back for Brazil.

The transfer fee for Eto'o also makes it one of the most expensive deals this season, close to the $42 million Barcelona paid Arsenal on Monday to bring Cesc Fabregas back to his childhood club.

The biggest deal during the current transfer window was the $62 million Manchester City paid Atletico Madrid for Sergio Aguero last month. Also, Paris Saint-Germain paid $60 million to Palermo for Javier Pastore.

Eto'o led Inter with 37 goals in all competitions last season, having replaced Milito as the club's biggest scoring threat. He was a key member of the Inter side that won the Champions League in 2010, often accepting an attacking midfield or defensive role for then-Inter coach Jose Mourinho.

Before joining Inter in 2009, Eto'o played five seasons with Barcelona.

Makhachkala is plagued by violence from insurgency that has spread across the North Caucasus after two separatist wars in Dagestan's neighboring region of Chechnya.

Anzhi players live and train at a training camp outside Moscow and travel to Makhachkala for home games, flying about 1,250 miles 15 times a season.

People will laugh at this deal (and rightfully so), it is absurd. However, someone has to be the world's highest paid player and if Eto'o wants to figuratively pay the price by playing in some backwater, dangerous area well good for him I guess.

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Robbie Keane Goes To The Land Of Frauds

I am already on record as calling Robbie Keane "heavy-drinking, mercurial and possibly over-the-hill striker" so it's with a touch of doubt that I pass along the news that Keane has transferred from Tottenham to join the Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS).

With my thoughts on Keane and MLS (still unwatchable) well established, I don't have much to add to this latest development other than to say that it will help sell a few jerseys to the Irish in California and assorted pseudo-celebrities that go to there games (does that still happen?).

"I have already discussed football with (Galaxy coach) Bruce Arena, and I know exactly what he wants from me,'' Keane said. "I am fit, fresh and ready to go. I've come here to score goals and help this team achieve their goals. This is a massive opportunity for me in my career. I aim to grab it with both hands and hopefully help give the Galaxy fans what they want.''

Keane is moving from Tottenham Hotspur, where the 31-year-old striker has fallen behind Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe after scoring just one goal in 10 matches last season. Keane initially hoped to stay in the Premier League during its transfer window, but became interested in the Galaxy after training with Beckham at Tottenham earlier this year.

"I have always wanted to come and play in MLS, so it's the perfect combination for me and a dream come true,'' said Keane, the 10th-leading goal-scorer in Premier League history with 123 goals. "When David Beckham came and trained at Spurs recently, he couldn't speak highly enough about the Galaxy, their fans and the league in general, so I can't wait to get over and get started.''

Although Keane has struggled with Tottenham, he has been outstanding for the Irish national team, scoring a record 51 goals in his career -- including five goals in six recent matches during group qualifying play for Euro 2012. He played for Ireland against Croatia last Wednesday, and the Irish have key qualifying matches against Slovakia and Russia in the next few weeks.

The Galaxy lead the MLS standings with 48 points on the strength of 11 goals from Landon Donovan -- the league's second-leading goal-scorer behind Thierry Henry -- and a resurgent season from Beckham, who's second in the league with 10 assists in the final year of his MLS contract. Los Angeles' next MLS match is Saturday night against San Jose.

"Robbie Keane will be a great addition to our club,'' said Arena, also the Galaxy's general manager. "I have followed his career and have always respected his ability as a competitor and a goal-scorer. I believe that he brings qualities in and around the penalty area that we have been lacking. Hopefully he will be another piece of the puzzle in our quest for the Supporters' Shield and an MLS Cup championship, as well as to advance to the next round of the CONCACAF Champions League.''

The Galaxy must make a roster move when Keane receives his visa, since Los Angeles already has three "designated players'' who can be paid above the MLS salary cap: Beckham, Donovan and Colombian forward Juan Pablo Angel.

Beckham and Donovan are crucial to the Galaxy's success, which means Angel almost certainly will be moved when Keane gets his visa. Although Angel was the MLS' leading scorer over the previous four seasons, he has just three goals and one assist in 22 games for Los Angeles.

Angel is thought to be headed across the hallway at Home Depot Center to Chivas USA, which shares a stadium with the Galaxy in Carson, Calif., and is fighting to stay in the playoff race.

Starting his pro career at 17, Keane played for three English clubs and Inter Milan before joining Tottenham in August 2002. He moved to Liverpool in 2008, but returned to Tottenham in early 2009 before spending parts of the past two seasons on loan to Celtic of the Scottish Premier League and West Ham.

Stop me if you've heard this story before: former European star transfers from an EPL club to the Galaxy. There's an initial buzz but that quickly subsides as people actually start to view MLS games and realize that it's terribly boring. The main difference in this case is that Keane isn't married to a crazed former pop star as far as I know. You could also argue that he's got a little more left in the tank than Beckham but I guess we'll figure that out shortly. Let me know what you think because I surely won't be paying attention.

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The Revolving Door Out Of Arsenal Keeps Spinning

It has got to be agonizing to be an Arsenal fan right now living in England. Sure, I enjoy the Gunners but I'm far removed from the club here in the States so I can only observe all the moves that have left the team a shell of what it's been the last few seasons.

Defender Emmanuel Eboue is the latest player to transfer from Arsenal to greener (get it? MONEY!) pastures.

Turkish club Galastaray signed him to a four-year deal.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger confirmed earlier this summer that Eboue, 28, was likely to leave the club during the current transfer window.

The Ivory Coast international arrived at the Gunners from Beveren in 2005 and went on to make 132 Premier League appearances, scoring four times.

Eboue joins Gael Clichy, Denilson and Cesc Fabregas in leaving Emirates Stadium this summer, while Samir Nasri, Nicklas Bendtner and Manuel Almunia's futures are the subject of conjecture.

Routinely the top club in Turkey's Super Lig, Eboue will join familiar EPL names of yore like Milan Baros and Harry Kewell.

Arsenal hosts Udinese in a few hours in a Champions League playoff match before Liverpool visits Emirates Stadium on Saturday morning (7:45 am EST) in a pivotal early season EPL match. If the Gunners don't win both matches and more importantly, don't start to replace all these solid players that are leaving London, they'll be in big trouble with the fans and media that cover this beloved team.

The post-Fabregas era begins with Robin Van Persie assuming the captaincy role for Arsenal starting today.

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The Worst Kept Secret In European Soccer Has Come True

In the last year, if you had Internet access and or a Twitter account, you've no doubt seen the constant rumors of Cesc Fabregas moving on from Arsenal to Barcelona.

Well it looks like you won't have to waste anymore of your life waiting for this foregone move to happen, because it went down today.

Coming a day after Arsenal's mostly lifeless 1-1 tie with Newcastle and the same day as Barcelona's scintillating 2-2 tie with Real Madrid in the Super Cup (Spain's version of the Community Shield), this big transfer will make the Gunners worse while also increasing the incredible talent level on Fabregas' hometown team.

On Twitter yesterday, English writers reported that Arsenal fans were left to chant "spend some fucking money," while they watched their mostly starless team struggle. Haha I wish American fans were smart or unified enough to come up with something like that.

Despite Arsenal insisting throughout the summer that they would not sell Fabregas for less than £40 million, it is thought that a £35 million fee has finally been agreed.

Manager Arsene Wenger said: "We have been clear that we didn't want Cesc to leave and that remains the case. However, we understand Cesc's desire to move to his home town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona. We thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and wish him future success."

Fabregas, who joined the Gunners from Barca as a 16-year-old in 2003, will now agree personal terms and undergo a medical on Monday before sealing his return to the Nou Camp.

The midfielder's move will bring an end to a saga that sparked into life last summer when Fabregas told Wenger that he wanted to return to his boyhood club. Wenger stubbornly refused to let the Spain international leave at that time, but just over 12 months later he has given up on the battle to keep the wantaway star.

It has been suggested that Fabregas is willing to take a pay cut in order to force through the move, underlining his desperation to join the Champions League winners.

He played no part in Arsenal's pre-season campaign or their Premier League opener at Newcastle, with Wenger citing a lack of focus and a niggling injury.

Fabregas, who has won 58 caps for Spain, winning Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, made 303 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 57 goals in all competitions and claimed the record for youngest first-team player and goalscorer.

His departure will increase the pressure from fans on Wenger to use some of the transfer fee to bring in a big-name signing before the end of the transfer window. Shakhtar Donetsk claim that Arsenal have shown an interest in Brazil international midfielder Jadson, while Wenger is known to be keen to add a central defender.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will be able to hold on to France international Samir Nasri, a target for Manchester City and a player who the Londoners could lose on a free transfer next summer when his contract expires.

Ordinarily Nasri would have been earmarked as the natural successor to Fabregas in a central role but, with his future up the air, Wenger may be forced into the transfer market.

As ESPNsoccernet's story says, Nasri is the other Arsenal player that has been the subject of constant rumors. It'll be interesting to monitor what the Gunners do in the next few weeks (the transfer window closes on August 30). If they want to get back into the top four in the EPL (and clinch a Champions League spot), the club needs to open their checkbooks and start spending some money. If not to appease their dedicated fans, but also to keep up with the Man U's, Man City's, Chelsea's and Liverpool's of the EPL.

Fabregas will take some time to adjust to the more skillful La Liga style of play but since he's played with many of Barce's players on Spain, he should be better suited than most to make an impact sooner rather than later. You can never have too much talent in sports and Barcelona is living proof of that in club soccer.

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Manchester United Injuries Start To Pile Up After One EPL Game in 2011-12 Season

Sunday was an up and down day for Manchester United, the defending English Premier League champions.

The Red Devils managed to salvage a 2-1 win on the road at West Bromwich in their 2011-12 EPL opener.

More importantly, defender Rio Ferdinand picked up a hamstring injury (forcing him to get subbed out after 76 minutes) and it has already been announced that he's expected to miss six weeks. If he's out for that projected time period, he'll miss club matches against Arsenal and Chelsea along with England national team Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales.

Fullback Rafael da Silva was out 10 weeks after injuring his shoulder in training before the season had even started and center back Nemanja Vidic also exited today's game with an injury (to his calf) and he'll likely miss two weeks.

These three injuries to their defense means that Manchester United could be shaky in the back heading into a tough early stretch in the EPL (vs. Tottenham and vs. Arsenal in the next two weeks).

"Rio has a hamstring injury. He will be out for six weeks,'' said Ferguson. "With Nemanja, we hope it is a nerve in his calf. He felt it prior to the game but he wanted to play. That may be a couple of weeks.''

The bright spot for Ferguson is the anticipated return of Patrice Evra from a knee injury against Spurs next Monday.

"We can always put Fabio on the right if we need to. We also have Chris Smalling, so we will get through,'' said Ferguson.

While I don't like Man U at all, I never root for injuries to good players (or anyone for that regard) so hopefully these guys all get back to the field in due time.

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U.S. vs. Mexico 2nd half live blog

No substitutions for either team at halftime.

Bradley gets out in space but he's 1 on 4 and he can't dribble through that many people (nobody can that's not named Messi or Ronaldo).

Guardado tries to cross it but he hit it a little too far and Howard gobbles it up.

Salcido called offsides during a run forward.

Damn, De La Torre is 9-0-2 so far in his stint as Mexican coach.

Marquez almost scores on a header following a corner. It hit the side netting, thrilling all the drunk and or stupid fans in the crowd.

Haha apparently Castillo had three caps for Mexico in friendlies. Is it possible to give him back? Can't imagine why they'd let a guy of his incredible ability walk away.

dos Santos is in, Mexico can relax now. That storyline is over. De La Torre didn't start him in this pointless friendly! Oh the horror!

Donovan hits a great corner to Bocanegra, his header is powerful but right at Ochoa. That was the U.S.' first shot of the game, yikes.

No surprise, the old Mexican man doing commentary thinks Torres should have a bigger role.

First U.S. sub: Agudelo in for Buddle, Brek Shea in for Jones in the 60th mionute.

Hold the phone, Shea has the third-most goals in MLS. Look out world.

With Agudelo's first touch, he at least attacks Mexico before shooting way over the Mexican goal.

2nd Mexico sub: Arellano for Peralta.

Shots are 5-2 in favor of Mexico.

Good passing sequence by Mexico but Arellano shoots wide and over.

Shea looked to win a corner but he didn't get the seemingly easy call.

Marquez is the sub for Mexico, Javier Rodriguez is in.

Never heard one before but I think John Harkes just made a joke: regarding airline travel. Not bad John, keep it up.

Bermudez in for ; Robbie Rogers in for Michael Bradley.

Agudelo got loose in the box but he couldn't hang onto the ball before going down.

Haha, Rogers ties it up in the 73rd minute as Shea feeds him a great ball across the goalmouth. All he had to do was tap it in. (1-1)

Second international goal for Rogers, first assist for Shea.

Donovan and Torres combine for another near goal. The ball was played behind Torres.

After a good run into the area, Donovan gets taken down. That was a close one, could have been given a penalty.

Haha Darke drops a Elton John "Philadelphia Freedom" reference. Well done sir.

Rogers shoots over, Agudelo started another good rush.

I honestly didn't know a thing about Shea before this match but he's impressing me. His hair is awful but to look that silly you have to be a baller. Nice move forces a good save by Ochoa.

Hey Ricardo Clark is back! Torres out, Clark in. Ok performance by Torres, he clearly had few options tonight of guys that could play with his type of skill.

Wow. Agudelo plays a great through ball to Rogers, he gets pulled down by Torrado but he only gets a yellow card. Unbelievable, fouls don't get much more dirty and intentional than that.

Three minutes of added time. Clark bungles play and shoots well wide after some nice work by Donovan. One last time, Clark plays a pass a little behind Agudelo in the box.

That's it, 1-1. Fair result; Mexico dominated for most of the match but the U.S. finally woke up with about 20 minutes left in the second half. Shea, Rogers and Agudelo provided nice sparks off the bench and showed why they deserve more time (over Buddle).

All in all a positive debut for Klinsmann and his new squad. The next match is Sept. 2 vs. Costa Rica in Carson, CA.

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