Moyes Gets the Axe. What's Next For Him and United?

Presented without comment, Lord David Moyes

 

The long nightmare for the Red half of Manchester is over.  One year to the day after United won their last title, David Moyes, the former "chosen one" has been sacked by Manchester United.  The last straw for Sir Alex's hand-picked successor was a disappointing 2-0 loss to his former club Everton on Easter Weekend.  This morning United released a very short statement on their website that simply read: "Manchester United has announced that David Moyes has left the club.  The club would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role.”

 

In the space of a year, United has gone from Premier League champions under Sir Alex to 7th place in the league, and eliminated from Champions League Qualification  for next season.  This in itself is going to cost the club big time for it's war chest.  With Moyes' transfer policy showing itself as an abject failure, United will be happy to place it's cash in someone else's perhaps more capable hands over the summer.  As far as Moyes' mark on the club, Fellaini has been a huge bust, and Juan Mata, who couldn't even play for United in the Champions League due to being cup tied to Chelsea, faliled to really lift the team.   To be fair to Moyes, many of United's vets are long past their prime, think Rio and Giggs, and both Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie have missed significant time with injuries.  However, in the end, Moyes was never able to really push United into great form no matter who was on the pitch.

According to the club Ryan Giggs, who had been occupying a player/coach role, will take over as manager for the remainder of the season.  I actually like this move for United.  Giggs has perhaps the deepest ties of anyone to the club and can probably connect to the fans more than Moyes ever could.  He should also benefit from the pressure being totally off, as it appears that United aren't at all interested in giving him the role permanently.

Most of the early speculation is focusing on managers who have experience in big matches, which Moyes certainly lacked.  A lot of the current talk centers on Dutch national team manager Louis van Gaal, who is leaving the Netherlands after the World Cup this summer.  Van Gaal had been previously tapped to join Spurs , but ESPNFC is reporting the his talks with United are pretty serious in nature.  Another name that seems to be popping up is Borussia Dortmund's Jurgen Klopp, but the German side have said that he will not be leaving.  Whichever way they go, it has to get better than it was Moyes, especially in the transfer market.

It will be interesting to see where Moyes himself ends up.  He has proven that he can be a successful manager, but perhaps the big club, pressure-packed role was too much for him.  It's more than likely that Spurs will be in for a new boss, but I can't imagine any of my Spurs friends being really excited if that move were to happen.  Norwich could be an interesting situation for him, whether or not they manage to stay in the Premier League.  Aston Villa might undergo a change in ownership, which could spell the end of Paul Lambert there.  A manager who has proven himself at a medium sized club in the Premier League might be right up their alley.

At any rate, most United fans that I've heard from are more than happy to see Moyes go on his way.  It'll be interesting to see what changes await the club in the offseason.  It should be one of the story lines of the summer.

Chivas de Guadalajara Bans All Supporter Groups After Derby Violence

Multiple injuries were reported after Chivas fans fought police this last weekend.

In case you missed it, Mexican soccer suffered a HUGE black eye this weekend.  During the Tapatio Derby between Chivas and Atlas, this time being played at the home of Atlas, Chivas supporters engaged in a running battle with Guadalajara police in the upper terraces of the stadium.  According to Reuters, the Chivas folks managed to outnumber the police and several police officers were seriously injured, including two suffering serious but non life threatening injuries.  Approximately 30 civilians were injured and were being treated at local hospitals after the match.

Reaction from the club, the Mexican Federation, and the local government has been swift, and hard line.  First off, Chivas has announced that they will ban ALL supporter groups from their matches indefinitely and with immediate effect.  This includes this weekend's coming Superclasico with Club America to be played at Chivas's Omnilife Stadium.  The statement on this issue also says that ALL MEMBERS of credentialed supporter groups are banned as well.  According to Soccerly, The FMF is seriously considering banning all supporter groups from all clubs in the wake of this incident.

Guadalajara officials are none too pleased with events either.  They have closed Estadio Jalisco, home of Atlas, and prohibited it from hosting soccer matches until further notice.  17 arrests have already been made in connection with the violence, and both Chivas and the local police are working on rounding up anyone else involved as well.

This derby has long had a reputation for violent incidents, especially involving Chivas "ultras" who puff out their chests and announce that they take pride in such things, again, giving real supporters a bad name.  Chivas and Atlas shared Estadio Jalisco until recent times when Omnilife stadium was built to host Chivas.

  

This kind of thing has no place in soccer and just gives people who are against the sport more ammunition to use against it.  Anyone who thinks that this is "cool" or that it's the right way to "support your club" should never be allowed through the gates of a stadium.   Check out the video below for footage of the incident, but be cautioned that it's rather graphic.

The Puddle Congratulates USMNT Defender Steve Cherundolo On a Great Career

US international defender Steve Cherundolo retired earlier this week. (Zimbio.com)

Most of the buzz surrounding the United States men's national team this week surrounded the announcement that young Bayern Munich player Julian Green has decided to switch federations and play for the USA.  That is certainly newsworthy, but another bit of news crossed the wire that was of interest to seasoned fans as well.  Wednesday evening, USMNT and Hannover 96 defender Steve Cherundolo announced that he was retiring from professional football due to a knee injury.

It's kind of sad news as Cherundolo has been a fixture on the US back line for quite awhile.  He earned his first cap for the USA in 1999 against Jamaica.  He then went on to participate in multiple CONCACAF Gold Cups for the USA, winning the trophy in 2005 and wearing the captain's armband in the 2009 edition.  He also competed in two FIFA World Cups for the USA, in Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010.  He scored two goals for his country as he compiled 87 caps overall.

Cherundolo is also fairly unique because he's one of the few American players to have spent his entire playing career in Europe.  After two years at the University of Portland, "Dolo" went to Germany and signed on with Hannover 96, who were in the German second division at the time.  In 2001-2002 Hannover won the league and was promoted to the Bundesliga.  Cherundolo eventually ascended to captain of the side, making 423 appearances in all competitions and scoring 8 goals.  He also earned the nickname: "The Mayor of Hannover."  At his press conference, Cherundolo confirmed that he will remain Europe as an assistant coach for Hannover's U-23 team.

Personally I would like to congratulate him on a fantastic career for club and country.  He was certainly a great player and person to represent our country and even wear the armband.  It's unfortunate that he ended up missing a couple of big international tournaments due to injury.  Though I never really got to see him in action for Hannover, I always enjoyed watching him play for the national side.  Thank you, "Dolo" for all you have given to US Soccer and to the beautiful game as a whole, and good luck in your future endeavors.

So What Do We Think of the New NYCFC Crests?

These are the final two choices for the NYCFC crest. (nycfc.com)

So early this week NYCFC (NY2) jumped on the beginning of the season hype machine for MLS by announcing the final two choices for it's crest, err badge.  They use "badge," but I prefer "crest" so I'm going with that.  It's actually a pretty smart move for the franchise, one year out from actually hitting the pitch.  It continues building their fanbase by letting fans vote for which crest they prefer on the official club website and gets the rest of us talking about them as part of the league throughout the 2014 campaign.  

Now that they have their first coach, *COUGH--HACK--WHEEZE.* Sorry about that.  Anyway, now that they have their first coach, there will be more steps toward formulating the club's identity and building their support.  You'll have the first signings, the first DP signings, the signing of a sponsor, the first money drop from Manchester City (I kid, kind of), the stadium announcement, the first kit, the first supporter group, the second supporter group, the first cranky disagreement between supporter groups, then finally the first game, the first goal, oh and the first chance to bitch about MLS referees.  Welcome, NYCFC!

Actually I like the crests.  Now, I had seen some others during their design contest that I liked better, but I think these are two solid choices.  I think I like the circular one a little better.  The shield looks just a little too elaborate for my taste, then there's that hint of Mets orange that, as a Braves fan, I think is rather meh.  Honestly, I don't think the club can go wrong with either one though.

In previous entries I've been quite critical of Major League Soccer's choice to put a second team in the NYC area.  But hey, now it's happened, so I'm gonna get behind what the league thought was a good move, even if I disagree.  I'm still not thrilled with the Man City aspect either, but again, it's out of my control.  I do think a healthy derby between Red Bulls and City could be a great thing for MLS, even if it might take it awhile to develop.

There are going to be those who hate it for other reasons as well.  You've got the "I hate whatever MLS does" faction of folks who feel that this sucks just because it's affiliated with MLS.  You also have the history buffs who thought that MLS should have brought the Cosmos back into division one.  NYCFC is always going to be an abomination to these guys with their reanimated zombie version of the Cosmos sitting in NASL while this Man City farm squad plays in the US top flight.  Nobody is ever going to win over either of these two groups of people.

But, if you're an MLS fan like I am, I urge you to get behind this effort at least a little bit, even though it might be a particular issue for my fellow RSL fans.  NYCFC is going to bring more talent into MLS, and we know that Jason Kreis is going to play the right kind of soccer with that talent, well, either that or he'll end up being the David Moyes of MLS.  We shall see.  Besides, away days in NYC?  I'm thinking that might be a pretty good time, don't you?

Eusebio: The Passing of a Legend

Portugal legend Eusebio passed away Sunday at the age of 71 (Yahoo Sports)

I admit to feeling old a lot of the time, but there are times when I feel too young as well, particularly when it comes to being a soccer fan.  I say that because I never got to see so many of the legends of the game live, even on TV.  This is a particularly sad case with legendary Portuguese attacker Eusebio, who played in his final games for the New Jersey Americans of the old ASL the year after I was born.

It's fitting that as I return to the blog to start 2014 that I pay tribute to this legend.  But what do I say?  I've never seen him play except on video clips.  I could rehash and summarize the feelings of a million news stories and blogs from around the internet, but you've all read those if you care to.  

I want to use the occasion of the passing of this great man as a reason to reflect on the heritage that the game of football, or soccer if you prefer, leaves us.  Many sports have a long history.  In the United States the history of baseball stretches back into the late 1800s.  Ice Hockey has a distinguished lineage in Canada and the USA as well.  However, in my opinion few sports leave us the rich international heritage that soccer gives us.  It's easy for American boys like myself to think back on the legends of baseball from the same time period that Eusebio played football.  I think Hank Aaron or Willie Mays.   However, much of the rest of the world thinks back to players like Eusebio, players of the world's game.  Players who helped define what that game is to us today.  When you consider the worldwide reach of soccer and it's history, you realize the scope of it's power and that the greats like Eusebio will forever live on in the minds of a great many fans from all over the world, not just in the streets of Portugal or Mozambique.

As I've read about him, I've learned that he only stood 5'9, weighing in at a mere 160 during his career. Seeing pictures of him next to CR7 reinforces this fact.  Still, he was a hugely gifted forward.  He has been named as one of the top 10 players of all time and was known for deflecting credit from himself and being a truly humble human being.  The New York Times said he "represented the best of soccer and of Portugal."

So as we enter this world cup year, take a few moments and read about this legend of the game.  Find some video clips if you can.  My guess is that during Brazil 2014, there will be more than a few reflections back to 1966, when Eusebio stole the stage from England for just a little while.

For more reading on Eusebio, hit up the NY Times Obit or Jerry Trecker's piece on FoxSoccer.com.

Eusebio's casket at midfield of Luz Stadium in Lisbon (BBC)

Eusebio statue covered in scarves outside Luz Stadium (Yahoo)

AVB Sacked.......Again.

Another London club has proved too much for AVB. (telegraph.co.uk)

It's tempting to just write up a generic "AVB got sacked" entry and just cut and paste in the details.  Ok, I'm kidding, actually I'm not really.  Spurs have finally had enough of the AVB fad, sacking him just one day after Spurs were humiliated by Liverpool 0-5 at White Hart Lane.  Couple that with a 6-0 beating by City a few weeks ago, and it spelled the end for a man who has now been canned by two big London clubs.

Honestly though, I think AVB was a better fit for Spurs than he was at Chelsea.  I also thought he seemed to have learned from his time at the Bridge as well.  Let's not forget that Spurs had a pretty solid season under him last year, and seemed to be rounding more into form in the Premier League this year as well, at least until the Liverpool thrashing.  Spurs had also won their Europa League group.

Now it seems rather odd that a Chelsea supporter would be coming to the defense of AVB at all, but this just seems like a reactionary move from Spurs.  It's been an odd season in the EPL, just look at the table.  Sure, Spurs are 7th, but they're ahead of Man United.  Also, let's not forget that this team lost Gareth Bale, who is a pretty good player or something.  Villas-Boas and Spurs ownership turned that money right around and invested it in bringing in some pretty nice talent, but they don't seem to have quite gelled all the way.  The question that Spurs fans have to be thinking this morning is: did they have enough time to gel completely?

The other question I have as far as the situation goes is, "Who are you going to get for an upgrade at this point in the season?"  Sky Sports names Russia boss Fabio Capello as the favorite, though if I'm a Spurs fan I'm not sure I'd be all that excited about that either.  USA head man Jurgen Klinsmann has been mentioned, but as he has just signed a new contract, it's unlikely that he'll be seriously in the running.  Klinsmann was a striker for Spurs back in his playing days.

It's pretty rough for AVB though.  Even Harry Redknapp, who knows a thing or two about being sacked by Spurs, had said that he thinks that Villas-Boas should have gotten more time.  In the end, I guess somebody's head had to roll after the Liverpool match, but I wonder if more change for Spurs is really the best thing for them at this time.

Jason Kreis and RSL: The Roads Diverge.

It's the end of an era at Rio Tinto Stadium

Late this summer a frightening specter emerged for RSL fans to think about.  Rumors began to circulate that head coach Jason Kreis, the face of the franchise, was considering a move to expansion franchise New York City FC as their first head coach.  It caused a considerable ruckus to say the least, leading into the US Open Cup Final and a big regular season clash with the Seattle Sounders, both of which RSL lost.  Gradually things calmed down though, and RSL rebounded with a tremendous run through the MLS playoffs falling just short to Sporting Kansas City in the MLS Cup final last weekend.

However, once that match was over, the eyes of everyone affiliated with RSL and many affiliated with MLS turned to Kreis to see what choice he would make regarding his future.  Last night, coach Kreis had the team up to his house and broke the news: he's taking the job at NYCFC.

Now one can't fault RSL fans for feeling like they've been kicked in the teeth while they were down.  The jubilation of beating Portland in the Western Conference final gave way to huge disappointment with the cup loss, and to deal with this three days later is kind of hard to swallow.  My own immediate reaction last night was severe disappointment, as I had hoped Kreis would stay.  To me, there was a sense of unfinished business this year after 2 Cup final losses.  However, after sleeping it on it, I've come to a different perspective.

First off, Jason Kreis owes this club and it's fans absolutely NOTHING.  I'm not sure that anyone in MLS could have built RSL from what it was into what it is in as short an amount of time as Coach Kreis.  We've gone to from doormat to champions and perennial contenders.  This last year, after jettisoning several key players, Coach Kreis lead this team to an MLS Cup final in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.  Kreis has more than earned his wage and our respect in Salt Lake City.

Second, this is a HUGE chance for Jason Kreis.  Not only will Jason be moving into a huge role with a ton of cash to play with to face his latest challenge, but he's going to be a first hand witness to big time European Club football.  According to the NYCFC website, Coach Kreis will travel to England to work directly with Manchester City staff including manager Manuel Pellegrini.  He'll also get to work with Director of Football Txiki Bergiristain, who won the Champions League with Barcelona.  For a man who wants to continue to progress as a head coach in football, whether in the USA or abroad, this is a chance that cannot be passed up.

Finally, this was obviously not easy for Coach Kreis.  I encourage everyone, RSL fan or not, to listen to his interview with ESPN 700's Bill Riley. It's heartbreaking in spots, and gut-wrenching for RSL fans.  In the interview, Kreis speaks of the agony of making the choice, knowing he would have to make up his mind soon as the playoffs wore on.  He also said that telling the team was the hardest message he's ever had to deliver.   Listen to the interview for more perspective on this.  It's fantastic.

Are there potentially pitfalls here for both Kreis and RSL?  Absolutely.  The club has stated their intention to hire someone who will continue with Kreis's system, or as he put it: the RSL ethos.  However, if next season does not go well, one can quickly see the questions and finger-pointing beginning immediately.  If it goes south quickly, we'll have one unhappy fanbase.  For Kreis, he'll go right into the pressure cooker.  NY is an entirely different sports culture than Salt Lake.  Granted, it's not the Yankees or the Giants, so the spotlight won't be quite as white hot, but MLS, Man City, and the Yankees have invested a lot of time and cash into this enterprise, and results will be expected quickly.  Also, when you think of both New York and Manchester City, "The team is the star" is hardly the first thing to come to mind.

The path ahead for both RSL and Kreis is risky, but nothing worth having is usually easy.  For now, I hope other RSL fans will join me in expressing their gratitude for Coach Kreis and pondering the legacy he has left here.  Soon enough, a new frontier awaits the club and the man, and when that time arrives, fortune will indeed favor the bold.

The MLS Coaching Carousel is in Full Swing

Frank Klopas is one of the MLS coaches now looking for a new position.

It's a certainty, kind of like death and taxes.  Every year in sports, across the USA especially, the end of the regular season sounds a death knell for the jobs of a few coaches who didn't quite meet expectations.  This coaching carousel is already at full speed in Major League Soccer, before the playoff schedule is even finished.

The first domino to fall was in Vancouver, where Whitecaps manager Martin Rennie is now moving on.  His contract was up at the end of the 2013 season, and the 'Caps decided against renewing him.  This actually surprised me a little bit.  Vancouver had five more points than they finished with last year when they made the playoffs.  They also captured the Cascadia Cup.  I really thought they would give him another one year deal at least, but as it turns out, the playoffs really did seem to be the bottom line.  It was another year when the 'Caps just couldn't quite hold it together down the stretch, including a horrible loss to RSL's "reserve squad" on their own pitch at BC Place.

Failing to make the playoffs cost at least one Eastern Conference manager his job as well.  Yesterday the Chicago Fire announced that they were parting ways with head man Frank Klopas.  Well, if you read the pressers, Klopas "stepped down."  Whatever helps you sleep at night I guess.  This one does not surprise me at all.  The only reason the Fire were anywhere near the playoff spots was because of Mike Magee.  One might argue that the Fire and Klopas failed to really bring in enough of a supporting cast to supplement Magic Mike, and that cost them the playoffs.  Still, when Klopas took over the Fire were an absolute wreck, and he did take them to the playoffs last year.  I think he had a pretty good run, and it will be interesting to see who the Fire pick to replace him.

However, the end of the season wasn't bad news for all of the managers who were sitting outside the playoffs.  San Jose interim manager Mark Watson saw his position upgraded to a multi-year contract as manager.  He totally deserved it as well.  He brought the Quakes back from near the foot of the table to just missing out on the playoffs, as they finished tied with Colorado on 51 points.  The Rapids held the tiebreaker, however.  The Quakes recaptured the Goonie swagger under Watson and finished the season on a 7 match unbeaten run.  Watson also steered them into the knockout rounds of the CONCACAF Champions League.

So there are the first comings and goings.  We'll see if a few more dominoes fall in the next few days and weeks.

Where Have You Gone Paulo Di Canio?

Celebrations like this were few at Di Canio's Sunderland (BBC Sports)

Breaking news from the world of the obvious.  After less than six months at the helm of Sunderland, lightning rod Paulo Di Canio has been dismissed.  Sunderland slumped out of the gate to just 1 point in it's opening five matches.  This is all in spite of Di Canio's summer renovations bringing 14 new players to the club including American international Jozy Altidore.

Di Canio has always had his critics at Sunderland, partly from his lack of coaching experience.  His big post prior to the Black Cats was managing lower league Swindon Town.  Couple this lack of experience with his previous fascist leanings and you get what was a very controversial appointment in the first place.  Di Canio has renounced these political persuasions, but it all ended up in a perfect storm that made sure that Di Canio could not overcome his poor start in the Barclay's Premier League.

Early money in the betting markets has dabbed former Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has Di Canio's successor, while LA Galaxy boss Bruce Arena has been named as a rumor mill possibility as well.  American fans will have a keen interest in the goings on at the Stadium of Light, as a new manager's style could help make or break Altidore's playing time going into next year's World Cup.  The move to Sunderland was always considered a risk for Jozy, and right now seems even more precarious in Di Canio's wake.

HBO Investigative Piece Focuses on Chivas USA Allegations

HBO's Real Sports focused on a lawsuit against Chivas USA (Getty Images)

Last night was not a good night in terms of publicity for Chivas USA and Major League Soccer.  HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" ran a 20 minute piece on a lawsuit filed by two former Chivas USA youth coaches, Teddy Chronopoulos and Dan Calichman, that alleges that they were dismissed from their positions because they weren't Mexican or of Mexican descent.

Both the lawsuit and the Real Sports segment focus on the time period since Jorge Vergara, who owns Liga Mx's Chivas de Guadalajara, bought the team.  According to the lawsuit, since that time, Chivas USA have undergone a systematic effort to eliminate personnel that weren't Mexican or of Mexican descent.  It's alleged that in his first address to the team and staff, Vergara spoke only in Spanish until he realized that not all of his staff spoke Spanish, he then commented, in English, that if you didn't speak Spanish, you should go work for the Galaxy.  Another gentleman commented that if you speak against Vergara, that you are speaking against Mexico and are regarded as a racist.

Soledad O'Brien also explored the effects of this on Chivas USA's academy, where Chronopoulos and Calichman coached.  A mother of a former Chivas youth player provided Real Sports with a questionaire that was given to kids and parents where the parents not only had to ethnically identify the child but the child's mother and father as well.  This was a little disturbing.

According to the lawsuit, Chronopoulos and Calichman filed a complaint with Chivas USA's Human Relations department and were then promptly dismissed from their positions.

Also interviewed was DC United's James Riley, who was traded away from Chivas USA.  Riley, who is half African-American and half Korean, alleges that he was traded from the club because he was not of Mexican descent.  Real Sports is following the stories of 17 different players who have been jettisoned from the club since Vergara took over that were not of Mexican descent.  They were largely, if not totally, replaced by Mexican personnel.  This includes former head coach Robin Fraser, who was replaced by El Chelis.  The parents of the youth player interviewed for the piece have moved their son to the LA Galaxy U-12 Academy, where he is now captain.

Real Sports requested an interview with Vergara, but the club denied this request, instead giving O'Brien 15 minutes with technical director Paco Palencia.  The interview ended abruptly when O'Brien's questions  became a little too pointed.

The piece was unquestionably ugly and very bad press for MLS.  Gumbel and O'Brien ventured the guess that Chivas USA see it as a marketing tool to the large Mexican population in LA, or that perhaps  it's all a cultural misunderstanding.  The problem is, that even if this is the case, being ignorant of employment laws regarding discrimination in the United States doesn't make you exempt from following them, and it certainly looks like these two men deserve their day in court, though it is understandable that MLS and Chivas USA are not going to comment given the ongoing lawsuit.  Alexi Lalas said on Twitter today that he asked Commissioner Garber about it, and Garber said that while the piece raises serious issues, he can't really comment because of the litigation.

Also, yes, most job applications in the United States require you to list your ethnicity, generally for affirmative action purposes, however in my opinion, requiring this info on children is a bit beyond the absurd.  Also, I think anyone would be a little suspicious of an employment application that asked you to validate the ethnic identity of your mother and father.

In the end, I'm just left wondering how Major League Soccer let it come to this.    Not to mention, did they not see this coming when they hooked up with Chivas de Guadalajara.  I get that in Mexico, Chivas is largely seen as a national symbol of Mexican pride and that these practices are considered to be perfectly legitimate, but this is not Mexico.  It is also unquestionable that if an MLS franchise ditched all their ethnic players and hired only white players and staff.......well it doesn't take much imagination to think of the PR scandal that would rightly follow.

Anyone who pays attention to, or closely follows MLS saw this coming.  None of it is news.  it became more obvious with every offseason move made by the Goats.  Didn't that send a red flag up with SOMEBODY at League Headquarters?  Perhaps they were too concerned about YSA and NY2 to notice what seems to be pretty blatant discrimination in one of their already existing franchises.

Personally, they could shutter Chivas USA tomorrow and I would be fine with it.  The franchise is a joke.  Despite touting the superiority of their Mexican based system, they remain in last place.  Their attendance is down even further, if that's possible.  Their constant ineptness, on the pitch and off, have made them the laughing stock of the league.  Meanwhile, Real Salt Lake, who came into the league at the same time, and in a much smaller market, have managed to win an MLS Cup and build a yearly contender featuring an extremely diverse roster.  Chivas USA is the poster child for how not to run an MLS side.

The league needs to deal with this.  I shudder to think of what a non MLS fan thought of that piece.  It makes soccer continue to look like a foreign game with backwards views and attitudes.  Nothing was mentioned of the other 18 MLS teams with hugely diverse rosters.  It was UGLY.  Meanwhile, El Chelis took to twitter to bash Grant Wahl, calling him "the KKK." He also asserted that gringos were the kings of racism and discrimination.  Yeah Chelis, you classless hack, that's going to help everything.  This coming from the guy who wouldn't shake the hands of Jason Kreis or RSL's staff after his team got pummeled.  

If I can touch on the political for just a moment, this race crap has to stop.  Its sad to think that we haven't moved past this stuff in 2013.  That goes for anyone who thinks that their race is superior to another.  I don't care if you're white, black, hispanic, asian, or anything else, if you view yourself as superior to another human because of your race, you are part of the problem.  If you view your race as superior to another race on the basis of the blood flowing through your veins, you are part of the problem.  At some point we have to move beyond this, though my hopes aren't high.  As author Michael Shaara states in the book "The Killer Angels:"

"There's many a man worse than me, and some better, but I don't believe that race or country matter a damn!"

We're all human and what unites us can be so much stronger than what divides us.  I wish we could see that.

Finally, on a personal note, I do feel for the Chivas USA supporters, those troopers who show up to every match.  They must know that this is not going to end well for their club, and they shouldn't be lumped in with Vergara and his numpties.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming weeks.

DC United On the Move, Add Luis Silva

Former TFC Superdraft pick Luis Silva is headed to DC United

It would be quite an understatement to say that DC United's season has been incredibly disappointing.  That just doesn't quite cut it.  United were a team that many, myself included, expected to be in the playoff hunt all season long.  Instead, this proud club finds itself sitting below even the lowly Chivas USA in dead last.

However DC seems to be wasting little time in trying to make the club better with transfer proceedings opening up.  This morning TFC's Luis Silva was conspicuously absent from training.  As it turns out, he had been traded to DC United for allocation money.  

I think it's a great move for United.  Silva is an outstanding talent who was my player of the year for TFC last year in my post season review.  He's young and still raw in many ways (think trying to kick Tony Beltran in the back of the knee), but he should really help DC improve.

Silva was not the only deal triggered by DC today either.  They sold Alain Rochat to Young Boys in Switzerland for what is rumored to be a 500 K dollar transfer fee.  Rochat had been recently acquired from the Vancouver Whitecaps, but wasn't happy about it.  He blasted the MLS (USA) system of trading players from club to club and it's not hard to imagine that he probably wanted out.

So the moves are coming for DC, but they need to make a few more.  We'll have to see what happens in the weeks ahead.  I think this is a positive start though.

Your Monday Transfer Papers: Forlan Denies TFC Move, Notable European Switches.

Could Diego Forlan soon be wearing red in MLS? (Guardian.co.uk)

I don't do transfer gossip here on the blog, and there's a reason for that: so much of it is total BS.  Generally I try to stay away from transfers altogether until a player is officially unveiled by his new club.  Last night, MLS social media exploded prior to the end of the weekend's matches with a report from The Globe and Mail that Uruguayan star Diego Forlan was set to join Toronto FC and could be on the pitch for the Reds this week against Sporting KC.

Not so fast, my friends.  Multiple sources, including the Toronto Star, have now confirmed that Forlan, his current club, and his agent have all denied that this was the case.  Forlan himself cited his remaining contract and his desire to stay in Brazil through the 2014 World Cup.  Indeed, a switch to TFC might severely hamper Forlan's usefulness to his national side.

What I personally find hilarious is the reaction to this denial by various MLS fans and outlets.  "Oh, they're just denying it because they want more money.  He's definitely coming, this happens all the time." It smacks of the same line that was put out about Frank Lampard, who was supposedly a done deal to come to the Galaxy.  Now, I'm not saying this isn't the case, maybe he does show up, but you know what else happens all the time?  Transfer gossip gets blown out of proportion by media outlets and ends up being total BS.  In fact, I'd say this probably happens a lot more than players issuing false denials.  Perosnally, I don't think Forlan does that much for TFC if he does show up, but we'll wait and see.  Don't put all your eggs in the red basket just yet.

That being said, a couple of notable moves have gone down today in Europe.  First off, Barcelona striker David Villa will moving to Atletico Madrid, where hopes are that he can replace the goals taken away by the recently departed Falcao.  Villa was always likely to be deemed excess by Barca since the arrival of Neymar, and Barca's website has confirmed that the deal is worth up to 5.1 million euros.

Another Champions League caliber attacker is on the move today on the continent.  German international Mario Gomez has left Bayern Munich to join Italian Serie A side Fiorentina.  Bayern confirmed the departure today, saying it was the "player's wish to go to Florence."  The deal is set to be worth about 16 million euros.  Personally I think it's a great move for Fiorentina.

RSL Warned, TFC Fined Over Saturday Incident.

There has been disciplinary fallout from the TFC vs RSL clash last weekend.

Many folks expected some fallout from the disciplinary committee following the confrontation between TFC and RSL late in the match last Saturday.  Tony Beltran and Doneil Henry were given red cards and Robbie Findley was given a yellow as RSL held on for the 0-1 win.

All the cards stand, as expected.  Tony Beltran will not serve his suspension until he returns from US International team duty for the Gold Cup.  Henry will serve his suspension this week against Montreal.  Toronto FC and head coach Ryan Nelsen were fined an undisclosed amount for violating the league's mass confrontation policy.  TFC had been warned about this previously.  RSL were given a warning over the incident, meaning they will be subject to a fine the next time they violate the policy.  TFC's Luis Silva was not sanctioned for trying to kick Tony Beltran in the back of the knee, which started the whole thing.

In other disciplinary news, San Jose's Shea Salinas was suspended for one game.  He was busted for elbowing Robbie Keane "above the shoulders" in the 5th minute of Saturday's Cali Clasico.  The red card (2nd yellow) to Victor Bernardez stands, so he will miss a game for that offense and another game for yellow card accumulation.

Three other coaches got hit by the league as well.  DC United's Ben Olsen was fined for public criticism of officials for his meltdown after DC's loss to Vancouver.  Apparently he was right, the league didn't want to listen to the coach in last place complain about officials.  Montreal Impact's Marco Schallibaum was fined and suspended for entering the field of play during the Impact's loss to Colorado on Saturday.  His assistant, Philippe Eullaffroy. was also fined and suspended for a game for entering the field of play and throwing the ball at a Rapids player.

Ancelotti Takes Over at Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti will be the new manager at Real Madrid.

It has finally been confirmed.  The eyebrow will coming to Madrid! I kid, I kid.  Real Madrid finally ended speculation as to their new manager today by announcing that Carlo Ancelotti will take over for the departed Jose Mourinho.  Real will make things official in it's royal box on Wednesday by formalizing the signing, then Ancelotti will have his first presser.

The Italian has been the front runner in media speculation ever since it was made known that Mourinho was out.  HoweverHe remained under contract with French Champions PSG, and it is not known at this point whether or not Madrid paid PSG to spring Ancelotti from his contract.  For their part, PSG have announced that former French International manager Laurent Blanc will take the helm for them next year.

Ancelotti's experience and record are second to very few, both in league play and in Europe.  He won the Champions League twice with AC Milan and won league titles with Milan, Chelsea, and PSG.  In 2010 he won the FA Cup/Premier League Double with the Blues.  He was also a winner of the Champions League with Milan as a player in 1989 and 1990.  He also played in the final with AS Roma in 1984.

Expectations will be high for Ancelotti.  Last year Madrid failed to capture either the Copa Del Rey or the La Liga title, and they once again came up short in their Champions League bid, which Mourinho had claimed was his priority.  Ancelotti will be immediately expect to rejoin the battle with Barca for the league title, oh and probably win the Champions League too. 

No pressure, Carlo!

Roberto Martinez Signs On at Everton

Former Wigan boss Roberto Martinez will be the new manager at Everton (telegraph.co.uk)

Next season's EPL coaching picture is starting to be come clearer now as Everton have named Roberto Martinez as manager to replace David Moyes, who left the club to take over at Manchester United.  It will mean a return to the Premier League for Martinez, whose Wigan side fell to relegation in the last weeks of the season despite winning the FA Cup.

Martinez, known for employing an attractive style at Wigan, has big plans for Everton.  At his presser today he said he wants to get the Toffees into the Champions League.  That's not going to be an easy task, with the top 4 or 5 clubs in England having more resources on hand.  Martinez did caution that it was going to be a process and wouldn't happen overnight.  That's probably a good thing, as David Moyes himself only managed to position the Toffees in Europe's elite competition once.

It should be an interesting ride for Everton supporters.  On the bright side, Martinez has been through the battles in the Premier League, and won a lot of them.  He kept a vastly underfunded Wigan side afloat for years, before finally falling this year.  He's proved that he can cut it in the domestic cups, and you know Everton would be thrilled to gain one of those trophies as well.

The questions will linger over the summer though.  Moyes was almost a security blanket for them.  They were almost certain of a top 6-7 finish every year, and have been on top of Merseyside rivals Liverpool the last couple of years.  Now they're changing things up a little bit to try and make that next step, which will be difficult financially.  Can Martinez hold on to what the Toffees already have as well position them for a climb higher?  Only time will tell, and the answers will start to come in August.

Mourinho Returns to Chelsea as Rafa Heads to Napoli--I'll Take It!

"The Special One" has returned to manage to Chelsea for a second time.

Today it became official, something that Chelsea fans have been waiting to hear confirmed for weeks--Jose Mourinho will return to Stamford Bridge to manage the Blues on a four year contract.  Financial terms were not disclosed, and Mourinho will be introduced at a Stamford Bridge news conference next Monday.

Mourinho first managed Chelsea from 2004-2007.  He had won the Champions League with Porto prior to that, and brought Chelsea their first league title in 50 years at the end of his first season.  During his tenure he won every available domestic honor: The Premier League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the Community Shield.  He left after 2007 failing to achieve the Champions League success that Roman Abramovich so craved.  From there he went to Inter Milan, where he won the Serie A and the Champions League, before starting his stint at Real Madrid.

Expectations will be high for Mourinho again at Chelsea.  The fact that the Blues won the Champions League in 2012 has not reduced Roman's desire, as Roberto Di Matteo found out the hard way.  Morale will be high, especially with the fans, who were never on board with the Benitez appointment.  Still, Mourinho has spoken fondly of Chelsea and it's fans, and for the moment anyway, it seems like a match made in heaven, again.

Former Blues "interim manager" Rafa Benitez has taken leave of the club to go manage Napoli in Serie A.  Napoli's previous boss, Walter Mazzarri, left the club to take over  Inter Milan, leading Napoli's owner to compare him to a "cheating spouse."  Rafa will have some big shoes to fill there, but the "Days of Our Lives" type coaching carousel will continue.

In the end, what do we make out of Rafa's stint at Chelsea?  Certainly it could have been worse, as he won the Europa League and secured Chelsea's place in next year's Champions League.  He also accomplished this under a TON of adversity.  Still, in my mind, that was pretty much the bare minimum.  With Chelsea's payroll and talent, they should expect to be in the Champion's League.  What irks me the most was the loss of the Club World Cup.  It might be a bit before we get another crack at that. 

In the end however, I wish Rafa well.  I still disagree with his appointment, but he helped bring the club European silverware, not an easy task, even if it was the Europa League.  When you consider how many fixtures Chelsea took part in this last season, he deserves some credit, in my humble opinion.

Now it's time to look toward the future, which I think will be bright for the Blues.  United will have a new look next year with Moyes, and City look to be going with a manager untried in the Premier League.  Depending on what happens with Bale, Tottenham could be right back in the mix, and Arsenal aren't going to go away.  Still, I think Chelsea and Mourinho are well positioned to compete with these guys. No doubt the Blues will make other moves during the summer window as well.

I, for one, can't wait!  Welcome back Jose Mourinho!

Changes Coming to Champions League Qualification

There's a fascinating piece on ESPNFC today about some rule changes to the UEFA Champions League process that will likely take place in the coming years.  Most of it is coming about as UEFA seeks to strengthen the Europa League by offering a new incentive to win it.

According to ESPN's Dale Johnson, on Friday UEFA will announce that the winners of the Europa League will qualify for the next season's Champion's League.  This comes as a result of the fact that many of the bigger UEFA countries don't seem to lake the Europa League seriously.  Michael Platini has openly criticized France's attitude, and as Johnson points out, Italy hasn't placed a Europa League finalist since 1999.  So the reasoning is, give these clubs the carrot on a stick of Champion's League qualification and they'll push harder to win the tournament.  Will it work?  I guess we'll find out.

UEFA is also considering allowing 5 teams from the same FA into the Champions League instead of the current max of four, currently awarded to England, Spain, and Germany.  Italy used to get four, but lost their fourth slot to Germany a couple of years ago as Germany's success in European competitions has soared.  Obviously a lot of the minnows will be pretty unhappy about this, and if it happens, it remains to be seen if they will add more teams or just rework the current allocation.

This leaves a lot of permutations to discuss about league positioning, who finishes in the top four or five versus who won what competition and such.  I'll refer the interested reader to Johnson's article as he does a great job discussing scenarios and various loopholes in UCL history.

Personally I would welcome the addition of the Europa League winner to the Champions League.  I'm very glad that Chelsea took the competition seriously this year.  Sometimes the promise of more hardware isn't quite enough for a big club to play for when they're chasing the huge payday of a Champion's League spot in the league table.  This could offer more roads for the clubs that might feel stuck in the middle.

The Champions League rules and qualification procedures run in a three year cycle, which means the first Europa League winner that would qualify for the Champions League would be whoever wins the 2015 Final in Warsaw.

MLS Clubs Learn US Open Cup Fate

The second round of the 2013 US Open Cup was played at sites around the country Tuesday night, which means that with those results in tow, the US based Major League Soccer clubs know who their third round opponents will be and where they will play.  It's a little different this year, as clubs won't be allowed to purchase the home game from their opponents.  That didn't work too well for RSL last year, as NASL side Minnesota sold their home game to the Claret and Cobalt, then proceed to stomp them at Rio Tinto stadium.  Here's a look at the MLS sides and their opponents with games to be played May 28 and May 29.  Home team listed first.

May 28, 2013:

• May 28: Richmond Kickers (USL PRO) vs. D.C. United (MLS), 7 pm ET
• May 28: Philadelphia Union (MLS) vs. Ocean City Nor'easters (PDL), 7:30 pm ET
• May 28: Orlando City SC (USL PRO) vs. Colorado Rapids (MLS), 7: 30 pm ET
• May 28: Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL) vs. FC Dallas (MLS), 7:30 pm ET
• May 28: Charleston Battery (USL PRO) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS), 7:30 pm ET
• May 28: Rochester Rhinos (USL PRO) vs. New England Revolution (MLS), 7:35 pm ET
• May 28: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) vs. Des Moines Menace (PDL), 8:30 pm ET
• May 28: Real Salt Lake (MLS) vs. Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL), 9:30 pm ET
• May 28: LA Blues (USL PRO) vs. Chivas USA (MLS), 10:30 pm ET

May 29, 2013:

• May 29: Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) vs. Chicago Fire (MLS), 7 pm ET
• May 29: Carolina RailHawks (NASL) vs. LA Galaxy (MLS), 7:15 pm ET
• May 29: Columbus Crew (MLS) vs. Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO), 7:30 pm ET
• May 29: New York Red Bulls (MLS) vs. Reading United AC (PDL), 7:30 pm ET
• May 29: Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) vs. Seattle Sounders (MLS), 7:30 pm ET
• May 29: Houston Dynamo (MLS) vs. FC Tucson (PDL), 8:30 pm ET
• May 29: Portland Timbers (MLS) vs. Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO), 10:30 pm ET

 Anybody spot any trendy upset picks?  It can be hard to come by good coverage of lower division soccer in the US, but don't count NASL sides out especially.  USL PRO sides and PDL sides have been known to pull an upset or two as well.  RSL vs the Atlanta Silverbacks will be a trendy pick I think, given RSL's stumbles in the tourney and Eric Wynalda's involvement with the Silverbacks.  I also suspect the Chicago Fire might have a tough time with the Charlotte Eagles, being at Charlotte.  The Richmond Kickers host DC United, and they usually do well in this tournament.  Pair that with DC's recent struggles and there is a recipe for a giant killing.

Check out the matches next week at your home stadium.  Most MLS sides try to make a streaming option available, but please go out and support your club in this historic tournament.  After all, a CCL place is on the line for the winner.

Tony Pulis Out at Stoke City

Manager Tony Pulis has left Stoke City (bbc.co.uk)

The EPL "silly season" is about to hit high gear now that the season is officially over.  Manchester City didn't wait for the season to be over to sack Roberto Mancini, and Stoke City's Tony Pulis is now the next man booted off of the managerial carousel.  The club announced on Monday that Pulis and Stoke were parting ways by mutual consent.

There's good and bad with Tony Pulis.  First off, he's never been relegated as a manager.  In his years at Stoke, he brought them up to the Premier League and kept them there for the last five.  Plus, you usually didn't see Stoke down fighting the relegation battles near the bottom three either, though it was close this year.  An away trip to Stoke was always a tough three points, even for the Premier League's big clubs.  A draw was considered fairly standard.

His club's style has been the sticking point.  Offensively, Stoke have been known to get their midfield to just lob balls over the top to their strikers, with little or no variation to this "direct approach."  Defensively, they've been hard nosed and relatively tough to score against, but their offensive approach yielded little in the way of goals, creating many draws.  Pulis only won 29% of his matches at Stoke.

Stoke have been a pretty solid mid-table bet, but they've shown little progress, either in moving up the table or changing their style of play to facilitate that move.  Of interest to American fans, Pulis brought two MLS men to Stoke: Houston's Geoff Cameron and Brek Shea of FC Dallas.  Cameron has gotten some time, enough to be in the US National Team mix.  Shea has had a tougher go of it, failing to crack the 18 most weekends.

No word yet on where Pulis will end up. It's hard to see him being considered for one of the bigger EPL openings, say Everton or City.  I could see him ending up in a Harry Redknapp type situation, where a club struggling in the bottom three in the middle of the season tries to bring him in to help them avoid relegation, we'll see.

There hasn't been much speculation as of yet about Stoke's vacancy.  The AP is suggesting Everton's Phil Neville, who is retiring, or Brighton's Gus Poyet.  Sky Sports has been focusing largely on former QPR boss Mark Hughes and Roberto Di Matteo, who guided Chelsea to UEFA Champion's League title as interim boss last season.

QPR Man Arrested, Suspected of Rape

QPR Striker Loic Remy has been arrested on suspicion of rape in London.

This is some more of that kind of off-the-pitch news that football fans, and really human beings in general hate to see, yet here it is.  QPR striker Loic Remy has been arrested in London and is being held on charges of rape according to reports from various sources including Sky Sports News. 

If these allegations are true, they'll turn out to be particularly heinous.  The alleged victim, 34, claims she visited Remy at his apartment in Fulham on May 6.  Remy, his cousin, and a friend were said to be present.  The woman claims that she was given a drink and then passed out, only to awaken hours later and find that she had been raped by all three men. 

Pretty horrendous allegations.

A spokesman for the London Metropolitan Police confirmed that three men aged 26, 23, and 22 were arrested in connection with the allegations at a Fulham residence and are still being detained at a West London Police Station.  Sapphire, the MPS unit in charge of sexual assualt cases is investigating the case.

For their part, QPR released a statement saying they were aware of the allegations concerning Remy, but would not comment at this time due to the active police investigation.  Remy is a French international who joined QPR in the last transfer window.  Despite his personal success, Rangers were not able to hold off relegation from the Premier League.  Several clubs were reportedly interested in obtaining his services.

What does one say about this kind of thing?  For one, you don't want to throw Remy to the wolves without a fair trial.  He's not automatically guilty because he's a pro footballer.  On the other hand, the allegations need to be taken seriously and investigated fully.  He shouldn't be able to dodge it just because he's a pro footballer either.  In the end, you just hope the truth comes out, and if he is guilty, he should face the maximum sentence and his career should be over.  We'll have to wait and see, but for sure it's one headache QPR didn't need.

Also check out the EPL Talk article about the incident here.