NY Coed Soccer

MLS Team Hold Open Try-Outs

It's not too late. Toronto FC, the new Major League Soccer franchise, is holding open tryouts for players who think they've got what it takes to go pro. "This is a great opportunity for players to make us aware of their skills and to try to earn a spot with Toronto FC," head coach Mo Johnston said in a release.

Tryouts are open to players 14 and over, and will be held Dec. 18-22 at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan. The tryouts are limited to the first 1,000 people who register online at www.torontofc.ca. Cost to register is $110 plus $5 handling fee, which includes a t-shirt and pair of tickets to a Toronto FC match.

The team joined the MLS on May 11, 2006 as its 13th team and first to play outside the U.S. Toronto FC will begin play next spring out of the new 20,000 seat BMO Field at Exhibition Place.

Meanwhile, a special silver ball made by Major League Soccer's official equipment sponsor, adidas, will be used on Sunday at MLS Cup 2006 (3:30 p.m. ET; ABC) as the New England Revolution face Houston Dynamo at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, for the league championship. The "+Teamgeist Winner MLS Ball" will then be used for the duration of the 2007 home season by the side that emerges victorious, serving as a symbolic reminder to visiting teams that they are facing the best in the league.

MLS Play-Offs On Television

ABC and ESPN2’s coverage of the 2006 Major League Soccer’s Season will continue with five MLS Cup Playoff matches – up from four in 2005 and the most MLS Cup Playoff matches on the combined networks since 2000. The season’s coverage will culminate with ABC’s live broadcast of the 2006 MLS Cup Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET, from the new Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

ESPN's coverage of the playoffs will kick-off with two matches on Sunday: ABC’s 1 p.m. broadcast of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series – New England Revolution at Chicago Fire – from Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, followed by the Western Conference Semifinal Series – Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA – at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 from the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Schedule:

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Sun. 10/22 1 p.m. New England Revolution at Chicago Fire ABC
Rob Stone, Eric Wynalda and Brandi Chastain

Sun. 10/22 4 p.m. Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA ESPN2
Glenn Davis, Marcelo Balboa and Alan Hopkins

Sun. 10/29 6 p.m. NY Red Bulls at DC United ESPN2
Stone, Wynalda and Chastain

Sun. 11/05 4 p.m. MLS Conference Finals – Teams TBD ESPN2
Dave O’Brien, Wynalda and Chastain

Sun. 11/13 3:30 p.m. 2006 MLS Cup ABC
O’Brien, Wynalda and Chastain
Stone will host coverage from Dallas’ Pizza Hut Park

Arena Returns to MLS

Former U.S. national-team coach Bruce Arena makes his official return to MLS tonight with the New York Red Bulls: at home against first-place D.C. United, the team he led to two MLS Cups in 1996 and '97.

And Arena hasn't arrive quietly either.

He isn't happy about the way U.S. Soccer handled his departure following the Americans' first-round exit at the World Cup. Among other things, Arena calls U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, the longtime friend who showed him the door, a "superfan" and a "micromanager"; and Arena criticizes the national training center in Carson, Calif., as "an amusement park"...:  Bruce Arena

NBA Star Trains With NY Red Bulls

"Amado Guevara recognized the newcomer in the Red Bull New York locker room almost immediately. The Honduran midfielder just didn't believe Steve Nash was really there. The Phoenix Suns guard, who grew up playing soccer, trained with the Major League Soccer team on Thursday morning:  Nash

US Soccer Round-Up

The MLS is about to cash in on the sport’s growing popularity with a series of television deals that will bring in upwards of $15 million annually:  Soccer Deal

A round-up of the weekend's MLS action, during which the NY Red Bulls tied once again :  MLS Round-Up

And the US Women's Team defeat Canada in a rough and tumble friendly :  US Women

Hooliganism Arrives in the US

Well, kind of. Rocks and plastic bottles were thrown, no arrests were made and someone received a chipped tooth, perforated upper lip and the lower lip required stitching - this guy is going to look real good in his wedding photos, which takes place this weekend.

The violence 'erupted' during the Chivas USA-Club America exhibition game in Carson:  Come & Have A Go If You Think You're Hard Enough

Arena Announced As NY Red Bulls Boss

Former U.S. manager Bruce Arena has been named as head coach of the New York Red Bulls. The 54-year-old Arena will also serve as the Red Bulls' sporting director, overseeing the team's soccer operations, including the first team, reserve and academy teams and youth development.

Arena's first game in charge will be Aug. 12 when the Red Bulls face Champions League winners Barcelona in a friendly at Giants Stadium.

So, despite confidently predicting that offers would come in from Europe, Bruce Arena finds himself at one of the MLS' least successful teams. The US performance in Germany has knocked his reputation. It wasn't so much the failure to qualify for the second round, from an admittedly tough group, it was the performance and tactics deployed. Many critics had also suggested that the American side simply looked ill-prepared for the month-long tournament.

With European teams seemingly reluctant to take a chance on US players, we would imagine it will quite some time before an American is appointed in a mangerial role...

MLS Name First XI

The MLS has named its 'All-Stars' who will take on English Champions Chelsea on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.

“We are excited to announce the All-Star First XI and give MLS fans a glimpse of who will be facing one of the strongest soccer teams in the world, Chelsea,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “The game will be competitive, it will be intriguing and exciting for the fans and we’re confident it will showcase the talent in our League.”

* Goalkeeper: Troy Perkins (D.C. United)
* Defenders: Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake)
* Midfielders: Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Christian Gomez (D.C. United), Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution)
* Forwards: Ante Razov (Chivas USA), Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)

The First XI was determined by votes from online fan balloting (25 percent of total), media (25%), players (25%), and MLS coaches and GMs (25%).

The game will be televised live on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Boogie Nights

How a goalkeeper, a soft porn photoshoot and the owners of a film studio contributed to the New York Cosmos rapid rise::  Cosmos

The Future of New York Red Bulls

Less than two weeks ago, Marc De Grandpre was announced as the New York Red Bulls Managing Director. Here he discusses his vision for the club, the stadium in Harrison, and the club's target audience:  Red Bulls