Soccer Mls

The 2006 World Cup is remembered as a tournament where key players fell well short of expectations. It should also be remembered for the play of Clint Dempsey and Jimmy Conrad, the two MLS players who arguably were the only members of that U.S. national team who could be proud of their performances in Germany.

Why is that relevant today? Because both Dempsey and Conrad likely cemented their roles on Bruce Arena's World Cup roster with their play at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Neither was a national team fixture before that tournament, but in helping the Americans to their third title, they established themselves as legitimate World Cup options. The U.S. team that takes the Qwest Stadium field tonight against Grenada in their Gold Cup opener will be composed of players with similar status -- on the outside looking in as the next World Cup approaches. History suggests that two or three of those athletes will play their way onto Bob Bradley's team for next summer.

This is a few days old, but if you're waiting on Sports Illustrated to be delivered to your doorstep, it's four days early. Either way, SI has excerpted Grant Wahl's latest book, The Beckham Experiment, and in addition to learning the standard fare -- the Hollywood elite welcomed Becks and Posh into its loving bosom -- we're also afforded a behind-the-curtain glimpse at how Beckham's arrival threw the entire L.A. Galaxy organization into upheaval.

Major League Soccer's marketers, often guilty of a bit of hyperbole, can't be accused of it this time over their 'Summer of Soccer' campaign. Between World Cup qualifying, the recently-completed Confederations Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Superliga, the start of the CONCACAF Champions League and visits by the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Chelsea and more, we're in danger of saturation.

The schedule serves to throw a bit of cold water on the argument that the sport isn't growing in this country, as does the U.S. national team's performance over the past week in South Africa. Before looking ahead, it's worth looking back at what we learned from the Yanks' roller coaster ride.

By all accounts, the United States' run at the 2006 World Cup was an unmitigated disaster. If there was a lone bright spot, it came in the second group-stage match against Italy, where a scrappy U.S. side hung on for a 1-1 draw in a red-card plagued match in Kaiserslautern.

Three years later, the two sides are at it again -- this time in the opening match of Group B play in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. Many of the participants from that match should see action on Monday, including the Azzurri's Danielle De Rossi, who famously elbowed U.S. forward Brian McBride, opening up a huge gash on the American's forehead.

McBride won't be in Pretoria, but maybe he can follow along in our live blog, which begins at 2:30 PM ET.

Juan Pablo Angel's relative lack of fame in this country says more about American soccer fans and media than it does about him.

The Colombian has done his part. The former River Plate and Aston Villa player is a consummate pro who conducts himself with grace both on (see video after the jump) and off the field, and he's done more than just score goals. He has made the New York Red Bulls relevant since signing in 2007, helping them reach an MLS Cup final for the first time while providing commitment, stability and some watchable soccer in the league's most important market. This is an almost superhuman accomplishment, considering the club's pathetic history.

CONCACAF has once again spared fans throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean the "drama" of a live draw and instead has released the finalized pairings for the second edition of its Champions League tournament. The confederation's website features a photo of a soap opera actress standing behind a bowl with some balls in it, implying there was some kind of randomness to the process, but you never really know with an organization that's always behaved as if it makes up the rules as it goes along.

Still, for a group that failed to organize a club championship as recently as 2001 -- astonishing when you think about it -- launching a reasonably coherent competition with relatively understandable qualifying criteria is quite an accomplishment. So, we'll give everyone the benefit of the doubt and look forward to a tournament that should help continue the development of professional soccer in the region and that awards the most hideous trophy in world sports. On to the "draw"....

For those that yearn for a bit of timeless authenticity in their football and fear that the only place to get it is in Europe or Latin America, you may have a few options closer to home this evening.

If you're near Chicago, head to the Toyota Park practice field to see the Fire's reserves take on Bavarian SC. Those near the nation's capital can watch Real Maryland play Virginia-based Aegean Hawks at Richard Montgomery High, while those suffering Sounders withdrawal can take in a game between the Portland Timbers and Kitsap Pumas at Bremerton Memorial High, an hour's ferry ride from the Emerald City.

Tonight, a 96-year tradition continues as the U.S. Open Cup's first round proper kicks off. It's a tradition worth celebrating.

He is the oldest player on the U.S. national team's latest World Cup qualifying roster and was its best in the Americans' first away match in the CONCACAF hexagonal, a come-from-behind 2-2 draw in Sal Salvador in which he set up the first goal and scored the second.

Unfortunately, Frankie Hejduk will not be continuing his renaissance tomorrow night in Costa Rica. The national team has confirmed that the 34-year-old defender will miss the match with a strained groin, forcing the Americans to do without valuable experience at a venue where they will need it so desperately.

Under most circumstances, an MLS investor's decision to take his money and go home might be cause for alarm. In D.C. United's case, it could open up some stadium options that previously may have been overlooked.

This morning, the club announced that Victor MacFarlane had sold his stake in United to partner Will Chang, with whom he purchased the team in January 2007 for a reported $33 million. Back then, the idea was to leverage the pair's considerable wealth and real estate experience and secure a much-needed new stadium for the money-losing franchise. That effort has been a spectacular failure so far.

The nine games played on the penultimate weekend of the Bundesliga season featured average crowds of more than 50,000. I was fortunate enough to attend the one with the largest (about 74,000), a draw between Hertha Berlin and Schalke 04 at the historic Olympiastadion that ended the capital club's quest for its first championship in nearly 80 years.

The atmosphere was electric both inside and outside the stadium, the supporters colorful and loud. The scene at HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg last Wednesday, where I was among the 48,000 who saw Hamburger SV defeat VfL Bochum, 3-1, was similar. It was enjoyable, but it was hard not to feel a bit wistful at the same time, knowing that the game in the U.S. may never achieve that kind of prominence.