Soccer Fanhouse Exclusive

The U.S. national team's stirring comeback against Costa Rica last week will be remembered for Bornstein's header, Davies' tragedy, Bradley's hustle and Onyewu's injury. But it also should be remembered for the contribution of Columbus Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers, whose entry in the 69th minute changed the match.

Playing in his first World Cup qualifier, the nimble winger added an obvious spark to a team trailing by two goals. He hit the cross that led to Michael Bradley's 72nd-minute goal, came close twice to tying the game himself, then delivered the corner kick that Bornstein finished in stoppage time. A key member of this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup squad and a regular camp participant, Rogers certainly made his case for South Africa when presented with the opportunity.

This weekend, Rogers sat down with FanHouse and offered some interesting insight into a young player's path to the national team, his famous mentor, the Davies accident and the curfew culture that likely played a role.

The Columbus Crew tamed the Purple Monster on Wednesday night, adding yet another impressive chapter to the quiet but compelling claim that the humble side from Ohio is American soccer's best team.

"Honestly, flying under the radar hasn't been a bad thing. Whether people want to respect us or not, we're back at the top," veteran midfielder Brian Carroll told FanHouse. "Obviously playing in this market is a little different from a marketing and pressure standpoint, but the fans here are extremely passionate. They want the best from us, and we're trying to work hard to give that to them."

For the past year and a half they have, and it's time that supporters and media in the rest of the country take notice.

Mexican soccer icon Cuauhtemoc Blanco indicated that the new FIFA 10 cover featuring him wearing a red Chicago Fire jersey may not be obsolete by this winter after all.

Six months after telling the Chicago Tribune that he had decided to leave the Fire when his contract concluded at the end of this season, the mercurial forward said Tuesday that, "I'm happy to play in Chicago. The goal and the hope is that I'm renewed one more year with the Chicago Fire."

The team with 'Tradition' printed on the backs of their jerseys, the one whose marketing campaign for Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup final centered on a collection of trophies unsurpassed in this country, wound up being the side that appeared nervous and out of its depth. The visiting Seattle Sounders attacked D.C. United from the start with confidence and speed and were unlucky not to be ahead by two goals at the half. They sealed their first trophy when Fredy Montero scored in the 67th minute and D.C. goalie Josh Wicks lost his mind, jumped on the Colombian and was ejected.

Seattle's players, staff and ownership celebrated heartily afterward in RFK Stadium's visitors' locker room, spraying champagne and singing their traditional rendition of "Jingle Bells." FanHouse was there and spoke with former U.S. national team goalkeeper and Sounders captain Kasey Keller and minority owner and comedian Drew Carey about winning the Cup and what makes their club different from its competitors in Major League Soccer.

But then again, women's soccer didn't exactly thrive when launch conditions were ideal. With the U.S. national team and players like Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Julie Foudy at the height of their popularity following the 1999 Women's World Cup and 2000 Olympics, the Women's United Soccer Association nevertheless spent itself into oblivion after just three seasons, failing to attract either the large crowds it expected or consistent television viewership.

For the next four years, former Yahoo! executive (and Foudy's former Stanford teammate) Tonya Antonucci worked quietly but diligently to reestablish the women's pro game in the U.S. The result is Women's Professional Soccer, a modest, seven-team outfit whose playoffs begin Saturday outside Washington, D.C.. Antonucci recently chatted at length with Fanhouse about the ups and downs of the league's first season and its future. The conversation is after the jump:

For a little more than a half, D.C. United was on a level playing field with Real Madrid, whose rich tradition is surpassed only by its financial largesse. In the end, the depth and talent attracted by both (along with fresh legs in 95-degree heat) proved too much for the modest Major League Soccer outfit and the Spanish side triumphed, 3-0, in Sunday's friendly at FedEx Field.

United certainly can be proud of its effort. Its commitment and courage in possession and on the tackle far surpassed that of starstruck Toronto FC, which fell behind by three goals after a half hour in Friday's 5-1 loss. But D.C. is as tradition-rich as they come in MLS and has played these sorts of games before (Madrid in 2006, Chelsea, Boca Juniors, Vasco da Gama, Tottenham Hotspur, etc.).

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

They are the hottest soccer (aka futbol) team on the planet. They're FC Barcelona, which last season captured three titles, including the UEFA Champions League title, making them numero uno in Europe. These days Barcelona is in the middle of a three-city U.S. tour, visiting Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco this week. In this FanHouse video, we get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the team's workout, which is normally closed off to outsiders. Find out what's it like to be a teammate of Lionel Messi, what fans do to get a glimpse of their favorite stars and more.

Check out the video after the jump.

I half-jokingly asked D.C. United's veteran midfielder and sage Ben Olsen on Monday afternoon whether he had "Champions League fever." He said "yes", and that he was excited about the buzz created during a summer that so far has featured the U.S. national team's amazing run to the Confederations Cup final and a slew of high-profile exhibitions drawing massive crowds, and which will continue with Wednesday's All-Star Game against Everton.

No, I clarified. The CONCACAF Champions League. The official continental club tournament that United will kick off Tuesday night against El Salvador's L.A. Firpo; the one that offers a shot at international glory and a berth in the Club World Cup.

"I haven't caught that yet," Olsen said.

Where there once was adulation and optimism, now there is skepticism and annoyance. David Beckham is back, for a few months at least, and the mood is far different this time than it was on a sunny morning two years ago at the Home Depot Center when he was presented as the Los Angeles Galaxy's biggest star before an adoring throng of fans and journalists.

We knew about the injuries, the losses and then the quiet negotiations for a loan to AC Milan. But we didn't know about the debacle behind the scenes -- his management team's de facto takeover of the Galaxy, his aloof behavior, his feud with Landon Donovan, and more. Those details were revealed in Grant Wahl's explosive book, The Beckham Experiment, released this week just in time for Beckham's perhaps reluctant return to MLS action.

Beckham takes the Giants Stadium field Thursday against the New York Red Bulls, having claimed this week that "what you've seen is that I've been very dedicated to the Galaxy, dedicated to the fans." Readers of Wahl's book might beg to differ. Ahead of Beckham's return, Wahl spent a few minutes with FanHouse discussing his year-and-a-half covering the Galaxy, what he learned about Beckham and what the future might hold.