MLS Season Kicks Off Tonight

The 2010 MLS season is just hours away, and the league is stronger than ever. Player and owner negotiations dragged on for longer than anyone wanted, but no practice or games were missed, except by Frank Ljungberg. This season sees the the 16th team join the league, the Philadelphia Union. The importance of adding Philly to the league or any professional league can not be stated enough. Philly fans are miserable creatures, who sell out stadiums just to boo their own under performing team. Add to that the natural rivalries that exist with Boston & NY, and you will have a club that stirs passion for the game and the league.

The new Red Bull Arena is the crown jewel of American Soccer Stadiums, the location allows New Yorkers to take the path train to the matches, design is top notch and this modern stadium gives one of the world's great cities, a pitch to be proud of.

The league finally launched a redesigned website mlssoccer.com, hopefully to replace the the old and lame mlsnet.com. Portland and Vancouver, both some of the most passionate supporters in North America, will be added to the mix in 2011, and the MLS will only grow stronger.


Some great matches in this opening week of MLS action, set your tivo now. All times posted on dropping timber are pacific standard time.

Thursday, March 25

• Seattle flounders v Philadelphia Union - 6:30pm on ESPN2

Friday, March 26

• Chivas USA v Colorado Rapids - 7:30pm on Direct Kick

Saturday, March 27

• Columbus Crew v Toronto FC - 1pm on Direct Kick
• FC Dallas v Houston Dynamo - 1pm on Telefutura
• New York Red Bulls v Chicago Fire - 4pm on ESPN
• Kansas City Wizards v DC United - 5:30pm on Direct Kick
• San Jose Earthquakes v Real Salt Lake - 6pm on FSC
• LA Galaxy v New England Revolution - 8pm on FSC

MLS 2010 Kicks Off on Thursday

Every team in the league will see action this opening week, and any strike delay to the season would have had fans missing out on some great matches. The Philadelphia Union will play their first MLS match in seattle this Thursday, hopefully Portland native and first round draft pick Danny Mwanga can help the Union drop the flounders. The Crew travel to Toronto on Saturday, this rivalry has only intensified over the years and expect a hard fought battle. The Fire will play at the awesome Red Bull Arena (pictured above), the arena will see it's first MLS match and the game will be on ESPN. Oh yeah, since its the opening week of the 2010 season, that means we are just 52 weeks away from the Timbers MLS debut.

Thursday, March 25

• Seattle flounders v Philadelphia Union - 6:30pm on ESPN2

Friday, March 26

• Chivas USA v Colorado Rapids - 7:30pm on Direct Kick

Saturday, March 27

• Columbus Crew v Toronto FC - 1pm on Direct Kick
• FC Dallas v Houston Dynamo - 1pm on Telefutura
• New York Red Bulls v Chicago Fire - 4pm on ESPN
• Kansas City Wizards v DC United - 5:30pm on Direct Kick
• San Jose Earthquakes v Real Salt Lake - 6pm on FSC
• LA Galaxy v New England Revolution - 8pm on FSC

MLS Final Kick Season Preview

MLS Final Kick is a weekly show on ESPN covering all MLS action, and this episode is the 2010 season preview.

Toronto FC BMO Field and another stadium upgrade.

BMO Field, the home to MLS club Toronto FC is getting another upgrade, a gift for the new year. As reported earlier the Toronto City Council voted to remove turf field and replace it with natural grass. Well now it looks that the organzation will be investing 2 million bucks to add 1,249 seats before the 2010 season. In the 2009 MLS season Toronto averaged a near sell out of every game in a stadium that holds 20,500 people. They sold out of season tickets at 16,000 sold and an additional 1,249 seats will help alleviate some of the pressure. This is some of the MLS success that we are sure to see here in Ptown.

2009 MLS Attendance

2009 MLS Goal of the Year Nominees

You can vote for your favorite goal over at MLSnet.com, shittle is over represented so make sure to mark a goal for any other team.

Steve Cronin Stops the Columbus Crew

In a must win, in bad conditions Steve Cronin held the line in goal. It was his first game for DC United, who signed him on loan from the Timbers. He had a total of six saves against the defending champions and the league's best record Columbus Crew. Cronin only had a few days to get ready for this big match, but as you already know Cronin is a machine.

Here is what blog The DCenters had to say about him

Let me just start by saying that Steve Cronin impressed the hell out of me last night. He played confidently, and he did not hesitate to come off of his line or even out of the box. At one point last night, he ran almost to the corner flag to shield a Crew player off the ball until it ran out for a goal kick. He was completely alone in the corner, the goal mouth was empty and the wet conditions at RFK meant that if the ball had not rolled out, he would have been in a position needing to play the ball with his feet 1 v 1 against the attacking player. I wouldn't say that it was a nervous moment, because it worked out fine, but I mention it because it was the type of heads up, proactive goalkeeping that you don't see very often and with it, he made things a lot easier for himself. The score line shows him earning a 6 save shutout and he earned Man of the Match honors as a result of a text-message poll of fans there at RFK.

Check out the highlights below. At the 2 minute mark the Crew's keeper takes out his own defender. Whoops. The second video are some post game questions for Cronin, who is keeping his Ptown roots by not shaving.

Red Bull Arena Right Now

Check out the construction web cam at Red Bull Arena. The sod is being added now to the future home of the New York Red Bulls. The stadium will be ready for the 2010 MLS Season.

Miami FC Fans Look to Becks

Miami FC averaged the lowest attendance in 2009 with just around 1000 peeps deciding to show up. An end of the season plea to the fans that one player would shave his head for every 500 fans who showed up, only cost 1.5 Miami FC players their locks, because only 860 Floridians showed up. So what are such die hard fans to do when they need a boost for an MLS club, pray to the great messiah, David Beckham. It has been widely reported that Beckham is interested in ownership of a club, he at one point said "I have the right to own an MLS franchise, which I will action immediately after I have stopped playing." David's contract with the Galaxy will end in 2012, and that time his contract gives him an option to buy a MLS franchise.

We reported rumors a few months ago about Beckham being interested in Montreal, which has a huge loyal fan base that averaged around 12k a game this year, but could you see Beckham and the spice girl really living in cold Montreal? I think not, but the MLS is expanding the next few years, with the Union next year and Vancouver and Ptown in 2011. Beckham and Montreal in 2012 could be the perfect little fit just imagine the providence being renamed to QueBecks. This rumor of Beckham and Montreal has been refuted by the Beckham people and really is only tabloid bs.

British newspaper the Sunday Mirror and Miami FC blogs report that Miami has caught the eye of Beckham and that there is interest in bringing a new Team Beckham MLS outfit to South Florida. Hey the second time might be the charm right? A new stadium and a team that galvanizes the huge Latino population could be a success for the MLS and Miami. The city is one of the largest US cities without an MLS side and some of the strongest Latino roots. Sources say that Beckham is now looking for the right financial partners and sponsors to make this Miami bid a reality. Besides Posh Spice likes to get her tan on.