Canadian defender Jakovic eyes successful 2011 campaign 23 Feb 2011 If his preseason is any indication, 2011 is going to be a busy year for Dejan Jakovic. The 25-year-old central defender had been in camp with D.C. United for a two-week stretch before receiving the call to join up with Canada for the Feb. 6 friendly over in Larissa, Greece. Jakovic went 90 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Greece, and the hectic travel schedule required him crossing half the globe and back as his club team continued MLS preparations in Florida. However, after a couple of days off, he jetted out to Oxnard, Calif. well rested, where he’ll spend this week continuing to prepare for the 2011 MLS season
How Akron became NCAA soccer’s talent factory 3 Feb 2011 It’s rare for Caleb Porter to take a break from his passion. The University of Akron head coach is a self-professed soccer junkie, constantly watching, reading about and developing tactics for the game so it was a strange thing for him to put everything aside for a month following his Zips’ 1-0 win over Louisville in the NCAA title match on Dec. 12. The championship was Akron’s first as a school. But given the stamp the 35-year-old Porter has put on the program in his five years in charge, it might not be the last.
Whitecaps, TFC take chances on longshots in Supplemental Draft 18 Jan 2011 he ‘Caps, as they did in the SuperDraft, held the first pick in the Supplemental Draft. With that pick, they grabbed New Zealander Michael Boxall from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Boxall had been expected to go in the SuperDraft but slipped badly in the eyes of the scouts during the combine.
Vancouver goes with Salgado as No. 1 SuperDraft pick; Lenarduzzi ‘hopeful’ teen will be cleared to play 13 Jan 2011 The Vancouver Whitecaps stuck to their guns. Omar Salgado, whose move to the club in August 2010 was scuttled after MLS discovered it would break international transfer rules, was grabbed with the No. 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore. But, unless Vancouver gets special clearance from FIFA, he won’t be eligible to play for the team until Sept. …
FC Edmonton to add some MLS experience 7 Jan 2011 FC Edmonton announced Thursday that it will partner with U.S. based marketing firm Playbook Marketing International (PMI) to develop customer-service strategies and spur season-ticket sales.
Re-Entry Draft, Round Deux: Proof that the owners won the CBA battle 15 Dec 2010 Eleven of the 32 players available, just more than a third, were selected in phase two of the MLS Re-Entry Draft Wednesday afternoon. If all of the 11 players chosen today come to terms, that means a grand total of 13 out-of-contract players were able to find work. Only two — and both were minor deals — were taken in the first round, where players are guaranteed to make in 2011 at least what they did in 2010. The other 11 will likely all go for less money than they did in 2010.
Failed MLS Re-Entry Draft leaves bad PR smell 8 Dec 2010 Two players. That’s the grand total of eligible out of-contract players who got new deals with new clubs during Wednesday’s first-ever MLS draft. And neither was what you would call a marquee name — striker Joseph Ngwenya was taken first overall by D.C. United — and defender Aaron Hohlbein, who spent time in second-division soccer last season with Miami FC, was taken by Columbus Crew. The star names, like Designated Player Juan Pablo Angel, were left untouched. Actually, pretty well everyone was left untouched through Stage 1 of the Re-Entry Draft, where teams are required to at least match what the players made last season.
How important is the MLS SuperDraft, anyways? 25 Nov 2010 Will more and more teams be willing to give away their draft picks? Are NCAA players becoming less and less relevant year after year? MLS now allows its member teams to bring in as many players from their academies as they want, allowing teams to bring in players when they are teens and skip the NCAA route altogether.
Whitecaps, Timbers stay away from high-priced players 24 Nov 2010 The shop window featured a heck of a lot of high-priced talent. The Vancouver Whitecaps weren’t buying.
Klinsmann’s romantic views mean little in real MLS terms 13 Nov 2010 Jürgen Klinsmann blew into Toronto this week to meet the local media. It was a super photo op for a Toronto FC club desperately needing some positive press. With a season-ticket holders’ revolt on their hands — and another season of broken promises of playoff success in the books, the Reds need the German soccer legend more than he or …