Major League Soccer

"The New York metropolitan area, already packed with professional sports teams, will soon get another: a Major League Soccer team owned by Manchester City of the English Premier League and the Yankees. The team, to be known as the New York City Football Club, will be the 20th Major League Soccer club and expects to begin competing in 2015, assuming it can find a stadium to play in. The announcement on Tuesday by Major League Soccer confirmed speculation that Manchester City would spend about $100 million to buy the expansion team. The English team, which is owned by an investment group led by a member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, will be the latest foreign owner of a team in the New York metropolitan area. It will join hands with the Yankees, one of the wealthiest and best known teams in American sports." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

See, this is what I get for spacing out on NASL this year. I'm hoping, tenuously, that some of the measures they've taken for league parity help balance out the billionaire push. That said, I know my own team benefits from deep pockets -- they're just domestic, and seem to be interested in more than just extending another brand. - Jennifer Dittrich

this is so awesome. - Bren from Bookmarklet

"Major League Soccer on Tuesday announced discipline for San Jose Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has suspended Gordon for three games and fined him an undisclosed amount for using unacceptable and offensive language towards an opponent in the 60th minute of the game against the Portland Timbers on April 14. Commissioner Garber also mandated that Gordon attend diversity and sensitivity training. This is in addition to the training that all MLS clubs attend at the beginning of each season. Gordon also received a red card for his second caution for separate fouls during the game and such an ejection carries an automatic one-game suspension and fine. Gordon will serve a total suspension of four games: April 21 against Portland, April 27 at Chivas USA, May 4 against Montreal Impact and May 8 against Toronto FC." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

"A Portland Timbers fan said he was attacked in his car by a group of San Jose Earthquakes fans before the Sunday night match at Jeld-Wen field. James Decker, 40, of Lake Oswego, told police he was in his car at West Burnside and 6th about 5:30 p.m. when he raised his Timbers Army scarf toward a group of San Jose fans. A women then reached through his car window, yelling at him and trying to grab his scarf. About a dozen men then ran towards the car. Some jumped on the hood, one punched him through the driver window and a second opened a passenger door and punched him. Decker was not seriously hurt. The confrontation came into 9-1-1 as 60 or 70 soccer fans jumping on cars. The men involved wore San Jose scarves over their faces. The woman was described as Hispanic, about 5 foot 6 with a heavy build, wearing a blue Earthquakes sweatshirt and dark pants. Decker and officers searched the area but could not find any suspects. Several witnesses corroborated the attack." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Good grief. - Jennifer Dittrich

"There was a surprise, and not a good one, in Sounders FC’s weekly notes package. Goalkeeper Michael Gspurning actually picked up a yellow card for delaying the game in the 86th of the second leg in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal win against Mexico’s Tigres UANL. The caution wasn’t listed in the postgame stat sheet, and I missed it watching in live action. That gives Gspurning two yellow cards in the tournament — he got one in a Sept. 19 group-stage game against CD Marathon of Honduras — and, thus, a one-game suspension." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Shitsnacks. Really, really glad our backup keeper is Marcus Hahnemann right about now. - Jennifer Dittrich

I was surprised that they were carrying the RSL feed for today, since DC is the home team, but they did a pretty good job. I think the only spots you'd really notice which team they were calling for was the lack of speculation about Mansally's head-butt, which probably they're not supposed to mention. They did say his card was deserved, as well as Beckerman's. - Jennifer Dittrich

Looks like Mansally ended up with an extra game suspension, and an undisclosed fine for the head-butt that the RSL guys didn't comment on. Sporting Kansas City, as a team, also got fined for crowding the referee in their loss to Toronto. - Jennifer Dittrich

"It’s a good thing history doesn’t care much about style points. The Seattle Sounders became the first MLS team to eliminate a Mexican opponent in CONCACAF Champions League play since the tournament took its current format in 2008, scoring three second-half goals and beating Tigres UANL 3-1 on Tuesday to book their trip to the semifinals. Seattle netted on a pair of stunning strikes from DeAndre Yedlin (watch here) and Djimi Traoré (watch here) before getting the winner from Eddie Johnson, and how they managed it was almost as stunning as the goals themselves. Facing a squad that can only charitably be called reserves, the Sounders surrendered the first goal before storming back to win the aggregate-goal series. They were given a huge assist when Manuel Viniegra was shown a second yellow card just before halftime, but that seemed a mere detail at the time with Seattle still needing three goals to advance." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

My dad actually came over, drove me to their house, and then back so I could watch the game with him. It was a hell of a game; I bet Viniegra is kicking himself right now given that he basically showed himself off the field for disrespecting the referee. - Jennifer Dittrich

"Martins' current club, La Liga side Levante, announced that the stiker had been released from his contract. Levante will reportedly received $3.9 million ($3 million euros) in the deal, according to reports out of Spain. The move to make Martins a free agent is expected to pave the way for him to complete his long-rumored move to Seattle as a Designated Player." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Not a huge number, but he's got 7 for Levante so far this year, out of 21 games. I'd take that. I also get the feeling that his style would mesh well with the folks we have playing up top, and might free up some space for other players. - Jennifer Dittrich

I really do hate a couple of the Portland songs, though. I've taken to muting the play when they get to the really droning one. Most are OK, but that one... ugh. - Jennifer Dittrich

I am so picky ;) - Jennifer Dittrich

"It took a minute to come up with the notion. But over two years to craft the concept, design and evolution of the Philadelphia Union brand. Mike Walker, product manager for adidas, whose contracts specifically focus on Major League Soccer, was charged with the task of coming up with the Union’s latest kit. Walker wanted it to be something unique to represent one distinct element: the hardworking rough and tumble spirit of Philadelphia and its people. Through an immense amount of research, planning and attention to detail, Walker and his design team came up with creating a kit behind the success of the Bethlehem Steel, a city like Philadelphia exemplified that hard working spirit – and as a result celebrated an immense amount of success in its 20-year heyday." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

That's an interesting fact about the Sounders and female fans. I assumed most teams sold fewer of them, but no idea the numbers were so low in general - Soup in a TARDIS

"The Obafemi Martins-transfer saga looks like it will drag on for at least a few more days, as the latest reports suggest nothing will be finalized until Monday at the earliest. Nothing from the Seattle Sounders' end suggests they are preparing to walk away, but it does appear as though Levante is doing everything in their power to drag this out as long as they can. Wading through the various reports makes it tough to figure out exactly what is happening, but the Levante president appears to have told media that they have stepped away from the negotiations. Sounders Sporting Director Chris Henderson has also reportedly returned. That seems to suggest negotiations are almost entirely being done between the leagues and their lawyers." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

"Martins has an exit clause in his contract that is triggered if any team is willing to pay the roughly $4 million fee. The Sounders apparently offered that money to Levante, but the board turned it down. The team's president told reporters that they turned it down for "sporting" reasons, as they have no real way of replacing their leading scorer at this point in the season. The... more... - Jennifer Dittrich

Aw, shoot. I was hoping they'd be able to swing this before the weekend to get him into town for CCL play later. Looks like that's not going to happen. - Jennifer Dittrich

"Nigeria's Obafemi Martins is set to join Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders, the player has confirmed. The striker, 28, will leave Spanish side Levante, who he only joined in September. "We are on the verge of finalising everything and it should be another step in my career," Martins told BBC Sport. "I'm happy because Levante will benefit from this and it will also help the club financially." "What the American club [Seattle Sounders] has offered is a good deal for everyone involved. The contract papers that will see Martins move to the United States are expected to be signed by Saturday." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

I get the feeling he's either finding new form, or regaining some of that, based on recent play. I'm hoping that he'll partner really well with Eddie Johnson (their styles complement each other, from what I've seen.) - Jennifer Dittrich

"During MLS commissioner Don Garber‘s media event to help kick off the 2013 MLS season, he was asked about the ongoing Cascadia Cup trademark issue. In short, the league applied for the trademark rights to the “Cascadia Cup” without communicating with the fans. Supporters’ groups in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver in turn put together a Cascadia Cup Council to fight to keep those rights with the fans that started the Pacific Northwest competition before MLS even came to the region." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

“Let me start by saying what I said publicly, and I’ll say it to you and hopefully everybody that’s watching here: We didn’t go about this process right. We’re not perfect. We went and believed that the Cascadia Cup would be protected better if we were able to register that trademark, and we should’ve gone about it differently. “We should’ve called up those folks that were the... more... - Jennifer Dittrich

Hmm, we'll see. I'm predicting that if they don't end with the supporters groups holding control, they're going to guarantee a whole lot of bitterness in years to come. - Jennifer Dittrich

"The Obafemi Martins-to-Seattle Sounders rumor picked up a little bit of a steam today when Grant Wahl first reported that a team official had traveled to spain in an effort to secure the forward's signature. Sounder at Heart has independently confirmed that report, which suggests the Sounders are attempting to make this move happen before the close of the transfer window in April. While there's still a rather glaring gap between pursuing a player and actually signing them, this is the most clear indication that the Sounders are more willing than ever to spend significant money to sign a player like Martins. The Levante striker is in the midst of his best season in several years, having scored seven goals in 19 La Liga matches and adding two more in Europa League play." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

"Levante currently sits 10th in La Liga's table and is preparing for a Europa Round of 16 showdown with Rubin Kazan on March 7-14. Even if the Sounders can convince Martins to accept their offer, it's possible he could remain in Spain until after the quarterfinals. Martins previously played for Rubin Kazan, who let him leave on a free transfer to Levante. Still, that would give him... more... - Jennifer Dittrich

Looks like his signing fee would be roughly $4 million. http://www.sounderatheart.com/sounder... I guess they weren't kidding that they were willing to spend the money if they found someone they liked. - Jennifer Dittrich

"While in Houston preparing for the game against Honduras, the Cuban team went on a shopping spree at the local Walmart. Alonso stuffed a zip-up jacket and $700 in his backpack. He had been saving up the money in anticipation of his getaway. When his teammates and coaches were distracted in the electronics and clothing departments, Alonso, then 21, distanced from them and walked out the door. Looking over his shoulder, he walked briskly for 10 to 12 blocks, not knowing where he was going or what his future had in store. “I was very, very scared they were going to catch me,” said Alonso, who was in Miami last week to promote the upcoming Major League Soccer season, which begins in March. “But I just kept going. This was my one chance at freedom, and once I decided to do it, I wasn’t going to change my mind.”" - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

"He had no immediate plan. He had no phone. He didn’t speak English. Once he was far away from the store, he approached a Hispanic-looking man and asked if he spoke Spanish. Turns out the man was Mexican. Alonso asked if he could borrow his phone to make a call to Miami. He called his friend to tell him he had deserted the team. The friend told him to get on a bus to Miami. Alonso gave... more... - Jennifer Dittrich

I always wondered if his family knew what he had planned. I can't imagine how hard it would be to leave them behind like that, to go somewhere you don't speak the dominant language - only fueled by your belief that you have what it takes to make it big. And then to actually make it big. - Jennifer Dittrich

"There are a few titans in breaking MLS news. Ives Galarcep is one of those. So when he says Shalrie Jospeh is now a Seattle Sounders FC player after a deal with Chivas USA there is reason to believe this is true. Chivas USA have traded Joseph to the Sounders for a second-round pick in the 2014 MLS Draft, sources confirmed to SBI on Tuesday. It would seem that Sigi Schmid drove the price for the defensive mid in his previous statements about Joseph lacking fitness. Joseph had joined the Sounders on trial just the day prior to that statement. The key to this deal will be what Shalrie's cap hit is for Seattle and whether he is still a DP. With that low of a trade value rumored it is hard to guess. Joseph played as a central defender and defensive mid last year with both Chivas and New England. In 2011 he was used throughout the Revs' spine." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Looks like Eddie Johnson is already tweeting out welcome messages, so I'm assuming that's a done deal. I'm a bit surprised, given what they said about his fitness level. - Jennifer Dittrich

Yep, official... and he's a designated player. Looks like we netted the #3 allocation order as well: http://www.sounderatheart.com/sounder... Rumor has it we'll likely lose Tiffert, or that this might indicate we already have. - Jennifer Dittrich

"Mario Martinez has officially been named to Honduras' roster for their upcoming 2014 World Cup qualifier against the United States on Feb. 6. This is not a shocker, as Martinez has increasingly been a big part of Los Catrachos for at least a year, but it does serve as a reminder of the give-and-take involved with him. As we learned last year, Martinez is going to miss some time. It might even be a lot of time. He'll probably join the Seattle Sounders shortly after the qualifier, but he'll be leaving again soon enough. Honduras plays two more qualifiers on March 22 (vs. Mexico) and 26 (at Panama) and Martinez will surely be called into those as well. Best-case scenario, he'll only miss the Sounders' game on March 23, but it's possible that he might not be ready in time for their march on March 30, either." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

"Sounders FC traded for the 25-year-old midfielder and Federal Way native Sunday, sending an international roster slot to Montreal for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Seattle had traded Neagle and forward Mike Fucito to the Impact before the 2012 season for forward Eddie Johnson. "It's amazing to come home and rejoin the Sounders," Neagle said in a news release. "The fans have had so much support for me throughout my career and Sigi was the first coach to give me a chance. It'll be fun for me to connect back with the guys and get to work. I'm looking forward to having a strong season." Neagle, one of four players in Sounders' history with a hat trick, becomes the team's third addition this offseason, joining young signings in DeAndre Yedlin and Eriq Zavaleta. More moves are expected heading into the March 2 opener." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Oh, awesome! (Can we just get Fucito back now?) I can't argue that trading for the ability to get Johnson wasn't a good idea - it did pay off, but I felt like he and Fucito both ended up with teams that either didn't realize their potential, or couldn't act on it. Love to see a hometown kid come back. - Jennifer Dittrich

"Social media are atwitter with the possibility that this gallery of apparently leaked 2013 MLS kits is legitimate. It includes images for New York, Seattle, and Portland. MLS is trying to coordinate a single 2013 kit unveiling just before the season starts, but given the realities of a merchandising supply chain and information that wants to be free, that was always unlikely. Timbers fans got a sneak peek last week and now it looks like Sounders fans are getting theirs." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Right? I was thinking it looks a lot more like their more informal warm-up kits. - Jennifer Dittrich

"Interesting and potentially exciting news was announced by MLS on Wednesday afternoon. The league will enter into a multiyear partnership with USL PRO, in the third tier of American soccer, to enhance the development of players in this country. The deal will involve interleague play between USL PRO and MLS Reserve League teams and exclusive team affiliations (e.g. New England Revolution and the Rochester Rhinos)." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

From the release "Each club affiliation will be customized to meet the needs of the respective teams, but all will include at least four players on long-term loan from the MLS parent club to its USL PRO affiliate. Those MLS teams with formal USL PRO affiliates will not participate in the 2013 MLS Reserve League. Neither MLS nor USL PRO clubs are required to enter into an affiliation,... more... - Jennifer Dittrich

I'm really excited about this, and what it could mean for development within the country. There have been relationships between the lower level teams and MLS teams for some time, but the more formalized and stable they get, the more likely that prospective athletes will be able to see those teams as a pathway to the higher levels. The MLS teams will benefit from having good relationships with those teams, and can mature and draw on talent there. - Jennifer Dittrich

"Picking things up this week, league officials and leaders of the main supporters' groups in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, recently chatted on a conference call in hopes of working toward a solution. So how did it go? Here's a joint statement from the Emerald City Supporters, the Timbers Army and the Southsiders: The supporters groups in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver had a productive and respectful conference call with Major League Soccer's representatives that opened important dialogue. The supporters groups in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver look forward to working with MLS to resolve this issue. The Cascadia Cup Council continues to believe that it is well positioned to represent the interests of the Cascadia Cup trademark and the supporters who created it. Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer -- whose involvement with the Sounders also predates MLS, like the Cascadia Cup -- was asked about the topic on Monday. "I've tried to keep an ear to it and not get in the middle... more... - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

"Fredy Montero will spend 2013 with Millonarios, the Columbian league champions, on loan for the year from Seattle Sounders FC the team announced via press release Monday morning. A new twist to the long saga emerged as the team announced it reached a multi-year contract extension with Montero as well. Previous indications were that his contract was through 2014. "Fredy has been a fantastic player and pro for Sounders FC over our first four years," said Owner and General Manager Adrian Hanauer via the release. "We wish Fredy the best of success with Millonarios as he continues to develop as a player. We hope this move helps Fredy's chances of being called up to the Colombian National Team, as he has certainly earned it." Montero is already in preseason with his new team." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

"The fight over the Cascadia Cup trademark doesn't seem to be heading toward a peaceful end anytime soon. Commissioner Don Garber told reporters that the league still intends to go through with its trademark application, despite the fact that the Northwest supporters groups have banded together to file for it themselves. Speaking at the MLS SuperDraft, Garber also seemed to indicate that the league wants to control any potential commercialization of the trophy which was jointly created well before the Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps or Portland Timbers entered the league. Although Garber admitted the league has not "done a good enough job communicating with fans," he also stopped well short of backing down from any legal battle. He also acknowledged that the league has yet to actually meet with supporters." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

It looks like the association has already drafted a reply, which basically says, look - it's our cup. You tried to do this in secret, you got caught. Any statement other than "Our bad, it is yours." is going to be met with the appropriate level of derision. - Jennifer Dittrich

"Unfortunately, what specific TM rights regarding "Cascadia Cup" are owned by who is not so straightforward. Trademarks are a really messy piece of intellectual property in general because trademark rights attach in common law with use and consumer identification. These rights can shift over time and be vested and lost regardless of the actual registrations, federal or state. For example, the famous marks "Singer," "Xerox" and "Rollerblade" have constantly had to fight against losing their trademarks for becoming "generic" and simply descriptive of a device or action. Likewise, poor licensing and control can cause a trademark originally owned by one party to shift to another because the consumer in the channel of commerce for the mark identifies the licensor as the owner of the mark. So right now with the Cascadia Cup, this "shifting" could be a big problem. If one were to ask people in the US outside Cascadia what is the "Cascadia Cup" in soccer, chances are they would identify it... more... - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

I'm not a fan of the monetization, but don't mind it in certain respects (I mean, I'll say, I love our jersey sponsor.) This is where it crosses the line for me, because it did start with the fans, and it taints that enthusiasm. - Jennifer Dittrich

"Way back in 2012, about a month after Seattle Sounder Marc Burch apologized for using "a gay slur" in a televised match, the gay soccer club I play with received a request: Could Marc participate in our Sunday scrimmage? This is a large gay soccer club. So, of course, not every homo in it thought this was a great idea. Some wondered: Why should we do Marc's gay-washing for him? But the decision was made to invite Marc to play with us, and if you ask me it was the right decision. He wasn't coming to apologize (again). He wasn't bringing TV cameras. He didn't want to give us soccer tips, or tell us about his gay friends, or any of that. He just wanted to play. Which seemed right, at least to me. Actions, not words. Leave the rest in the past and work it out on the pitch." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

I love this because it /wasn't/ a media event. If it hadn't been covered in The Stanger, there's a good likelihood it would've gone completely unremarked... except by the people who participated in the match, and the people they know. It doesn't excuse or change what he did, but it does show that one moment of stupidity doesn't have to define who you are (and that taking your own initiative behind the scenes is sometimes a much better way.) - Jennifer Dittrich

"Whatever MLS's intentions may be in attempting to trademark "Cascadia Cup," the supporters groups who jointly own the physical trophy are not waiting to find out. They have banded together to form the Cascadia Cup Council and have already filed their own application for the trademark in the United States and plan to do so in Canada, Emerald City Supporters, Timbers Army and the Southsiders announced in a release on Thursday. "The Cascadia Cup Council also intends to formally oppose Major League Soccer’s attempt to register the trademark that the public recognizes as a fan-created competition that predates Major League Soccer in Vancouver, Portland or Seattle. "Not only does the Cascadia Cup Council believe they rightfully own the trademark to Cascadia Cup but they also are of the belief they are the appropriate entity to protect the mark from third parties that are unaffiliated with the supporters groups in the Pacific Northwest." Earlier in the day, MLS released promising to work with the teams and their supporters groups to come to a resolution." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Damn straight. - Jennifer Dittrich

Time to revive the CIM? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - ʎəlɹoɯ uəʞ

"MLS acknowledged that they have filed an application to trademark the term "Cascadia Cup," but said they were doing so in an effort to "protect the brand from exploitation by parties unaffiliated with the League and its supporters." Here's the statement in full: "With the interests of the MLS clubs in the Pacific Northwest and our fans in mind, Major League Soccer, applied for a trademark to the name ‘Cascadia Cup.’ "A registered trademark would put Major League Soccer in a position to protect the brand from exploitation by parties unaffiliated with the League and its supporters. However, we understand that some of our fans have concerns about how the trademark will be managed, and we are planning to meet soon with leaders of the three teams’ supporters groups to discuss the topic together." What MLS intends to do with the trademark, if they are even able to get it, obviously remains to be seen. The trophy is jointly owned and was started by Emerald City Supporters, Timbers Army and the Southsiders prior to any of those markets having teams in MLS." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

See? They don't know what they've conjured up! :D - Jennifer Dittrich

"The most recent report of out Colombia is that Fredy Montero is still a Seattle Sounders player, but will be loaned to Millonarios for 2013 with an option to buy. The report claims that Montero will join Millos on January 10th to train for the league season and the Copa Libertadores. Sounders FC have yet to make an official statement on the long rumored deal. That could be because it is far from done, or they are just waiting on simple paperwork at any of multiple levels. This deal as rumored is one of the more complex loans from an MLS team to another league. So the details when everything is public will be rather important. While Allocation Money earned from the deal will never be made public the question of if Allocation Money is earned is rather important. The one year loan makes it nearly certain that the Designated Player tag will be available for Adrian Hanauer to use to find a new player." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Still not fully confirmed, but looks all but done. If so, I'm wondering what they'll do with the open DP slot. - Jennifer Dittrich

"On the surface, the idea of losing Fredy Montero seems pretty close to intolerable for any green-blooded Seattle Sounders fan. Since arriving in 2009, he's been their most consistent offensive threat and one of the most talented players in MLS. His departure will surely leave a huge hole, at least in the short term and based on the players that are currently here. But it's also important to recognize that this will not be a move made in a vacuum. Even if the Sounders are unable to immediately replace Montero's Designated Player spot as long as this is a loan -- as I suspect -- this would be a move made with a bigger picture in mind. That bigger picture probably wouldn't entirely come into focus at least until midseason. Assuming the reports are accurate, the Sounders seem to be setting this up as a trial for a bigger and more lucrative move. It seems highly unlikely that Millionarios is going to ever be able to afford the $4.5 million transfer fee no matter how well Montero performs, he could become a lot more attractive to the kind of clubs that could." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

I feel the same way about this that I felt about the Fernandez trade mid last year. I think Freddy is a great player, but I also think he's constantly butting up against something keeping him from the next level (and that stymies us as well.) The rumored loan spell could be exactly what he needs to further his career, and opens up a huge number of options for the Sounders while he's gone. - Jennifer Dittrich

"As first revealed by The Original Winger, midfielder Osvaldo Alonso is currently training with West Ham United of the English Premier League. The Seattle Sounders confirmed that it's a one-week training session that was coordinated by the team and Alonso's agent. As of yet, there's no talk of this being a formal trial. That hasn't stopped hearts from racing, though. This is the second time in three years that Alonso has trained in England, with him doing something similar with Everton in 2010. The idea of him going overseas is hardly far-fetched. Alonso, as we well know, is the elite ball-winner in MLS. In addition to his tenacious style, he's also developed a decent passing game and a quality shot. Across all competitions, he scored five goals and had five assists and earned himself MLS Best XI honors this year." - Jennifer Dittrich from Bookmarklet

Bunch of speculation on this swirling around today. I would really, really, really hate to see him go.. but be thrilled for him if he gets the opportunity to shine at a higher level (and potentially make a lot more money.) - Jennifer Dittrich