Yes, it’s been a while since I last posted on here. My life has taken a few unexpected turns which has led me to move halfway cross the country and away from LA. But if you’re reading this, I doubt you care about me so I’ll just promise now that the new MLS season has started to be more vigilant with my posts.

So, here are a few recent observations of mine:

• The whole Landon Donovan to LA deal seems a bit strange any way you look at it. The AEG spin machine seems to have been working over time trying to legitimize this move. Not sure how it’s going to play long term. However, signing Donovan to a 10-year deal (at least that’s what I’ve heard it is) looks pretty good as Carlos Ruiz was in the final year of his contract. Still smells a bit like the deal that brought Luis Hernandez to LA.


• Speaking of Ruiz, the Dallas front line is going to be dangerous this season. I caught pieces of the Dallas-Chicago game on Saturday (thanks to free Direct Kick and a dreadful Galaxy performance causing me to flip channels) and was impressed at how well both Ruiz and Eddie Johnson were working together. I’m actually looking forward to seeing what the Colorado Back-line will be able to do against them.


• Chivas USA only managed 18,000 and change? The excuses are many and I don’t buy them. The fact is, MLS lives and dies by season ticket sales and The Goats just haven’t done well in that department. With the prices charged at the HDC for tickets, they aren’t going to be able to depend on walk up crowds every week. Only time will prove me wrong on this one.


• Real Salt Lake started the season well in my opinion. Yeah, the match in New Jersey wasn’t great but in those conditions, you won’t find any league with two teams that would have produced a better match. More importantly, check out the TV rating the match got in Salt Lake City. It seems there is some “Real” (sorry) interest in the team there. Too bad they don’t have a home match for another week. I can’t wait to see what sort of crowd they get.


• That match at the Azteca, the first half was probably the least inspired performance from a US team since Steve Sampson was at the helm. All the talk about the players not being intimidated by the Azteca proved to be false. Thankfully, they turned things around three days later in Birmingham. Was that the same team?


• If you wanna see a great title race, check out the English Championship (not the EPL). It looks like it’s going to go down to the wire. Any two from Sunderland, Ipswich and Wigan can get the two automatic promotion spots with the third having to deal with the playoffs. I hope Fox Soccer Channel is planning to carry those matches again this season.


• Newcastle’s Lee Bowyer should be in jail. This isn’t his first brush with violence. It’s just the first time it was against a team mate in front of a packed stadium. Anger Management classes aren’t enough to cure his problems.

Well, I may have disappeared for a while but the footie world hasn’t slowed down. I’ll be posting at least once/week from now on….honest.

¶ 2:27 PM