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First day back at training this season for the Galaxy:

 

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7744/18068648225414203498933.jpg

 

Expansion franchises logos:

 

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/1900/portlandtimbersnewcrest.png

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/2776/250pxvancouverwhitecaps.png

 

Red Bulls sign Norwegian: :shifty:

 

http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/news/2011/01/red-bulls-sign-norwegian-international-jan-gunnar-solli

 

Red Bulls sign Norwegian International Jan Gunnar Solli

 

Midfielder joins New York from Norwegian club SK Brann

 

http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/sites/default/files/image_nodes/2011/01/Solli_Article_1.jpg

The Norwegian International has earned 40 caps for his country

 

Red Bull New York announced today the signing of Norwegian International midfielder Jan Gunnar Solli. Solli will be added to the club’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate.

 

“Jan is a player I have followed for several years and he will immediately compete for a place in our starting lineup,” said Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “He has tremendous versatility and can play both in the midfield and in defense. We are excited that he has joined the Red Bulls.”

 

Solli, 29, started his professional career with Odd Grenland of the Norwegian Premier League in 2000. In four seasons with Odd Grenland, Solli appeared in 54 games. In 2003, he transferred to famed Norwegian side Rosenborg BK, where appeared in 85 matches from 2003 through 2006 and scored three goals. He helped the club win three Norwegian Premier League titles including back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004, and another in 2006, while also capturing the Norwegian Cup in 2003. Solli also helped Rosenborg reach the Group Stage of the 2004-2005 UEFA Champions League, scoring in the first leg of the final qualifying stage series against Israel’s Maccabi Haifa FC.

 

Solli most recently featured for Norwegian club SK Brann. He played for the club from 2007 to 2010, appearing in 97 matches and scoring eight goals. In 2007, his first season with Brann, Solli helped the club to its first Norwegian Premier League title since 1963. Solli also helped the club reach the Round of 32 in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup.

 

Solli debuted for the Norwegian National Team on Aug. 20, 2003 in a friendly against Scotland, and has since gone on to earn 40 caps for his country. He scored his first senior international goal on April 28, 2004 in a 3-2 victory over Russia. He continues to earn call-ups to the national side, and last featured for Norway in a 2-1 victory over Iceland on Sept. 3, 2010 in a 2012 UEFA European Championship qualification match.

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Guest Heneage

If Galaxy don't win it their season is a failure, heck if they don't even make the playoffs then the whole Beckham thing has failed, they now have 3 DP quality players and the young kid in defence, whether they have the unity or quality in rest of the team is debatable.

 

DC will be interesting to watch, new young coach exciting times a head and NYRB will be pushing for it with Henry can't see them doing much. 

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I'm fully backing Toronto FC to f*** up again.

 

If they don't make the playoffs, I'll not renew and I imagine it's the last straw for most season ticket subscribers.  I had a tough time giving tickets away last season when I couldn't make it.

 

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Rooting for NY. Hoping to catch a few games at Red Bull Arenea, too. Might see America vs. Argentina on March there, too.

 

My son wants to go see a Mexico v Paraguay friendly in Oakland. Oh, what the hell..

 

Pack some heat, yo. ;)

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Well, this is a promising start for TFC:

TFC's De Rosario holds firm on contract demands Reds captain could sit out until a new deal is in place

 

Toronto FC captain Dwayne De Rosario wants a new contract before the start of the MLS season on March 19. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Beware the Ides of March — or in the case of Toronto FC, March 19.

 

The Reds open the 2011 Major League Soccer regular season on March 19 on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps. But TFC captain Dwayne de Rosario may sit out that game and others unless he is offered a new and improved contract.

 

De Rosario, a 32-year-old native of the Scarborough area of Toronto, is entering the second half of a four-year deal with the Reds. He earned $443,750 US during the 2010 season, well behind the club's top earner, fellow Canadian Julian de Guzman ($1,717,546 US).

 

Last September, De Rosario publicly stated he wasn't happy with his salary and went so far as to celebrate a goal he scored in a game against San Jose by mockingly signing a cheque. The gesture was a clear message to team management that he wanted to renegotiate his contract.

 

Several months have passed, but De Rosario hasn't softened his stance, hinting that he will not play this year without a new contract.

 

"No, there's too much risk in that," De Rosario admitted Wednesday.

 

Option year

 

When pressed by reporters on whether he would withhold his services until a new deal is in place, De Rosario said: "I'm pretty sure by that time it will be resolved so I'm not even going to try to put too much energy into that because I'll have to deal with that on March 19."

 

De Rosario is in the option year of his contract. Not only is he after more money, but he also wants some sort of guarantees worked into a new deal that would give him security in case of injury.

 

"I'm the captain of the team, I want to focus on my football and my football only," De Rosario said. "But at the same time my future — this is my option year, and if anything happens to me in terms of injuries nothing is guaranteed and then I'm on the outside looking in.

 

"I have to look at my future and my family's future as well."

 

De Guzman is the team's only existing designated player, after Spanish star Mista was let go in the off-season. But De Rosario feels he should also be given a DP contract and the pay increase that comes with it.

 

"It's not what I want, it's what I think I deserve," he said.

 

Franchise player

 

Since joining the club via a trade with Houston in 2009, De Rosario has firmly established himself as Toronto FC's franchise player. His 31 goals rank him as the team's all-time leading scorer, he helped Toronto win back-to-back Canadian club championships in 2009 and 2010, and he was named the club's MVP last year.

 

He further underlined his worth in 2010 when he scored 15 of his team's 33 goals and was one of the few bright spots on a team that failed to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

 

It's clear that there are some hurt feelings on the part of De Rosario, who questioned the club's eagerness with regards to renegotiating his contract.

 

"I guess if they were really motivated it would have got done a long time ago," De Rosario admitted.

 

Paul Mariner, the club's newly installed director of player development, declined to go into detail about contract negotiations with De Rosario, saying only that, "We're trying to work things out."

 

New deal a priority

 

De Rosario revealed he met with new TFC head coach and technical director Aron Winter, who assured him that contract negotiations are considered a priority.

 

"I spoke to Mr. Winter and he said that's one thing he wants to address and that's one thing he wants to resolve sooner than later," De Rosario said.

 

Wednesday marked the first time De Rosario talked with local media since returning earlier this month from Glasgow where he was training with Scottish club Celtic Glasgow during the MLS off-season.

 

De Rosario's Celtic stint became a controversial topic after TFC issued a news release stating their captain did not go through proper channels before heading over to Scotland.

 

Not so, according to De Rosario.

 

"There was no confusion on my part," he said. "Me going over there … everything was clear, both parties knew about it and I guess stuff hit the fan and some people had their backs against the wall. That's professional sports."

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2011/01/26/sp-tfc-derosario.html?ref=rss#ixzz1CG1V7KV1

 

 

Great, our best player might not play.  The only one who can score fucking goals.  :facepalm:  Give him the money!

 

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I'm fully backing Toronto FC to f*** up again.

 

If they don't make the playoffs, I'll not renew and I imagine it's the last straw for most season ticket subscribers.  I had a tough time giving tickets away last season when I couldn't make it.

 

I can't see them doing well. They are the Newcastle of the MLS. Plenty of fans, and loyal fans, but it will never go right on the pitch long enough for any sort of success. Supporting any other team in the MLS should be banned for Newcastle fans, we shouldn't be allowed any chance of seeing our team successful, so why should a team we keep an eye on half way around the world be the ones to bring some football happiness to our lives instead of our beloved NUFC?
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I'm fully backing Toronto FC to f*** up again.

 

If they don't make the playoffs, I'll not renew and I imagine it's the last straw for most season ticket subscribers.  I had a tough time giving tickets away last season when I couldn't make it.

 

I can't see them doing well. They are the Newcastle of the MLS. Plenty of fans, and loyal fans, but it will never go right on the pitch long enough for any sort of success. Supporting any other team in the MLS should be banned for Newcastle fans, we shouldn't be allowed any chance of seeing our team successful, so why should a team we keep an eye on half way around the world be the ones to bring some football happiness to our lives instead of our beloved NUFC?

 

Could describe every professional team in Toronto, mate. Every team I support is cursed.

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Just hope ESPN's coverage is better this season, was shocking for the 2010 season in the UK.

Aye, channel 5's was pretty good a few years ago. On any other channel though you just don't know if a game is going to be on or not.
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I'm patiently waiting for Montreal to debut next season, but hopefully I'll get out to a TFC game this year. I don't expect them to make the playoffs. It will be a long season for their fans, I think.

 

I probably won't make it to every game, PM me when you're coming down and I'll hook you up.  I've got two decent seats in the west stand(middle of the park, 3/4 the way up) and there's another Geordie that sits next to me.

 

 

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