Freddy Adu Reportedly Headed to Chivas USA

Various reports today are linking onetime U.S. soccer wünderkind Freddy Adu with a move back to MLS, the site of his historic professional debut as a 14-year-old in 2004.

Chivas USA, whose coach, Robin Fraser, was an assistant at Real Salt Lake when Adu was with that club in 2007, is interested in acquiring the 22-year-old attacking midfielder. The Goats also hold the top spot in the MLS allocation order, so they’d get first crack at the player if/when he becomes available.

Adu is with the U.S. national team in Philadelphia for tonight’s friendly against Mexico, and hopes to resolve his club status within the next two weeks. He is in the final year of his contract with Portugese side Benfica, which is reportedly looking to ship him out, possibly on a free transfer.

If he’s looking to get solidly back into the national-team picture, Adu, who would likely command Designated Player status in MLS,  could do worse than landing at Chivas USA.

He’d almost certainly get a lot of playing time with the Goats, and their stadium, the Home Depot Center, is  the American team’s base in Southern California and just miles away from new U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s doorstep.

MLS Week 10 Grab-Bag: Donovan-to-Roma, Pires-to-MLS Rumors and Other, Truthier, Items

The MLS season is nearly two-thirds complete, and this week brings some interesting matchups that should help clarify the pecking orders in each conference.

• Leading the way is the LA derby match (or the SuperClasico, as the league bills the seven-year-old rivalry) between upstart Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Chivas is fresh off a 3-2 stunner over East leaders New York, a win that lifted the Goats to .500 (3-3-3). Los Angeles (5-2-5) is coming off its best performance of the year, a 4-1 drubbing of Sporting Kansas City in which all three Galaxy designated players (Landon Donovan, Juan Pablo Angel, and David Beckham) found the back of the net.

Robin Fraser’s men say they’re for real; this is a chance to prove it.

• Second-place Real Salt Lake, still adjusting to life without midfield catalyst Javier Morales, takes on FC Dallas, the team that knocked RSL out of last year’s playoffs.

Dallas is also dealing with the loss of its most creative player, 2010 MVP David Ferreira, but has won its last two games, both by shutout.

• In the East, the Red Bulls travel to Houston looking to rebound from last week’s loss to Chivas, but may have to do it without star striker Thierry Henry, who has swelling in his knee and is questionable for the game. Houston is 3-3-4, two points behind the 4-2-3 Red Bulls.

• Second-place Philadelphia hosts Chicago tonight in what should be a good one. The Fire have only one win this season but are unbeaten in their last four, and, after tinkering all season long, may have found the right formula with Corben Bone in midfield.

• Columbus pays a visit to arguably the league’s toughest venue, Portland’ JELD-WEN Field, to take on the Timbers, who are unbeaten (4-0-0) at home this season. The Crew look to rebound from last week’s surprising 3-0 loss to San Jose.

And speaking of Portland …

Towels and Tissues

Before addressing the Columbus game, Portland coach John Spencer had a few things to get off his chest regarding the aftermath of the historic Timbers-Sounders tilt the week before.

Spencer was not pleased with some of the comments coming out of the Seattle camp following the game. Here’s some of what he had to say to reporters after a Timbers training session this week:

“I’m disappointed with their assessment of the game. But then that’s their prerogative. I think if it is too wet up there for them to play soccer then they may want to move that franchise because it pisses down rain nearly every time I’ve been in Seattle. Obviously to say that the conditions suit us more than they suit them just blows me away. It seems to me they had 50 excuses before the game written down as to why they never beat us three- or four-nil at home.”

And a little more:

“The next time we go up there we’ll take plenty of towels for them so we can dry off the field before the game. Maybe take plenty of tissue paper so they can dry their eyes after the game.”

That is some Scottish ire right there. Click here and scroll down for video of the rant.

Pires to MLS? Non. And definitely not to Philadelphia.

So Robert Pires is out of contract at Aston Villa and he recently told reporters that his pal and former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry had asked him to come play in MLS, for the Red Bulls.

To which Henry replied, in the New York Post:

“I’m glad you’re asking me that because I don’t know why he said that. Robert likes to talk, maybe because they’re not offering him another contract in Villa or whatever the problem is for him, but I didn’t speak to him about him coming. I would like you to put that CLEAR over there and I don’t know why.

“I spoke to him yesterday and said why did you have to mention my name? If you wanted to say something—I think he’s 37 soon, he should be able to talk as a grown man.”

(Bonus points to Dylan Butler for the Run-DMC clip in that link.)

Pires has been linked with MLS before, and you may recall it didn’t end well. Last spring, when rumors circulated that Philadelphia was interested in him, he told L’Equipe:

“It does not please me to (go to Philadelphia). I do not want to be difficult, but if I had to take my family away, I’d rather do it in a beautiful city. Otherwise, I will put an end to my career.”

We enjoyed that “I do not want to be difficult.” We get the idea that Pires can’t help but be difficult. He sounds like the Blanche DuBois of international midfielders.

Donovan to Roma?

One international midfielder not going anywhere anytime soon is Galaxy and U.S. attacker Landon Donovan, who became linked with a move to the storied Italian club when a source close to its new owner, Boston native Thomas DiBenedetto, told the Boston Globe that the club would set aside $14 million for a transfer bid for LD.

Donovan’s response to the report was succinct: “Don’t waste my time with that,” he told reporters. “Don’t waste my time, guys.”

Beckham to Old Trafford?

In a way, yes: Donovan’s Galaxy teammate David Beckham will return to his old stomping grounds next week to participate in a testimonial match for his former teammate and BFF, Gary Neville.

The only problem—he’ll miss LA’s game against Houston the following day as a result.

Guess that’s just David being David again.

Enjoy the games.

Red Bull Roundup

It’s been a busy week for Red Bull New York. Let’s run it down:

• Last Friday, the club confirmed it had signed long-sought-after striker Luke Rodgers, formerly of League One side Notts County, where New York boss Hans Backe had a brief coaching stint. The speedy, diminutive (and feisty) forward scored 13 goals in 46 games for third-level Notts County. Hmmm. How will that translate to MLS? We have our doubts. Then again, Notts County just tied Man City in FA Cup play. Rodgers is nursing a right knee injury but hopes to join preseason training soon.

• On Tuesday, Major League Soccer—with Thierry Henry and Landon Donovan in attendance—announced that Red Bull Arena will be the site of the 2011 All-Star Game. The MLS All Stars’ opponent for that game, scheduled for July 27, has yet to be announced, but we’ve heard rumors that it will be—drumroll, please—Barcelona. We’ll find out within the next 30 days.

• Yesterday the club confirmed the long-anticipated signing of 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder Marcos Paullo, who had a trial with New York in 2010, and made an appearance in RBNY’s 2-1 win over Manchester City last July.

Say hello him here, where he gives a shout-out to the significant Brazilian community in Newark, the next town over from Harrison, home to Red Bull Arena:

• Former Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who was rumored to be the next man at Chivas USA, yesterday accepted the head coaching position of the Honduran national team, the newly minted champions of Central America.

• Coach Backe says that New York is still shopping for players, and hopes to add a right back and a central midfielder or a central defender before the March 19 opener against Seattle.

• Finally, that pesky Nicolas Anelka rumor resurfaced today, with French magazine L’Equipe quoting Anelka’s brother Claude as saying that the Chelsea striker could join former international teammate Henry at RBA. Treat it with a grain of salt for two reasons: 1. Anelka’s contract at Stamford Bridge doesn’t expire for a year and a half, and 2. The source of this rumor last time was—you guessed it—Claude Anelka. On the other hand, Fernando Torres did just sign with the Blues, possibly rendering Anelka superfluous. We’re not holding our breath either way.

Top Ten Stories We Missed as 2010 turned to 2011

Timbers fans will be ready for their April 14 home opener. Count on it.

A lot went down while we were up North. Here are the top ten items we would have posted about had we not shuttered the BP for the past 12 days:

10. Philadelphia Signs Homegrown Player Zach Pfeffer

The 15-year-old Upper Dublin, Pa., resident became the fourth-youngest signing in league history. Pfeffer is the 23rd player signed as part of MLS’s recent ‘Homegrown Initiative.’

9. Stuart Holden Hurt in Chelsea Match, Misses Liverpool Tilt

The newly minted Best Player in the Premier League picked up a knock in Bolton’s 1-0 loss to the Blues on Dec 29, then missed the next game, versus Liverpool, on New Year’s Day. Not surprisingly, Bolton, which was also without defender Paul Robinson (suspension), lost, 2-1.

8. Brads Friedel and Guzan Enjoy Big Weeks

Friedel stood on his head to preserve a see-saw 3-3 tie for Aston Villa vs Chelsea on Jan 2, while his backup, Guzan, was loaned out to second-tier Hull City on Dec 30. He immediately stepped into the starting lineup and went 1-1 in his first two games with the Tigers.

7. Dwayne De Rosario Goes AWOL to Celtic

Toronto FC’s deadliest attacker hopped a plane to Celtic Park on Boxing Day (Dec 26) for a few kickabouts with the (original) Hoops. When asked about it, TFC first insisted the player had done no such thing, then said he did not have their permission. De Ro swore that he did have his employers’ OK. Upshot: Toronto worked out an arrangement with Celtic after the fact, and this story is developing.

6. Silly Season of (Aging) Foreign-Stars-to-MLS Rumors Kicks In

While rumors of Ronaldinho-to-LA Galaxy cooled (and he was chased by several Brazilian clubs, and Blackburn), they were replaced by reports that Nicolas Anelka, Adrian Mutu, and Guillermo Franco all had designs on eventual Stateside moves, along with Patrick Vieira, Roberto Carlos, and Marco Materazzi. These reports are always fun and to some extent flattering for the league, but, well, let’s just say that they—and the players’ fitness for MLS—should be taken on a case-by-case basis.

5. Portland Timbers Breach 10,000 Mark in Season Tickets Sold

Think they’re fired up for MLS in the Northwest? Hell and yes. The team surpassed 10,000 in 2011 season ticket sales on Jan 3, and says it will cap the sales at 12,000. The club’s newly renovated stadium, PGE Park, seats 20,000. According to this story, the Timbers’ Cascadia Cup rivals the Vancouver Whitecaps have accepted more than 13,000 season-ticket deposits for 2011, but haven’t said how many of those have been turned into season ticket sales.

4. Purported Beckham Loan Deals Verge on Farcical

More than half a dozen Premier League teams, along with several sprinkled across Europe, were linked to loan deals involving MLS’s most famous player in the past couple of weeks. Most of them turned out to be nothing more than rumors, but this past week Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said he and Spurs were serious about acquiring the 35-year-old winger. Why they would want to disrupt the excellent season they’re having by bringing in a player who is a sideshow in and of himself is an open question—as is why the aging and recently injured (Achilles tendon, last March) Beckham would want to do it, and why Los Angeles or MLS would allow it.

3. Generation adidas, MLS Combine Names Announced

Rising futbol factory the University of Akron provided five of the first nine 2011 Generation adidas players (a 10th player, UCSB defender Michael Tetteh, was added today), and five non-college foreign players were included in the MLS Combine list, a first for the league. Those five, led by Wayne Rooney’s brother John, will be available in the Jan 13 SuperDraft alongside the NCAA candidates. Combine rosters here, Generation adidas players here.

2. Toronto FC Hires Former Dutch International Aron Winter as Coach

The 43-year-old former Ajax midfielder, who will be unveiled tomorrow will also act as Technical Director, with a staff that will include former New England assistant Paul Mariner and Winter’s fellow Dutchman Bob de Klerk, though their roles are as yet unclarified. The trio will try to get an overhauled TFC to the playoffs for the first time in its five-year existence.

1. Robin Fraser Lands Chivas USA Coaching Job

When this announcement was made, some MLS fans tweeted that they’d never heard of Fraser—enhancing our belief that the former rock-solid centerback is one of the most underrated players in MLS and USMNT history. A key assistant coach at Real Salt Lake the past few seasons, Fraser was a five-time Best XI selection and two-time defender of the year as a player in MLS, and always performed well in a U.S. shirt (he had 27 caps). Like TFC, Chivas is in a severe rebuilding mode, so Fraser has his work cut out for him. He will reportedly hire former Galaxy and U.S. teammate Greg Vanney as an assistant.

All right, we are more or less caught up. Next: Clint Dempsey continues to tear it up for Fulham, and MLS Combine news.

Bradley to Villa? Bradley to Villa—According to these Guys

British outlet talkSPORT is reporting that Bob Bradley will step down from the U.S. national team and be unveiled as Aston Villa’s new coach next week. The move would make Bradley the first American ever to coach in a top-flight European league.

He won’t be on the bench for their opener tomorrow against West Ham—a game that already includes Yanks Jonathan Spector, and Brads Friedel and Guzan—but, according to talkSPORT, he’ll be ready for Villa’s Round 2 game against Newcastle the following weekend.

Here’s the report; no official word from Villa or the U.S. just yet.

Ljunberg, Bornstein Headed Out of MLS, Ronaldinho on Way In?

Seattle Sounders FC Designated Player Freddie Ljunberg is “exploring options,” regarding other places to ply his trade, according to his coach, Sigi Schmid.

Ljunberg had an excellent first season with the Sounders last year, but has become dissatisfied in 2010, apparently over the club’s unwillingness to commit to him for 2011.

The former Swedish international hasn’t played since July 4, and he didn’t travel with the team for its July 15 game at D.C. United.

U.S. international Jonathan Bornstein has announced that he will join Mexican club Tigres after the 2010 MLS season. The 25-year-old defender—whose mother is from Mexico—will be the second capped American to depart Chivas this year, following midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who signed with Anderlecht earlier this summer.

If Dave Checketts is to be believed, there will be an acquisition in the next few days that will more than make up for these departures: The Real Salt Lake owner suggested that Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho, 30, was about to sign with Major League Soccer and join the LA Galaxy.

No word yet from the Galaxy or MLS on this, but … let’s see: Thierry Henry to New York, possibly followed by Rafael Marquez, Nery Castillo to Chicago and Ronaldinho linked to LA, (where he could line up alongside Beckham and Donovan)?

The three-D.P.s-per-team rule may just be on the verge of ushering in a new era for the 15-year-old league.

Your Juicy Post–World Cup Blind Items About England Players

Fasten your seatbelts: From our Fleet Street* moles come the following two fall-off-the-bone juicy rumors that could, if true, explain why England looked so unbelievably horrible at South Africa 2010:

Number 1:

One of the Sunday tabloids will print a story this weekend claiming that an England player got caught with a prostitute just before the World Cup (picture evidence—the lot), and the paper agreed to postpone printing until after England crashed out of the World Cup. It will go live this weekend. The player was aware of this situation throughout the World Cup.

Number 2:

Another player has got his wife’s sister pregnant. He has a gagging order on this story that expired today, but it’s been renewed for another two weeks. One of his teammates knew about the situation, and was furious that the player was not disciplined for the indiscretion. These two players cannot stand each other, and their rift divided the team.

These items exist at the level of gossip and rumor right now. But considering what’s already gone on with this team, would anybody be surprised if they turned out to be true?

Further, the libel laws in England are famously strict in favor of complainants, so if a tabloid is going to publish a story (see the John Terry contretemps), chances are it’s got its facts straight.

Stay tuned; we may have an answer on No. 1 this weekend.

*Not actually the home of the British press any longer….

Henry-to-MLS Rumors Back on Simmer, Approaching Full Boil

The Mirror’s football soccer reporting has been dead wrong before (click here for the paper’s scoop that Bolton would not sign Stuart Holden), so take this with a grain of salt, but the tabloid’s website is saying Thierry Henry-to-MLS is essentially a done deal, and it’s just a question of whether Red Bull New York or D.C. United will land him.

Also of note in this report, which you can read here, is the name of Barcelona’s Sporting Director—a potential Hall of Fame moniker that had escaped our notice until now: Txiki Begiristain.