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Brek Shea To Train With Arsenal

November 4, 2011 — by Rob Kirby

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Arsenal disregards all conventional wisdom and messes with Texas. For a month, at least.

Brek Shea’s season may have ended when the New York Red Bulls knocked FC Dallas out of playoff contention last week, but the 6’3” winger will spend a month training with Arsenal after the upcoming international friendlies in France and Slovenia (November 11 and 15). The Texas native has been linked with a move to Europe and has publically stated he would like to ply his trade in Europe one day. If he impresses, perhaps Arsenal will make an offer Dallas cannot refuse.

According to Dallas FC, “The decision to send Shea to train with the Gunners was made after USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann encouraged his MLS-based players to spend the off-season training overseas to enter January camp in top shape.”

Shea, 21, scored 11 goals in 31 league appearances in 2011.

Without a doubt, Dallas does not want to lose Shea. He still has three years on his contract. But the MLS season doesn’t start up again until March. Perhaps a loan deal could be in the cards.

Update, 11/10:

Wenger mooted the idea that Shea may play a game with the Arsenal reserves, if possible.

Wenger told ArsenalTV: “(He’ll) practice with the top team when it’s possible, practice with the best prospects of the club as well outside the normal sessions and have a contact with top level football in the world and there’s no better place than the Premier League to do it.”

CommentaryNews

Colorado Rapids: Your MLS Cup Champions

November 22, 2010 — by Sean

All eyes were on FC Dallas’ David Ferreira heading into the cup final last night, the little Colombian having just been named the MLS MVP for the year. He didn’t disappoint, touching in the go-ahead goal and sending Dallas into the halftime locker room up 1-0.

Dallas were playing the better soccer, but it was Colorado who came out more determined to win the second half. And that they did, underlining the effort with a goal by the not-quite-good-enough -for-the-national team Conner Casey.

The game moved then to extra time, which half the crowd in attendance couldn’t be bothered to watch (an absolute necessity, this playoff format). Sadly, Dallas were put out by a weak deflection off Rapids defender George John resulting in an own-goal. Very Tough loss for a team that probably deserved to win.

One final note, the game got pretty chippy for a while there, and there were spats of pushing and shoving, which the announcer described as “Handbags at ten paces“. We’ll let you know if we ever manage to blend that into everyday conversation.

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MLS Creeping Toward Championship Final

November 9, 2010 — by Sean

The MLS season ended a couple of weeks back, and then the top half of the league were pitted against one another in goal-aggregate, home-and-away series. What does that mean exactly? For one thing, it means all the games the Galaxy won during the season to earn first place are half worthless. They still would’ve made the playoffs with 12 less points—why not take a page from city associates the Lakers and play at half speed until the playoffs, when you can come out limber but rested?

Let’s save the full rant for another day, but let’s just say I’m not in love with the playoff system in the MLS. Moving on, the chart below represents the final standings of all teams in the MLS, regardless of division. (Give LA a trophy I say…sorry, another day, another day)

Remaining at this point are the Galaxy vs Dallas, and San Jose vs Colorado. Very left coast, must be the bountiful full-year playing surfaces. And do note their season-ending positions (but I will not continue my rant).

The mostly meaningless MLS 2010 regular season final standings

How do the playoffs work then, you ask? Well I can’t be bothered to explain it myself, so here’s a bit of description from the public domain after the bump: