Weekend Soccer TV Spotlight

We're back with this weekend's TV soccer spotlight. With World Cup Qualification over (sorry Ireland), domestic leagues around the world resume play this weekend.

Here are a few highlighted matches on TV this weekend:

SATURDAY

Liverpool v. Manchester City (LIVE on ESPN2 @ 5:30AM MT) - If you can wake up for this match it should be worth it. Both clubs are in desperate need of 3 points as they try to keep pace with Chelsea and Manchester United. If Liverpool fall again, Rafa Benitez may not make it to Boxing Day...

Deportivo Coruna v. Atletico Madrid (LIVE on ESPN Deportes @ 10:00AM MT) - The early match from Spain features soaring Deportivo and struggling Atletico Madrid. Atletico's star player Sergio Aquero stayed with the club during the international break to help solve their struggles. Winning this weekend would be a great start towards turning around their disappointing campaign thus far.

Fiorentina v. Parma (LIVE on Fox Soccer Channel @ 12:30PM MT) - This is the marquee match-up of the Italian fixtures this weekend. Both clubs have European aspirations, sitting at fourth and seventh in the Serie A respectively. Fiorentina finished fourth the last two seasons, while Parma was a surprise runner-up last year to Internazionale.

SUNDAY

2009 MLS Cup Final (LIVE on ESPN @ 6:30PM MT) - The 2009 MLS Cup features the Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake live from Seattle, WA. Both clubs are playing their best soccer of the season at the right time. LA took care of rivals Chivas in the opening round, then dispatched Houston in the Western Conference Final last week. Real Salt Lake beat the defending champs Columbus in the opening round and then took care of the Chicago Fire on penalties in Chicago to win the East. This has the makings of a great Final! Be sure to join the entire team for the Rapids Official Rapids MLS Cup Viewing Party at the Oak Tavern located at 14th and Market in Downtown Denver.

Be sure to check out Rapids Bar Partners for all your soccer viewing options this weekend! We look forward to seeing you out and about this weekend.

Exploring the Geography of MLS MVP's

After the LA Galaxy's Landon Donovan was named 2009 MLS Most Valuable Player yesterday, we thought we'd explore the geographies behind where the players have come from who have won the title since the league's inception in 1996.

When analyzing the all-time winners of this award, some interesting geographical MLS MVP notes for your consideration:

-Donovan becomes only the 4th out of the 14 lifetime winners to have been born in the United States.

-Preki, the only player to have won the award twice, was born in Yugoslavia and later became a US citizen.

-Rank of countries producing total number of MVP Award winning players in descending order: USA (4), Argentina (2), Honduras (2), Brazil (1), Yugoslavia (1), Guatemala (1), Bolivia (1), Colombia (1)

-2 MVP's on the list have lived in Colorado, playing for the Rapids (Valderrama and Gomez)

-1999 and 2000 were the only years in MLS history when players won MVP awards in consecutive years from the same country of birth (USA)

-MLS MVP's have only been produced by less than half the continents on Earth. 3 continents have produced MVP's: North America, South America and Europe. There have yet to be MVPs hailing from Asia, Africa, Australasia or Antarctica (although we don't see that one happening any time soon).

-Total MLS MVP's produced by continent of birth in descending order: North America (7), South America (5), Europe (1)

-Only 1 country an MLS MVP was born in no longer exists: Preki's Yugoslavia, which was dissolved in 2003 as Serbia and Montenegro were forming.

Compiled here below are the all-time MLS MVP winners, with their year, club, and place of birth.

MLS MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS
(Year, Player, Club, Place of Birth)
2009: Landon Donovan - LA Galaxy - California, USA
2008: Guillermo Barros Schelotto - Columbus Crew - La Plata, Argentina
2007: Luciano Emilio - D.C. United - Ilha Solteira, Brazil
2006: Christian Gomez - D.C. United - Buenos Aires, Argentina
2005: Taylor Twellman - New England Revolution - Minnesota, USA
2004: Amado Guevara - MetroStars - Tegucigalpa, Honduras
2003: Preki - Kansas City Wizards - Belgrade, Yugoslavia
2002: Carlos Ruiz - Los Angeles Galaxy - Guatemala City, Guatemala
2001: Alex Pineda Chacon - Miami Fusion - Santa Cruz, Honduras
2000: Tony Meola - Kansas City Wizards - New Jersey, USA
1999: Jason Kreis - Dallas Burn - Nebraska, USA
1998: Marco Etcheverry - D.C. United - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
1997: Preki - Kansas City Wizards - Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1996: Carlos Valderrama - Tampa Bay Mutiny - Santa Marta, Colombia

What can be divined from these geographical tidbits? Anything? Or is it just food for thought with no real earth-shattering theses to be produced? Post your thoughts below.........

MLS Supporters Summit to Be Streamed Live Online Saturday

MLS announced that the league will stream online this Saturday the MLS Supporters Summit for the first time ever for club supporters around the league not in attendance to be able to tune in and watch the proceedings live this Saturday morning.

Commissioner Don Garber and Seattle owner Drew Carey will participate in the 11th annual Supporters Summit during MLS Cup weekend this Saturday, November 21. The live stream will begin at 8:00am MT this Saturday on the league website.

Attending the Supporters Summit in person on behalf of Colorado Rapids supporters will be representatives from the Class VI and Centennial Firm supporters groups. Rapids fans are encouraged to submit their questions or issues they would like the Rapids Supporters Delegation to address at the Summit ahead of time by clicking here.

At the Summit, Garber will deliver a special address and Carey will moderate a question and answer session. The summit will also include a formal discussion addressing the officiating and technical structure of MLS with top League stakeholders Joe Machnik and Alfonso Mondelo.

For more information on this year's MLS Supporters Summit weekend, click here.

Rules Set for Philly Expansion Draft on Nov. 25

The Philadelphia Union will take another step toward building their club as the 2010 expansion side will participate in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 25.

Philadelphia will select the core of their inaugural squad in a 10-round draft next Wednesday. Teams can participate in a half-day trade window on Monday until Noon ET. All 15 MLS teams are required to submit their lists of protected players to the League by 3 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 23.

The League will distribute a list of the players available in the expansion draft to media that day. At the conclusion of the Expansion Draft, results will be posted on MLSnet.com and teams may resume trading.

Philadelphia Union may not claim more than one player from any given team in MLS; therefore five teams will not have a player taken in the expansion draft.

2009 MLS Expansion Draft Rules

Senior Roster
• Teams may protect 11 players between their Senior and their Developmental Roster.
• If the Player’s contract expires at the end of 2009, he will still be considered part of the Team’s Senior Roster.
• If a Team protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player’s option. It may renegotiate a new budget number for the player as in previous years.
• If a player retires, he will not be a part of the Senior Roster, but his Team will lose its right of first refusal to him should he ultimately decide to play.

Developmental Roster
• Players on a Team’s Developmental Roster, other than Generation adidas players who have not been graduated at the end of the 2009 season and Home Grown Players, will be part of the expansion draft.
• Generation adidas players (who have not been graduated at the end of the 2009 season) and Home Grown players are automatically protected (teams do not have to use a protected slot on them)If Philadelphia selects a Developmental Player it must offer him a Senior Roster position and he must be on Philadelphia’s Senior Roster as of Roster Compliance Date.

International Players
• Teams are restricted in the number of International player(s) that they may make available per the table set forth below.
• For purposes of this expansion process, for US-based teams, any non-domestic US player would count as an International and for Toronto FC, any non-domestic US player or non-domestic Canadian player would count as an International.

Designated Players
• Designated Players do not have to be protected unless the player has a no trade clause in which case he must be protected.

Maximum Player Loss
• Once a player has been claimed from a Team’s non-protected roster, that team is eliminated from the expansion draft and may not lose any further players.

Right to Renegotiate
• Philadelphia will have the right to renegotiate a drafted player’s salary (either up or down) without having to place such player on waivers or giving his previous Team a right of first refusal.

Priority
• On the first day of the Discovery/Allocation Period, Philadelphia will have priority over players who played professionally in the USL First or Second Division in 2009, subject to another MLS team’s right of first refusal.

Rounds
• The expansion draft will be 10 rounds.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYER PROTECTION REQUIREMENT TABLE:
• Teams may make available a number of international players equal to their total number of international players minus 3, provided that if a team has 3 or less international players it may make available not more than 1.

TV Info for Today's Huge International Matches

Television broadcast information for today's huge slate of World Cup Qualifying playoff matches (all times are MT):

10:30am- Algeria vs. Egypt WCQ Playoff - live free video on FIFA website. (15,000 security members to be in attendance!)

11am- Ukraine vs. Greece WCQ Playoff (0-0 tie in first leg in Greece)- live on ESPN2

12:30pm- USA vs. Denmark (Friendly) - live on ESPN Classic, joined in progress on ESPN2 after Ukraine v. Greece

12:45pm- Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Portugal WCQ Playoff (1-0 Portugal win in first leg)- live on Setanta USA

1pm- France vs. Ireland WCQ Playoff (1-0 France win in first leg) -live on Setanta Pay-per-view ($20 cover charge at Fado Irish Pub in Lodo)

3pm- Slovenia vs. Russia WCQ Playoff (2-1 Russia win in first leg - tape delayed on Setanta USA

4pm- Uruguay vs. Costa Rica WCQ Playoff (1-0 Uruguay win in first leg) - not televised in the USA

US Soccer Unveils Details for World Cup Tickets

US Soccer today announced initial details for U.S. Men’s National Team fans to apply for tickets for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Priority status for applying for tickets to the U.S. Men’s National Team matches in South Africa will be extended to members of the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club.....fans seeking priority status must join by Dec. 3, 2009, at 10am MT.

Beginning later this month, all registered U.S. Soccer SC members will be sent a request to submit pre-application data to U.S. Soccer. By completing this process, fans notify U.S. Soccer of their interest in FIFA World Cup tickets and provide the information that U.S. Soccer will in turn submit to FIFA for the online ticket application. A valid passport is required for each person who requests tickets.

U.S. Soccer fans’ FIFA World Cup Ticketing Timeline
Ongoing: Fans join the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club
Late November: USSSC members submit pre-application data to U.S. Soccer
Dec. 3: Deadline to join USSSC and receive priority World Cup ticketing status
Dec. 4: First-round opponents and venues determined via Final Draw
Dec. 6: FIFA ticket application begins for USSSC members
Jan. 13: Close of FIFA ticket application for USSSC members
Late January: FIFA contacts applicants to confirm whether or not application was successful, successful applicants are charged for tickets

For full details, visit US Soccer's website.

Casey Reacts to Best XI Recognition

The announcement of the 2009 MLS Best XI reached Aarhus late last night, where three members of the U.S. squad that will face Denmark learned of their inclusion as part of the top class in the league this year.

Conor Casey, Jeff Cunningham and Stuart Holden have all had different experiences in the league, each contributing to their inclusion - and successes - with the national team.

Conor Casey - The striker earned his first nomination to the league Best XI in this third season in Colorado, finishing in second place in the MLS Golden Boot race after potting 16 goals. His form with the Rapids earned him time with the national team, and he made the most of the opportunity, scoring his first two international goals in helping the U.S. to an historic 3-2 qualifying victory in Honduras that clinched the USA's spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"Obviously I'm very excited to be given this recognition. It is great to be included amongst such talented players," said Casey.

"We had a good year in Colorado, but it is certainly disappointing not to make the playoffs. I'm glad that I was able to make it through the season healthy and help contribute. Hopefully we'll be able to put together a complete season next year and make a push for the playoffs."