Major League Link: 3.7.08

By: Jeff | March 7th, 2008

Often pieces like Goal.com’s Most Colorful Characters in MLS History spells “slow news day.” But I’m only saying that to hide my shame and weakness. I enjoyed that piece! Damn my weakness, I enjoyed it!!

Besides, as the data-dump to come below demonstrates, it wasn’t such a slow news day.

From Offside Team Blogs (and supplemented by some others)

+ Over on the LA Galaxy Offside, stand-up stand-in Jen pulls for Beckham’s 100th cap.

+ Rumors of Sunderland players joining MLS’s lone Canadian outfit swirled around the TFC Offside…a club, it seems, that aspires toward “Super Club” (wait…”Superclub”? “SuperClub”? S%$#, how do you spell that? Alexi?!) status.

+ I’m pleased to report I finally know what the hell is going on with the Offside Cup, an event hosted by Dave Martinez from the Red Bull Offside. Accidental Luddite that I am, I can’t play. Martinez also flags a pair of silver linings in the Red Bull’s win over their “Australian” parents.

+ Dan reports on the Revolution’s loss to Mexican champs Atlante on the Revolution Offside. Dan notes the “heat” in this one, but Blue Blooded Journo adds an important wrinkle when he notes these teams will meet again…in Superliga play. (One last, related thing: every MLS team should have an official blog; the Revs added one this year and, writing as a former fan, I’ll only say following them looks a hell of a lot easier now….even if the photo galleries ain’t much.)

+ The Crew Offside’s Trivdaddy posted a status check on Columbus’ rapidly waning time in England (on the plus side, by using “Crew.com” instead of “The Crew’s Official Site” (as I would do…wasting effort all the while), he got me to look up Crew.com, which carried word on the Crew’s loss to Everton’s reserves; note the unfamiliar names, people).

+ Finally, Melissa on the Earthquakes Offside posts the good word on Ronnie O’Brien’s apparent health and San Jose’s negotiations with former-FC Dallas-man Roberto Mina.

From, Y’know, Those “Other” Blogs

+ Or newspapers….yeah, I’m bending the rules posting to a non-blog and all, but The Philadelphia Inquirer posted a great, life-of-a-pro piece on local-boy-made-good Bobby Convey. Hell of a read.

+ Steve Goff’s Soccer Insider reports that the Kansas City Wizards look to have bagged their first designated player in Argentina’s Claudio Lopez….news that puts me in a funk for reasons I’ll go into elsewhere.

+ Finally, dig this photo of the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan with representatives of the Lollipop Guil….er, DC United. Posted on The Offside Rules.