If you play them too much, you could lose them in the expansion draft.

The Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers will each pick 10 players in the expansion draft this November. That’s 20 players from the current 16 teams, which means some teams are going to lose two players (but likely not more).

The Union can protect 11 players from their roster, provided the rules stay relatively constant from past drafts. As the league’s youngest team, they’d be a prime target to lose more guys.

Generation Adidas and home-grown players are typically exempt from the expansion draft and don’t have to be protected, however. That gives the Union a big advantage because they have four Generation Adidas players: Danny Mwanga, Jack McInerney, Amobi Okugo and Chris Seitz. J.T. Noone could potentially qualify as a home-grown player, which would exempt him too, though it’s unlikely.

Players graduate from Generation Adidas based (at least in part) by how much they play. If you play too much, you graduate. (Seitz remains Generation Addidas despite being in his fourth season but is almost certain to have graduated by year’s end.)

If the Union’s prized teenage trio is exempt from the draft, then it allows the team to protect other players, a huge benefit.

Major League Soccer roster rules have always been somewhat murky though, with the single entity keeping many things behind closed doors, and expansion draft rules change a little each year. The league hasn’t officially released this year’s rules, but Vancouver breaks down some projected rules on its web site. Likewise, until we know who graduates from GA, we won’t know who’s exempt from the draft.

If Toronto FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei was the measuring stick, then the Union would be well positioned, but chances are he’s an exception to the rule. Most thought Frei would have graduated from GA last year because he started 26 games and played 2,282 minutes as a rookie. Somehow, he didn’t and was exempt from the expansion draft, freeing up another protected slot for Toronto.

In contrast, fellow GA players Steve Zakuani, Kevin Alston, Omar Gonzalez, Patrick Nyarko and others graduated and were not exempt from the expansion draft after each started more than 20 games last year, and their clubs had to spend protection spots on them. MLS officials never explained the distinction between them and Frei. As a result, we don’t know it. (Are there different rules for goalkeepers?) Chances are that Frei was a special case, something not unheard of in MLS circles.

Of the Union’s three GA players, only Mwanga has played more than 300 minutes or started more than two games. Okugo is unlikely to crack the starting lineup as a regular, so don’t expect him  to graduate. McInerney could start after Saturday’s performance. With 267 minutes played and one start so far this year, he could theoretically crack 1,000 minutes and double digits in starts if he went the full 90 in each remaining Union game. Mwanga has started 11 games and appeared in 16, playing 1,006 minutes. Considering last year’s graduations, it looks like a coin toss on whether Mwanga graduates GA or not.

Union fans should hope that none of the three do. That would allow them to protect 11 of their other 20 players.

That means the Union could protect:

1. Roger Torres
2. Andrew Jacobson
3. Chris Seitz
4. Sebastien Le Toux
5. Shea Salinas
6. Danny Califf
7. Justin Mapp
8. Juan Diego Gonzalez
9. Jordan Harvey
10. Michael Orozco Fiscal
11. Kyle Nakazawa

That leaves only four players under age 30 exposed: Nick Zimmerman, Toni Stahl, Brad Knighton and potentially Noone. If Orozco leaves, it means you could protect Zimmerman. Alejandro Moreno, Stefani Miglioranzi, Eduardo Coudet, Fred and Cristian Arrieta should not be protected due to a combination of age and performance. Of those, you probably lose Zimmerman or Nakazawa if they’re unprotected, or possibly Arrieta.

But that’s all contingent on the GA kids being exempt. As much as I’d love to see Mwanga and Union Jack starting the final nine games, there may be a good case for sending the vets out to play, at least for a bit.

(Edit: Edited to reflect Chris Seitz is in fact still Generation Adidas, according to information supplied by Philadelphia Union.)

MLS began its current expansionary phase in 2005 with Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA. Toronto followed in 2007, MLS re-expanded to San Jose in 2008, and Seattle entered the league in 2009. Philadelphia started play this season and MLS has expansion bids lined up through the 2012 season leading some to make comparisons to the over-expansion that played a part in the downfall of the NASL. This is not the first expansion era in MLS as the Chicago Fire and now-defunct Miami Fusion entered the league in 1998, but this protracted expansion effort certainly differs from that effort while the league was still in its honeymoon phase. In this current expansion era, new teams have tended to struggle out of the gate as they search for depth and consistency on their pieced together rosters. Seattle was the first expansion team to reach the play-offs in its inaugural season since the Chicago Fire did it in 1998, and though there are many explanations and reasons for Seattle’s success, one can argue that the team had advantages over other previous expansion teams in building its roster.

The expansion game changed in 2009 when Seattle entered the league and were permitted the right of first refusal on any player on their USL-1 roster. No team had really been ‘promoted’ from division two soccer the way Seattle was and MLS had to, and were happy to adjust their expansion rules to accommodate. While Seattle did make a few early signings to their MLS squad and bring along 5 USL players, Vancouver looks set to kick down the door that Seattle left open. Through the summer window Vancouver went on a spending spree picking up youth internationals, up and coming players from Switzerland and Scandinavia, and want-away former Demon Deacon Cody Arnoux. The Whitecaps roster has swelled to more than 32 players in recent days and while there is no guarantee that all of these players will be signed to MLS contracts this winter, a good number of them likely will. Portland has made a few signings in advance of their entrance to MLS play, but has not been nearly as aggressive as Vancouver. Both teams will still have the opportunity to pillage existing MLS rosters via the expansion draft in November and will have four Superdraft picks in January. Seattle changed the rules to the expansion game in 2009 – Vancouver looks prepared to exploit them.

Another change to the expansion game is the major shift occurring in division two soccer in North America. Why does a change in division two soccer matter to MLS? Of the slated expansion teams between 2009 and 2012, 4 of the 5 clubs are being elevated from the second division rather than created from scratch. The United States Soccer Federation did an extensive study of lower division soccer in North America and around the world and is looking to implement tougher standards for division two clubs to reduce the number of failed franchises. Inside Minnesota Soccer’s Brian Quarstad has posted extensively on the new standards and has insight on which lower division clubs will be up to the financial challenge. With the advantages that Vancouver is capitalizing on, I find it likely that not only will MLS continue to poach successful division two franchises in desirable metro areas, but that ownership groups looking to buy a franchise in MLS may invest in a second division club as the transition looks to be easier than for teams constructed from scratch. Might Philadelphia be the last expansion team not promoted from below? We’ll have to wait and see.

One aspect of the expansion game that hasn’t changed but is rearing its head again is the struggle for stability through soccer-specific stadiums. There is a bevy of good stadium news this summer as Houston is making significant progress toward breaking ground in a downtown location and the Kansas City Wizards are showing off pictures of their half-built-home several times a week. The slow, but steady success of clubs to get soccer-specific stadiums built in their communities only shines brighter on those clubs who have hit countless dead-ends and are threatening to pick up and move. Long time stadium hopeful DC United looks to have completely run out of options inside the beltway, the second incarnation of San Jose continues to hit stumbling blocks despite slow progress, and Columbus has begun to rumble that its field built on the cheap with private money in 1999 is no longer adequate. With fewer and fewer teams lacking adequate facilities, expansion by relocation has become a hot topic yet again. San Jose picked up and moved to Houston in 2005 and several teams, a group usually including Chivas USA, are rumored to be evaluating moves. Chivas USA has announced a mid-September friendly against parent club Chivas Guadalajara in San Diego and some have speculated that Chivas is ‘testing the water’ for a potential move down the coast. San Diego is a major market that MLS is not yet in, but without the ability to get a stadium built, it’s a dangerous gambit to pick up and move. While this may not be an “if you build it, Major League Soccer will come” situation just yet, there definitely exists the possibility of a major metro area wooing themselves a franchise by promising them a stadium.

The more the game changes, it seems, the more it stays the same. While Commissioner Garber has stated his desire to be in New York with the twentieth team, there is open speculation between a few potential suitors. No doubt that bid will be dependent upon the ability to get a stadium built and this time it will likely have to be in New York City proper – not in New Jersey. And beyond the twentieth team, …well, sorry to disappoint but I don’t have any information you don’t already have. The fan initiatives to bring teams to Minneapolis, Miami, Atlanta and other cities is certainly impressive and may yield results if the stars align but there are few guarantees. One thing we have learned though with the announcement earlier this year of Montreal as the nineteenth team is that the game is always being played. Whether MLS is publicly evaluating expansion bids like it did prior to its announcement of Portland and Vancouver, or in private negotiations as with Montreal, the Don is always listening.

Joe Hart - Preferred

Across the pond in England, while Manchester City continues to make a mockery of the sport with their over-the-top spending, an old-fashioned goalkeeper controversy is brewing. Following a successful loan spell with Birmingham City, England World Cup goalkeeper Joe Hart returns to his parent club surrounded by great expectations. Many expect the 23-year-old Hart to backstop City’s charge, not just for a Champions League berth, but for ultimate glory in the Premier League as well. Whether he is up to the task remains to be seen. In the meantime, however, Hart’s expected first team status casts into doubt the playing time of last year’s starter, Ireland international Shay Given.

Shay Given - UNION SAVIOR?!?!

Given, known by most for his excellent decade as the shot-stopper for Newcastle United, was welcomed to Manchester City in February 2009 and proceeded, along with the other new recruits, to raise City from a mid-table side to the potential future juggernaut of English soccer.

Amidst City’s upward climb within England, Given also anchored Ireland’s quest for a spot in the 2010 World Cup Finals, only to be cruelly denied by the now-infamous Thierry Henry handball that brought victory to France. Despite his country’s unjust failure to qualify, keepers of Given’s pedigree are rare and having recently cast his further participation with Manchester City in doubt by suggesting that if he is not the starter, he wants to be transfered elsewhere to insure first team action, Shay Given could very soon find himself in search of a new club.

Enter the Union…

Calamity Seitz (Calamity Knighton not pictured)

Union brass have made it very clear that they do not believe they need a designated player to continue the progress of the club. Yet, following Brad Knighton’s horror moment on Sunday, and Chris Seitz’ continued lack of confidence, it does not seem far-fetched to imagine that a well-tested goalkeeper might bring the structure to the Union defense that has been so lacking throughout this inaugural season.

Critics of MLS would complain that at 34-years-old, Given is passed his prime. But given his recent form and the large numbers of keepers playing at an extremely high level deep into their thirties (Van der Sar, Friedel, Schwarzer, to name a few) it is realistic to believe that there could be as many as four or five good years available for the club who succeeds in landing the Ireland veteran.

With each passing match, the doubt and frustration growing amidst the defense cannot be overlooked. The Union are developing into a stylish, aggressive outfit, one that will hopefully continue on the path to helping MLS shed its reputation as a slow, rough-and-tumble league.  But every time points are left on the table and the team’s haul of clean-sheets remains at zero it is cause for real concern.

That is why selecting a proven, veteran goalkeeper, like Shay Given, as the franchise’s first designated player makes so much sense. Defenders with confidence in their goalkeeper can play higher up the field, allowing them to challenge attackers before they can turn, winning the ball in midfield rather than having the point of engagement in a dangerous goal scoring location. Bringing the play higher up the field would allow creative players like Coudet and Mapp more freedom to venture forward and serve dangerous balls through defenses, further increasing the high-pressure already being applied by Sebastian Le Toux and Danny Mwanga.

Given v Henry - Part Deux?

And Union strategy aside, just think of this move from MLS’ perspective, a league intent on forging rivalries would be chomping at the bit in anticipation of the world tuning in to see the next chapter of the Henry v Given saga, as the Union v Red Bulls rivalry would finally have some real intrigue. Don Garber should want to help make this a reality, right?

Of course its a long shot.

Still, we can hope…

F Thierry Henry—NYRB (France); D/M Rafael Marquez—NYRB (Mexico); M Bronko Boskovic—DCU (Montenegro); F Mista—Toronto (Spain); F Blaise Nkufo—Seattle (Switzerland); M Alvaro Fernandez—Seattle (Uruguay); F Giancarlo Maldonado—Chivas USA (Venezuela); F Nery Castillo—Chicago (Mexico); M Freddie Ljungberg—traded from Seattle to Chicago (Sweden); Milton Rodriguez—Dallas (Colombia).

The list is admittedly tilted toward Designated Players and attacking players with significant international experience. Absent from the list though are Americans Abroad to come home, goalkeepers, or any real quantity of defenders.

This summer window has been heavily focused on flash and it doesn’t look likely to let up. Word has filtered through various sources that the New England Revolution are in talks with Portugese forward Nuno Gomes, the Kansas City Wizards continue to pursue Mexican forward Omar Bravo, and now Columbus looks set to sign Peruvian forward Andres Mendoza to bolster their front line. While Americans Abroad look hesitant to come home (Beasley and Adu among others) MLS appears to be a more inviting destination for foreigners these days. New York managing director Eric Stover claims that he could have ”probably put together a team that would finish in the top five or six in the Premiership with the guys who contacted us” about coming to Red Bull this summer.

Is this influx of talent good for the league? If you subscribe to the equation that goals = excitement and an exciting product = butts in seats, then you have to unequivocally say yes. I don’t necessarily want to see a goal-fest in every MLS game, but an able-bodied striker on every team will help the bottom of the league more than it will the top. At the end of the day, most of these signings (Marquez and Henry excluded) don’t really move the needle on the American sports landscape and thus the pay-off will have to be on the field, especially for markets like Columbus, KC, and New England. And despite the need for on-field success to make the investment worth-while, chances are that only a few will thrive in MLS and I doubt that more than one or two put together any season like pre-season acquisition Alvaro Saborio (8g, 4a, Costa Rica) is putting together for Salt Lake.

What does this arms race mean to Philadelphia? It only reinforces the need of Philadelphia to locate a long-term solution along the backline. The Union front office have been known to be a bit secretive about player moves, but you have to imagine that they are still looking for players with eleven days left in the transfer window. The Union have a pile of allocation money, two open roster spots, and room still under the cap where one could fit the pro-rated salary of a higher-priced player. Assuming the signing of loanee Michael Orozco in the off-season, the Union have the flexibility to add a quality player anywhere on the backline and not really have to focus so much on which position he plays.

That flexibility, in my opinion, makes a major defensive signing likely as Nowak will be able to focus on strength of character and leadership, not just ability in a particular position. Your guess is as good as mine whether that move will happen in the next eleven days or will wait until the off-season, but after signings to address speed on the wing and midfield depth, defense has become the biggest need. If the Union dream of a spot in the playoffs (playoffs?!?), I don’t see how they could get there without it.

Who are they?

The Revolution haven’t given up a goal in their last four games, although three of those were SuperLiga matches. The other was a 2-0 win over the Galaxy on July 10 that snapped a four game losing streak. And this was no ordinary losing streak. 3-0 losses to Seattle and Cruzeiro were followed by a relatively uplifting 1-0 loss to the Chicago Fire. Then came the crushing 5-0 loss to Real Salt Lake that included an 85th minute goal from Robbie Findley in his first game back from the World Cup. That’s right – Robbie Findley scored a goal. Ouch.

Facing the Galaxy seemed like an unlikely point for the Revs to turn their season around. LA had not given up two goals in a match all season before New England’s dangerous striker Marko Perovic and middie Sainey Nyassi’s handed the Revs an unexpected shutout win. Since then, New England has reeled off three straight 1-0 victories.

Who are we?

Not since the first match of the season has this question been more open. The Union’s roster moves have been coming fast and furious and… only in the midfield. Despite having only two players who have scored more than a goal from the striker position (and Le Toux is now a midfielder), the Union have focused their energies on revamping the middle of the park. Early season favorites Roger Torres and Kyle Nakazawa might see themselves slipping down the depth chart as new signings Justin Mapp and Eduardo Coudet get their first chance to pull on the Snake in MLS play. Both players seem to have the experience and calmness on the ball that the Union need to make their ball possession style effective. Whether those talents will translate into a consistent 90 minutes from the blue and gold is the big question running through Peter Novak’s mind.

Regular starters Danny Mwanga, Alejandro Moreno and Jordan Harvey are listed as probable for today’s match, but expect them all to be in the lineup. Whether Mapp and Coudet’s arrivals finally push the misfiring Moreno to the bench is one of the major questions Union fans will be asking before kickoff. Shea Salinas, who – even after this latest flurry of moves – remains the Union’s only real winger, is still sidelined with a fractured fibula. If you really miss him, check him out on the podcast.

Key Players

While Danny Mwanga has the highest long-term ceiling, Zack Schilawski was supposed to be instant offense for the Revolution. The Wake Forest product has come through for RevNation with five goals in all competitions thus far. While three of those came in Shil’s home debut against Toronto, it’s hard to fault the rookie for an inconsistent season. He has played next to MLS debutant Perovic and the two have had to carry the offensive load with very little support. Combined, the two players have 8 of the Revolution’s 14 goals this year.

Look, I could give you a paragraph about Shalrie Joseph, but if you watched the All-Star game or have ever listened to John Harkes call an MLS match that didn’t feature Landon Donovan, you know what you’re getting here. Joseph understands the MLS game as well as any holding midfielder who has ever played in the league. He knows when to sit and he knows when to step up. He can’t do it all though. If Mapp, Le Toux and Fred can make Joseph give the ball up before he wants to, the Union can stifle the Revolution attack without much difficulty. Oh wait, I just gave you the paragraph anyways.

Kevin Alston is the best defensive player on the Revolution roster. He’s a shutdown defender when he’s on his game. It’s likely that Alston will get a heavy dose of the MwanGenius today, and that matchup will be one of the two that define this game. If Mwanga can get enough space to run at Alston and the rest of the New England defense, the Union should see some crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

The other key matchup is Joseph versus Le Toux. In his midfield role, Le Toux can cover a lot of ground. And guess what: He does. Le Tout Jour needs to get the big center middie out of position or the Union will be relegated to a long day of serving mediocre crosses into mediocre-to-poor aerial finishers.

Prediction

When Shea Salinas was on the PSP/KYW podcast, he talked about how important it was to make PPL Park a fortress. The Union don’t have to worry about fan support, they just need to concentrate on channeling their energies into a full 90 minutes of good footy. More than any other team in the league, you could take one touch out of every Union game and completely reverse their fortunes thus far this year. Case in point: One Okugo pass in the Manchester game. This team is as good as we think they are.

Philadelphia 3-1 Revolution

After Philadelphia took a hard loss to the San Jose Earthquakes back on July 10 they have been on a bit of a roll. The schedule for them after the July 10 game was vs. Celtic F.C., vs. Toronto and vs. Manchester United, a tough schedule for a new good team coming off a hard loss.

The Union were looking for results that they should be getting with all of the talent on the squad. They won the Celtic match 1-0 on a goal from Le Toux. Three days after the Celtic game the Union had to take on another good team, Toronto. Toronto was coming into the game with a 8-game unbeaten streak. Goals from Orozco Fiscal and Le Toux gave the Union a 2-1 win.

Philly next took on the giants of the EPL, Manchester United.  Some 44,000 screaming soccer fans showed up and what they got was a great game. Although the Union lost, 1-0, it was a great experience for such a young team to take on the Red Devils. Now they can take what they learned playing against Man U and use it against New England.

The Revolution currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, with Philadelphia in sixth. This is the first time the Union will play New England this season and if they win they can move into either fourth or fifth place depending on what Kansas City and Chicago do in their games.

The Sons of Ben will surely be doing their thing and singing for the Union for the whole game, which will help rankle the Revolution. They are surely the best supporters club in the MLS and that really does help Philadelphia on the pitch.

The players to look for in this game are:

• Sebastien Le Toux:  Le Toux will be coming into the game after being the first-ever Union player to be selected to the All-Star game. He scored the game winning goal against Toronto to add to his current tally of seven goals and seven assists.
• Danny Mwanga:  Mwanga had a great 82 minutes against Man U and gained the kind of experience that both young players and veterans alike benefit from. Look for Danny to step up for this New England game and have quite a few chances to score. He currently has five goals and two assists.
• Eduardo Coudet: Coudet is the new guy on the team and wants to excel in MLS. He had great games against Celtic and Man U. He might fill in for Roger Torres as a midfielder, since Torres is out for a couple weeks from his injury. He currently has 1 assist with the Union.

You can view the game on 6abc and WQMY.  The game is on July 31 and first kick is at 3:30 PM at PPL Park.

When the Philadelphia Union took on Man U on July 21, they only lost 1-0. It took United 76 minutes to score on the Union’s third string goalie.

The MLS All-Star’s had L.A. Galaxy’s first team goalie, Donovan Ricketts, starting in goal for the game. It only took 22 seconds—yes,  I said seconds—to score on him, although a horrible pass by the Revolution’s Kevin Alston basically put the goal on a plate for Federico Macheda.

Yes, the Union are an actual team who have been playing together all season and have built team chemistry. Experience and chemistry do help a team win, but these were suppose to be All-Stars, the best of the best of the MLS.

Don’t get me wrong—Le Toux and everyone up front did their share, tying Manchester United with nine shots on goal. Of course, five of United’s shots went in.

With unlimited substitutions, some players didn’t have enough time on the pitch to start something going. Not that this was a problem for Man U, although, when the Union played Man U, they didn’t have unlimited subs and for a young team they did just fine. Against the All-Stars, Man U did so well that they had two spots on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays, including the number one play of the day.

Going even further, if the Union are better than the All-Stars, what does that make Kansas City?

It might have been just a hiccup for the All-Stars, but from what I saw last night it looked like Man U was playing a high school team. Compare the two games, Union vs Man U and MLS vs Man U. What do you think? Did the Union have the better game and is a better team than the MLS All-Stars?

With Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls) slotted up top as the lone striker, Le Toux was penciled in at left outside mid, paired up at central with Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake). A bit odd given what we’re used to seeing, but certainly a concession to the nature of the match. Bruce Arena’s selection was made a bit easier by the fact that leading MLS goalscorer Edson Buddle and teammate Landon Donovan (subbed in at the 74th minute) played the night before in a CONCACAF Champions League match (a 4-1 loss to Puerto Rico City Islanders).

[United's] young and future stars put on a dazzling display from the start with Federico Macheda poaching two in under 13 minutes.

Morales, the key for any push by the MLS Allstars, showed more of a willingness to work the ball forward to Marco Pappa (Chicago Fire) who would then seek out Angel.  The Real Salt Lake man did, however, shift the ball back to Le Toux in the 21st minute, following a deep run towards the left flag. Sending the ball further back as the Allstars held possession, Le Toux would receive again to lead a ball with the softest of touches to a teammate at the top of the box, who unfortunately couldn’t manage a shot.

Sadly, that would be one of the best efforts displayed by the Union’s chief danger man, as well as one of the few times the MLS All-Stars threatened in the first half, with the only serious threat in the first 45 minutes seeming to come off Chad Marshall’s (Columbus Crew) head. He’d come close again through the air in the second half.

Le Toux was stymied by a combination of Wes Brown and Rafael…[with Brown] marking him off passes to the top of the box on two different occasions.

Quite the opposite for United, whose young and future stars put on a dazzling display from the start with Federico Macheda poaching two in under 13 minutes. His first came in the opening 23 seconds of the match following a horrid mistake by defender Shalrie Joseph of the New England Revolution; in the 13th he rose unmarked to emphatically bury a corner. Replays appeared to show that Le Toux was supposed to be marking him.

As the half wore on, Le Toux began to push more into his traditional striking role, albeit checking back at times. The industry of a United team motivated by their recent loss to Kansas City, however, proved too much for any serious threat. As was the case throughout the first, Le Toux was stymied by a combination of Wes Brown and Rafael in the 38th as he ran to the endline towards the ball. Brown expertly shielded Le Toux off the ball while Rafael hovered in support.

Brown proved far too physical for Le Toux, marking him off passes to the top of the box on two different occasions, with the United defender readily clearing the ball out of harms way. Incursions down the left wing were made all the more difficult by Nani’s willingness, despite a nagging injury that saw him sub out early, to check back with alacrity.

Northeast Philly native Bobby Convey (San Jose Earthquakes) subbed in for Le Toux at the start of the second half, which was at least much more competitive than the first. The chances were definitely there for the MLS side, but too many times the ball was sent directly at Edwin Van der Sar or off the woodwork.

Two quick goals by United negated a brilliant aerial display by substitute Brian Ching, who headed home inside the left post. Darron Gibson dropped a beautiful free kick into the upper left corner in the 70th, while reserves graduate Thomas Cleverley followed a brilliant pop-up over a would be defender by slotting to the left of the keeper.

United subs continued to do damage, as Javier Hernandez—Chicharito—struck home from the top of the box with a ball so well placed it spoke volumes of his potential and the onrushing keeper’s chagrin.

…the throwing together of stars posed a gross disadvantage as they ran up against a Manchester side with chemistry, poise, and star power on full display.

A recently entered Landon Donovan (L.A. Galaxy) could only look on in disgust. On in the 74th, his entry was already too late to provide anything resembling a spark. It was more towards respectability that the All-Stars would push in the late minutes, following their harrying of United upon a 90th minute Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC) schooling of Wes Brown—outside to inside—that led to an easy tally.

Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo) had a solid chance late following a brilliant feed into the box, but he shot directly into the keeper. He followed in the closing seconds by putting a free-kick off the post from distance. The All-Stars continued to press, but it was unfortunate the needed industry and poise in the attacking third came as the clock was winding down.

Still, 70,000 for a soccer match involving MLS—with the attendance no doubt helped by Chicharito’s presence—against anyone can hardly be scoffed at, even though for the first time in the history of the annual affair the throwing together of stars posed a gross disadvantage as they ran up against a Manchester side with chemistry, poise, and star power on full display.

Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union.

We don’t care about the SuperLiga.

Euro friendlies? Nice, gets you some exposure and ticket revenue, but nobody cares who wins.

Tonight’s MLS all-star match is nice, but the same Man U team of backups facing the all-stars already lost to a 10-man Kansas City squad that’s one of the league’s worst.

What (should) matter most are the following:

• Regular season and playoffs (although too many teams make the playoffs);
• CONCACAF Champions League;
• U.S. Open Cup.

So when your league’s best team loses 4-1 at home to a second division squad in Champions League, it’s absolutely inexcusable.

That’s right. The Los Angeles Galaxy lost 4-1 at home to the Puerto Rico Islanders. With center back Omar Gonzalez, left back Todd Dunivant, and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts on the bench, the league’s best defense barely showed up to play. It’s like the Galaxy didn’t even try to win.

Heads up: Champions League matters. The opportunity to play in the Club World Cup against teams like Barcelona or Inter Milan matters. The opportunity to win internationally recognized trophies matters. When you blow it off and treat it as though it doesn’t, MLS gets embarrassed, as it did last night. Don’t give me this bit about an experienced team or whatever.  Yeah, we know Puerto Rico was a Champions League semifinalist last year. Big freaking deal. This is the best team in MLS by far, and they got smoked. All the excuses translates to is “blah blah didn’t take it seriously, got our buts kicked, blah.”

MLS was recently ranked the world’s 88th best domestic professional soccer league by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

Yes, we all know the league is far better than that, probably ranking somewhere from 15th to 25th, much like the Russian league is far better than its perch at No. 44. The rankings heavily factored in Champions League showings.

The choice to blow off Champions League games is foolish, much like the complete lack of respect for the U.S. Open Cup. Every serious domestic league in the world has at least one major cup competition and Champions League. I’d much rather watch a meaningful Champions League game against Chivas Guadalajara or Saprissa, two of the best teams in Mexico and Honduras, or a U.S. Open Cup match against the Red Bulls or Harrisburg than Celtic’s second teamers.

Fans would take Champions League and U.S Open Cup seriously if only MLS clubs would. Yet they don’t. American professional soccer gets a black eye as a result.

Do you want MLS to be taken more seriously by top players considering playing in the U.S. and Canada? Winning the Champions League and going to the Club World Cup would be a start.

Then, instead of meaningless friendlies against second stringers, an MLS team could play the world’s top clubs in games that actually matter.