Hot off the email presses today, this just dropped in my inbox a moment ago from the folks up in Portland. After today’s announcement of the league’s expansion deadlines and what not, Portland wasted no time to get their bid into the league.

They have made their bid official with the league and have issued a lovely press release. I won’t post the entire release but just a couple of key points.

Merritt Paulson, owner and president of the Portland Timbers and Portland Beavers, today announced plans to submit an application for a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise that would play at PGE Park in downtown Portland, Ore.

MLS today announced the timeline and application process for the league’s next two expansion teams, with plans to add two clubs by 2011 to bring the league to 18 teams. MLS, which will consider markets in the United States and Canada, has set an Oct. 15, 2008, deadline for applications.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Major League Soccer in Portland would both add a tremendous amount to the league and have a phenomenally positive impact on our community and state,” Paulson said. “We have the most ardent and authentic soccer fanbase in the United States, and Soccer City USA deserves a Major League Soccer team.

“In the coming months, we look forward to making an exceptionally strong case to both MLS and our community as to why Portland should be designated as one of the next two MLS expansion cities.”

I guess this is the start of many other cities submitting bids in the coming days/weeks/months here. If any more of these types of releases fall in my inbox today I will pass them along to you all.

You can get more information on the Timbers by visiting their website.

As we all know, yesterday the USSF suspended Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco for his behavior during a U.S. Open Cup match against D.C. United on July 8.

Today the league took it’s turn, as they fined the DP midfielder.

The cost to Blanco’s fat wallet, a mere $7,500. Yeah. A freakin’ joke if you ask me.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber was asked about the fine and he had this to say:

“Whenever MLS players participate in any competition or friendly match, they represent their club and the League and must conduct themselves in a professional manner on and off the field of play. We expect a very high standard of behavior from our players and we will hold them accountable for their actions.”

The league at least did something. It won’t please a lot of people but they at least said if you act up outside of league play while you are under contract with us we will still punish you no matter what. I think the fine amount is a joke though because in any other sport the fined would have been much larger and would have matched the suspension. I don’t think $7,500 matches a six game suspension.

I may be the only one who feels that way but it seems low for the actions he did that night. What do you all think of this fined? Too much, too little, just right? Let’s hear it.

A press release that is hot off the presses from MLS Headquarters. The league announced deadlines for expansion hopefuls from around the US and Canada. From the look of things we won’t know who these two sites will be until after MLS Cup.

So take MLS Cup and add the popular ‘60-90 days’ and we should know something.

Here is the full release:

NEW YORK — Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has announced the timeline and application process for the League’s next two expansion teams. MLS intends to add two clubs by 2011, bringing the League to 18 teams. MLS will consider markets in the United States and Canada for the 17th and 18th teams.

Ownership groups and markets that are interested in being considered for this expansion round can submit applications to MLS up until October 15, 2008. Official applications will be provided to qualified groups by the MLS League Office.

Following the receipt of the expansion applications, MLS will determine the date by which the selection decision will be made. An announcement regarding the next two expansion clubs will take place during the fourth quarter of 2008 or the first quarter of 2009.

I know, I know, I skipped last month in the monthly awards here but we are back at it when a new twist. I’m mainly going to concentrate on the Player of the Month and the best XI. In the past I did a bunch of other ones but for right now I just don’t have the time to do those. Maybe if there is some extra time later on this evening I will get to them.

Anyways, let’s get down to business here. Lots of candidates for WVH Player of the Month. You have Guillermo Barros Schelotto from Columbus, Kenny Cooper from Dallas, Nat Borchers from RSL, Luciano Emilio from DC, and Brian Ching from Houston. You could make a case for those netminders like Nick Rimando and Jon Busch or go old school with Kevin Hartman.

To me I will go defensively here with a keeper. I agree with the league who just posted their player of the month, Nick Rimando.

Why the former DC United keeper? Because he (along with a nice defense) has lead RSL to the top of the western standings and more importantly to a winning record for the first time in club history. Rimando posted three shutouts in four matches, folks that is good enough in any month for me. RSL is undefeated in their last nine of their last ten.

So Rimando, congrats, you’ve earned it. Now go buy your defense a drink or three for their hard work as well!

Continue Reading…

Just got word about another trade in Major League Soccer, this week has been just full of trades. DC United have traded for Ivan Guerrero from San Jose in exchange for some allocation, according to Steve Goff.

Guerrero played three seasons with Chicago before being selected in the expansion draft this year by San Jose. He has made 14 appearances (13 starts) for the Quakes and scored one goal. He does have a green card and will not count against the foreign limit.  He’ll arrive in DC today and be available for Saturday’s home match against Kansas City.

If any more details from this trade come down I will pass them along to you all. Sounds to me like the Quakes are set to make another couple moves here for the final 10 or 12 games here in hopes to improve themselves for next year.

What do you all make of this trade? DC fans is this a guy you wanted? Let’s hear it.

I think I’ve gotten around a half dozen emails this morning about last night’s SuperLiga semifinal between New England and Atlante. I caught the majority of the game and thought it was a bit chippy but what happened towards the end pretty much put a damper on the game and the tournament that didn’t need any more bad press.

New England went ahead early thanks to Shalrie Joseph. Atlante lost the match because of that early goal and then a few players due to red cards. They tried to turn the final minutes and seconds of the game into a full fledged battle royal. Players and coaches got involved from the Mexican side and showed just how sore of losers they really were.

Things were just ugly.

With Atlante’s actions last night it put yet another damper on this tournament that has not had the same luster as the 2007 version. I won’t take anything away from what the MLS clubs did on the field because New England and Houston deserve to be where they are at in this tournament, in the finals. I just think this year’s tournament hasn’t been nearly as good as last years.

The use of smaller stadiums, the poor field conditions at some stadiums, poor officiating, and let’s not forget for the MLS sides that this isn’t quite a million-dollar tournament like everyone hyped it to be. All things against this tournament in 2008.

I hope this year’s tournament will serve as a guide that SUM and MLS need to revisit this tournament and redo it a bit. Hopefully the actions by some of the Mexican clubs will cool off in future editions of this tournament and the officiating will improve.

What do you all make of this year’s tournament? To me it hasn’t been nearly as watchable as last year’s.

Maybe this is why the stands at Dicks Sporting Goods Park always seem empty.

I try not to get too involved in some of these fan issues with stadiums but after reading this email that was sent to the Sideline Views, I thought it needed to be discussed.

Apparently there are some big issues going on in stadiums around the league in regards to security. Each stadium’s security acts different than the other but one thing seems clear they all sound like they don’t know what they are doing. Either they are too anal about the streamer issue or in this case they go crazy and pretty much give fans a reason to never come back (which has to change ASAP!).

One thing is clear, the clubs need to step in and get something changed.

Read this email below and tell me what you think. If I were in these fan’s shoes I would not be happy, especially if I were a season ticket holder. I know the section they sit in did something wrong (lit a smoke bomb) but for the security in the stadium to go nuts on the entire section for it just seems bad. Continue Reading…