Timbers technical director Gavin Wilkinson (left), new head coach John Spencer (center) and club majority owner Merritt Paulson (right) (Photo via Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers)

In probably what has become the worst kept coaching secret in Major League Soccer is about to come true tomorrow. The Portland Timbers are se to hire former Houston Dynamo assistant John Spencer as the club’s first MLS head coach.

Spencer’s name has been linked with the job since last year when he met with team owner Merritt Paulson  and  general manager Gavin Wilkinson.

The Timbers had interviewed other candidates including former Chicago Fire manager Denis Hamlett.

But Spencer was always their guy. Once he left the Dynamo last month out of the blue it was pretty obvious around the league circles what was going on with him and Portland.

The hiring itself is a good move. No doubt Spencer knows MLS well and how to manage it’s silliness. He also is good with young players, which Portland will probably have a decent amount of going into their expansion season.

In one day the Houston Dynamo cut loose a Designated Player that bombed and probably more importantly saw one of the league’s best assistant coaches step down for personal reasons. Yes Dynamo fans I believe you are entering a slight rebuilding phase now.

Luis Angel Landin, signed last August as Houston’s first DP, was released Tuesday by the Dynamo. The 24-year-old Mexican striker scored just twice in 20 appearances for club. His status as a DP was always under question by folks in the media and around the league due to his constant lack of form and shape.

Landin goes into the books as one of the bigger busts in the short run of the DP rule. He’s not quite Denilsen bad but he’s definitely up there in the Claudio Reyna territory of being a bad DP choice by the club.

You could blame Houston manager Dominic Kinnear for sticking it out for Landin for this long but really he only had so much to work with him there. When I saw the Dynamo here in Dallas back at the start of the season Landin was in terrible shape and just looked lethargic on the pitch.

But the bigger news in my mind is the departure of Spencer. He is leaving for personal reasons so I won’t go into speculating what that could mean right now. We all know this was likely his final year in Dynamo orange as he was being courted by Portland to be their new coach when they enter Major League Soccer next season.

Losing their top assistant is a big blow. Look what its done to Steve Nicol in New England when Paul Mariner left the club to coach in England.

After all the dust settled on these announcements the club also signed midfielder Anthony Obodai from Ghana who has spent the last season with RKC Waalwijk in the Dutch Eredivisie

Why isn't Colin Clarke back on some club's radar? (USLSoccer)

Its hard to believe that three clubs are still without a head coach this evening. Well one has an interim head coach but two big time clubs in Major League Soccer end the day without a lead boss, which could be setting them back a bit for the upcoming month with the transfer window opening up and the SuperDraft.

Yes I am talking about you DC United and Chicago Fire. Both still lack a manager after parting ways with Tom Soehn and Denis Hamlett respectively.

Last night we heard news that DC would not be able to get Akron head coach Caleb Porter which put their coaching search into a big spin. SBI broke news earlier that DC even went as far to try and get San Jose manager Frank Yallop and Houston assistant John Spencer for the job. San Jose said they couldn’t approach Yallop and Spencer said he wasn’t interested.

Yikes.

Are things that bad that no one wants to coach in DC? Second of all it says a lot about what DC thinks of former Kansas City manager Curt Onalfo who seemed to be the next guy in line after Porter. But with Porter out of the picture it just sounds like Onalfo was not good enough (which he isn’t by the way) to get the job. Now DC could still go that route if they end up with no other options but it sounds like they will continue to drag their feet in this search until they get someone better than Onalfo.

Why isn’t DC going after someone like RSL assistant Robin Fraser? Or former Dallas manager Colin Clark who’s now in the USL with Puerto Rico.

Chicago isn’t much better here with their search. According to ESPNChicago.com the Fire aren’t completely sold on their two final choices that were reported in former DC boss Tom Soehn or Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch.

Honestly if I were the Fire I’d go for Soehn. I know things didn’t pan out in DC with him but honestly the guy can coach in my opinion. DC just had a loaded schedule with some injury issues the years he was there. Chicago won’t have as loaded of a schedule in 2010, just possibly SuperLiga again.

The ESPNChicago article also mentions some other possible candidates for the gig like Thomas Rongen (not a bad pick), Spencer (who won’t take a job until 2011 with Portland), and Clarke.

What do I think each club will do? Honestly I wouldn’t be shocked to start hearing John Harkes name for the DC gig here soon. I know he’s comfortable with his job at ESPN but he did do some assistant coaching under Bruce Arena in New York. In the end I do kind of see United settling for Onalfo. As for the Fire I think they’ll end up with a surprise pick like Clarke or even Rongen if they can get him away from his U-20 national team post.

Lots of names will float out there and with 11 games left on the menu for the Galaxy I am beginning to wonder if the Galaxy will just hold on to interim coach Cobi Jones for the rest of the year. Would it really work out to bring in a coach this late in the year to take over? I think the smart answer is no. But with the way AEG wants to bring in the money I have a feeling they may push hard for a quick change here in the coming week. Even Jones has said he has the club for the next game and that’s all he’s been told about the timetable here.

Though if they do the smart thing and give Jones the time for the rest of the year, that will allow themselves to get the coach they all want for this club.

SO who exactly will be on that short list of coaches that the Galaxy could be looking at here?

• Peter Nowak – Most people believe Nowak will be the top choice for this position. For good reasons too. He knows the MLS. He knows how to handle veteran players. He also works well with young players (the Galaxy has plenty of them). The former Polish international player has won MLS championships as a player with the Chicago Fire and as the coach of D.C. United. The drawbacks right now seem to just be his current situation with the US National team. Word has it he loves where he’s at right now. The only thing they could possible do to lure Nowak away from that situation is to throw some crazy money at him (which they have).
• Bruce Arena – I discussed this a couple days ago. Some will be quick to put him on the list because of his desire to prove himself again in the league after a disastrous time in New York. Plus the guy has won time and time again in this league and knows how to develop players well. I have a feeling though he will wait another year and come on board with Philadelphia in 2010 though.
• Paul Mariner – The current New England assistant has been the hot assistant that everyone talks about for a while now. He wants a chance to coach a club but he also isn’t for leaving Boston anytime soon. Again, it will take a big contract to get him out of a great situation with the Revs. Plus there is a feeling that he will be the top candidate for the Seattle job next year. Its always better to start from scratch than to try and fix a four-year mess.
• John Spencer – Another top assistant that has been rumored with many clubs over the last couple years. I have a feeling if they wait and decide they want Spencer, they will end up in a bidding war with Colorado for him. Though Colorado has no chance if it comes to that. Plus there is the fact that AEG also pays his salary in Houston so a move to a “sister club” wouldn’t be too hard of a thing to do.
• Sigi Schmid – Yeah, believe it or not his name is being thrown out there for this opening. Would he return to LA? I wouldn’t hold my breath for it. Since the Galaxy fired him back in 2004, the club has pretty much gone down hill. Schmid went to Columbus and has rebuilt that club into a real winner. I think it would take a lot for him to go back to LA too, and pretty much he would need to get fired by Columbus to do so. Something I don’t see happening.
• Cobi Jones – Promote from within? It would be a great choice but most feel Jones needs more time and experience as an assistant before he moves into a head coaching role.

Who else is out there that deserves a look?