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	<title>WVHooligan.com - MLS Blog &#187; Jon Busch</title>
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	<description>A look at Major League Soccer (MLS) through the eyes of a MLS writer and fan.</description>
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		<title>MLS Weekend Preview: Week 3</title>
		<link>http://wvhooligan.com/2010/04/09/6736/mls-weekend-preview-week-3-2/</link>
		<comments>http://wvhooligan.com/2010/04/09/6736/mls-weekend-preview-week-3-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:55:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Drew Epperley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chicago Fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chivas USA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rapids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Columbus Crew]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DC United]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FC Dallas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Game Previews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Houston Dynamo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LA Galaxy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New England Revolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Red Bulls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philadelphia Union]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[San Jose Earthquakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seattle Sounders FC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sporting KC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto FC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010 Week 3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atiba Harris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brad Davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brek Shea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chad Marshall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Collins John]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Danny Mwanga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darrius Barnes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Ferriera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donovan Ricketts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dwayne De Rosario]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fabian Espindola]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fred]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guillermo Barros Schelotto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Busch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kei Kamara]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Luis Angel Landin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marco Pappa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maykel Galindo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Omar Cummings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat Noonan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robbie Findley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan Johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Zakuani]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tim Ream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weekend Previews]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Are you ready for tomorrow? Seriously, are you ready? Eight games in one day, a new league record. We knew this day would come eventually with all the expansion in the league and kudos to the league for putting one so early in the season too. If you&#8217;re like me, you&#8217;ll find tomorrow to be<a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2010/04/09/6736/mls-weekend-preview-week-3-2/">…[continue reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 506px"><img class=" " src="http://www.mlssoccer.com/sites/default/files/image_nodes/2010/03/nowak_0.jpg" alt="" width="496" height="280" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Peter Nowak and Philadelphia make their home debut this weekend. (MLSSoccer.com)</p></div>
<p>Are you ready for tomorrow? Seriously, are you ready? Eight games in one day, a new league record. We knew this day would come eventually with all the expansion in the league and kudos to the league for putting one so early in the season too.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re like me, you&#8217;ll find tomorrow to be a tough one because of the amount of games on at once. Thankfully with my Mac I can at least throw up a few different game windows in multiple spaces.</p>
<p>So get your DVRs ready (if you can hold this many games), sign up for the league video package online (if you haven&#8217;t done so already), or be like most folks and just go to a game if you can. Its going to be a fun weekend for sure.</p>
<p>Feel free as always to leave your predictions below in the comments section.<span id="more-6736"></span></p>
<p><strong>New York Red Bulls &#8211; at &#8211; Chivas USA:</strong></p>
<p>Lets just say that Chivas USA needs to figure out their offensive issues here. In to town is the new look Red Bulls who&#8217;ve won two straight shutouts. Hans Backe&#8217;s club has been solid defensively so far this season but a second straight west coast game will prove to be a bigger test than some will really think, even though Chivas has yet to score this season. We could see a potential letdown by the Red Bulls after they finally got their first road win a week ago after 27-games of coming up short away from home.</p>
<p>For me its going to come down to who scores in this one. Even with the two wins on the year the Red Bulls haven&#8217;t lit up the scoreboard so far (only two goals). I see a slight drop off in this one while Chivas continues to struggle to score.</p>
<p><em><em>Player to watch out for</em></em>: Tim Ream &#8211; the rookie is as good as advertised here. Look for him to be all over Chivas&#8217; Maykel Galindo in this one.</p>
<p><strong>WVH Prediction: Chivas 0, New York 0</strong></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p><strong>D.C. United &#8211; at &#8211; Philadelphia Union</strong></p>
<p>Home opener for Philadelphia is a big, big deal. They&#8217;re expecting about 30k+ tomorrow at the Linc, don&#8217;t be shocked if they reach a sellout figure (they&#8217;re caping the capacity for this one at 35k). This new rivalry will be heated, especially given how bad both have started off the year. D.C. has look awful all over the field while Philadelphia struggled on the road in their debut two weeks ago. Given the fact that Peter Nowak has had a little more time to prepare for this one I like the Union&#8217;s chances in this one a little more.</p>
<p>Curt Onalfo&#8217;s side has to figure out where to get their offense from. So far in attack they&#8217;ve looked uncreative and in result have been unproductive. You could say it comes down to their midfield not doing enough with the possession too. I&#8217;d imagine Nowak will do a better job with his lineup now that he gets Fred back. Look for their shape to be a little better in this one as they ride the massive fan support in the home opener. Its easy to go for a draw here given the poor results by these two so far but I like Philadelphia&#8217;s chances here.</p>
<p><em>Player to watch out for</em>: Danny Mwanga &#8211; With Fred back and likely in the midfield, we should see more out of Mwanga in this one for Philadelphia. Hopefully Nowak learned that he belongs up top.</p>
<p><strong>WVH Prediction: Philadelphia 1, D.C. 0</strong></p>
<p><strong>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</strong></p>
<p><strong>Toronto FC &#8211; at &#8211; New England Revolution</strong></p>
<p>Steve Nicol is looking for his 100th career MLS win in this one, and he probably couldn&#8217;t ask for a better opponent. Toronto FC is still in a bit of a state of flux after all the moves that have gone on over these last few weeks including the latest with the retirement of Jim Brennan. That loss thins out the Reds defense even more here. New England could possibly see Shalrie Joseph back for the home opener but even without him I like the Revs chances in this one. The Revs could also see Darrius Barnes back for this one as well, which would only make it rougher on Toronto to score in this one.</p>
<p>It seems like Toronto hasn&#8217;t scored a goal in league play or in exhibition play in ages here. I don&#8217;t see that starting back up right now. The Revs played their game last week in D.C. and I&#8217;d imagine Nicol will use some of the same tactics this week to get three more points.</p>
<p><em>Player to watch out for</em>: Dwayne De Rosario &#8211; Really Toronto&#8217;s only hope to get on the scoreboard. If he can work his magic that we&#8217;ve seen him do in the past against the Revs, Toronto could sneak out with some points.</p>
<p><strong>WVH Prediction: New England 2, Toronto 0</strong></p>
<p><strong>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</strong></p>
<p><strong>Colorado Rapids &#8211; at &#8211; Kansas City Wizards</strong></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s one game this weekend I&#8217;m looking forward to. Two clubs that everyone is still trying to figure out here. Are both contenders or pretenders this season? We think they could be contenders but its still too early to tell. The Rapids have to get their defense in line here for this one as the Wizards showed early on this year that they can score early and often.</p>
<p>As we saw last week, Kansas City&#8217;s best bet to get by the Rapids defense is to go right at them with some speed. Look for Ryan Smith and Kei Kamara to do just that on the wings as things in the center of the park will be a little tight. The Rapids haven&#8217;t won in KC since 2002 and something tells me that streak isn&#8217;t going to end here this season either. However I do think a draw sounds more likely with these two trading some goals early on in this one.</p>
<p><em>Player to watch out for: </em>Omar Cummings &#8211; For me he is by far the most dangerous player on the field in this one. If he finds open space in the final third for Colorado he can score and create chances for Conor Casey.</p>
<p><strong>WVH Prediction: Kansas City 2, Colorado 2</strong></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
<p><strong>LA Galaxy &#8211; at &#8211; Houston Dynamo</strong></p>
<p>I love the promo the Dynamo are running for this one &#8211;  a flash light campaign, in case the lights go out again with these two on the field. Beautiful stuff.</p>
<p>Houston as we know is a bit banged up with Brian Ching on the shelf for a few weeks. Dominic Kinnear will have to look elsewhere for offense. Maybe we&#8217;ll finally see their Designated Player Luis Angel Landin finally step into the role. Or Kinnear can go with Cam Weaver. Either one with the speed of Dominic Oduro should be fine.</p>
<p>LA has been very good on defense so far this year, with no goals against. But both of those games came from the friendly confines of the Home Depot Center. Things are a little different for the Galaxy at Robertson Stadium, a place few get points at. I see this one staying close but look for the Dynamo to figure out a way to get one by Donovan Ricketts.</p>
<p><em>Player to watch out for: </em>Brad Davis &#8211; Don&#8217;t expect another two goals from the PK spot this weekend for Davis but no matter who scores for Houston in this one it will be due to the play of this guy.</p>
<p><strong>WVH Prediction: Houston 1, LA 0</strong></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p><strong>Columbus Crew &#8211; at &#8211; FC Dallas</strong></p>
<p>The regular season version of the Pioneer Cup. Both teams had a week off last week to plan for this game. It will be interesting to see if Chad Marshall makes it back for this one for the Crew. If he isn&#8217;t out there their defense could be a bit exposed with him gone and Eric Brunner out. Guys like Andy Iro will likely have to step up to contain Jeff Cunningham.</p>
<p>Dallas isn&#8217;t too different in the back either as both Kyle Davies and Ugo Ihemelu are banged up. We could even see Brek Shea in the back for the Red Stripes in this one as a bit of a patch work job by manager Schellas Hyndman. Expect this one to come down to who can control things in the midfield. On one side we have Guillermo Barros Schelotto and the other David Ferriera. I&#8217;d be lying if I didn&#8217;t think that was the best matchup of the weekend right there. The visitors could go away with three points but a draw sounds more likely.</p>
<p><em>Player to watch out for: </em>Atiba Harris &#8211; Dallas needs some big time play on the wings and Harris has to be that guy for them. He scored in the season opener and if he can work his way into the middle in the final third of the field we could see him score again.</p>
<p><strong>WVH Prediction: Dallas 1, Columbus 1</strong></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p><strong>San Jose Earthquakes &#8211; at &#8211; Chicago Fire</strong></p>
<p>We know the storyline in this one, Jon Busch&#8217;s return to Chicago. That should be a it awkward. The Fire looked a little better in week two but they still haven&#8217;t found that consistent play out of their midfield. Manager Carlos de los Cobos went with a 4-3-3 last week and it started to work for them as Collins John made an impact with the open space up top. Chicago has to get more out of Marco Pappa though in the midfield.</p>
<p>The Quakes just need to figure themselves out here though. In week one they looked more like an expansion team than a team in it&#8217;s third year. Frank Yallop made a couple changes to his roster and got former Quake Scott Sealy back. I&#8217;m not entirely sure if that move will get their club going or not here. The road hasn&#8217;t been kind to the Quakes lately either. Chicago should find a way to win this one.</p>
<p><em>Player to watch out for: </em>Ryan Johnson &#8211; He&#8217;s the main guy for the Quakes, if he doesn&#8217;t get going in this one it will be a long night in the Windy City for Yallop&#8217;s side.</p>
<p><strong>WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, San Jose 0</strong></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p><strong>Seattle Sounders FC &#8211; at &#8211; Real Salt Lake</strong></p>
<p>Probably the game of the week in most folks minds. Rightfully so as both clubs are looking to rebound after dismal efforts in week two. RSL will look to resume their home dominance while Seattle will hope to get on the right track this year away from Qwest Field. Sigi Schmid has to find a way to get his club going offensively though to get any sort of points in this one. I wouldn&#8217;t be shocked to see Pat Noonan get the starting nod in this one for them to make an effort to kick start their offense.</p>
<p>RSL also has some decisions to make offensively. Do they start Robbie Findley over Fabian Espindola or Alvaro Saborio, or do they keep him as a second half sub for now? Either way I think we&#8217;ll get more Findley this week than what we&#8217;ve seen so far this season. I like RSL in this one though with the way their midfield plays at home. I doubt we&#8217;ll see the same defensive meltdowns that we saw out of them in Houston a week ago too.</p>
<p><em>Player to watch out for: </em>Steve Zakuani &#8211; The one big chance the Sounders have in this one is for Zakuani to expose RSL on the wings. His pace could be a big difference maker.</p>
<p><strong>WVH Predictions: RSL 2, Seattle 1</strong></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Busch Out In Chicago</title>
		<link>http://wvhooligan.com/2010/03/22/6515/busch-out-in-chicago/</link>
		<comments>http://wvhooligan.com/2010/03/22/6515/busch-out-in-chicago/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:29:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Drew Epperley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chicago Fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News and Rumors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Busch]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wvhooligan.com/?p=6515</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What may be the wildest and boldest move I&#8217;ve seen a club make just days before the start of the season just went down. According to SBI, the Chicago Fire are set to either trade or waive veteran keeper Jon Busch. Yes, Busch the same guy that just two years ago was the MLS Keeper<a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2010/03/22/6515/busch-out-in-chicago/">…[continue reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/6/4/6/c/Jon_Busch_fb25.JPG?adImageId=7196487&amp;imageId=6229134" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>What may be the wildest and boldest move I&#8217;ve seen a club make just days before the start of the season just went down. According to <a href="http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2010/03/fire-ready-to-unload-busch.html" target="_blank">SBI</a>, the Chicago Fire are set to either trade or waive veteran keeper Jon Busch.</p>
<p>Yes, Busch the same guy that just two years ago was the MLS Keeper of the Year. The Fire will now lean on untested second-year goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra in goal.</p>
<p>Are you kidding me? I know I&#8217;m not the biggest Busch supporter but he&#8217;s still a quality keeper and much better than an untested and unproven second-year keeper. No disrespect to Dykstra who is a decent keeper but Busch is still an All-Star caliber keeper here.</p>
<p>The Fire also have Generation adidas rookie keeper Sean Johnson behind Dykstra. It leads me to believe that this move may be salary based (Busch was set to make $165,000+ in 2010). Dumping him days before the new season when contracts become guaranteed (now based on the new CBA) may also have something to do with it.</p>
<p>Still this is a bold move that I really don&#8217;t like for the Fire in the short term. Maybe in the long run it looks like a good move but for now I don&#8217;t think this helps their playoff chances in 2010. As for Busch&#8217;s next step, maybe another club or a USSF Division II team? Tough time to get on board with a new club if you ask me.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Looking At 2010: Chicago Fire</title>
		<link>http://wvhooligan.com/2010/01/29/5968/looking-at-2010-chicago-fire/</link>
		<comments>http://wvhooligan.com/2010/01/29/5968/looking-at-2010-chicago-fire/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:22:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Drew Epperley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chicago Fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News and Rumors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baggio Husidic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brian McBride]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Calen Carr]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Caros de los Cobos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Corben Bone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frank Klopas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Thorrington]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Busch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Julio Martinez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Mapp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Krzysztof Król]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kwame Watson-Siriboe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Logan Pause]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marco Pappa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike Banner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patrick Nyarko]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sean Johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wilman Conde]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wvhooligan.com/?p=5968</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today is the start of a new series. As teams get into training camp and new players come on board its worth looking into each club to see how they are stacking up and what else they need to do to get ready for the 2010 season. I got this idea from the post I<a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2010/01/29/5968/looking-at-2010-chicago-fire/">…[continue reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_5238" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 350px"><img class="size-full wp-image-5238" title="fire_expansiondraft" src="http://wvhooligan.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/fire_expansiondraft.jpg" alt="" width="340" height="224" /><p class="wp-caption-text">How will the Fire fare going forward in 2010? (Getty Images)</p></div>
<p>Today is the start of a new series. As teams get into training camp and new players come on board its worth looking into each club to see how they are stacking up and what else they need to do to get ready for the 2010 season. I got this idea from the post I did a few days back on how the Philadelphia Union were looking. I figured it would be good to do something like that to all the clubs.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll go in alphabetical order here with this series. Now I don&#8217;t know if it will be a daily thing or what yet, it all depends on my current work schedule but I do plan on getting each club by the end of February.</p>
<p><strong>Keeper: </strong></p>
<p><em>Who they have: </em>Jon Busch, Sean Johnson (GA), Andrew Dykstra<span id="more-5968"></span></p>
<p>Notes: Busch is the main guy we know that and with rookie Sean Johnson waiting in the wings with that Generation adidas contract things should be looking pretty bright in this department for years to come. I honestly don&#8217;t know much about Dykstra so it wouldn&#8217;t be too shocking to hear if the Fire waive him or send him out on loan this year at some point to get him some playing time.</p>
<p><strong>Defense:</strong></p>
<p><em>Who they have: </em>CJ Brown, Tim Ward, Wilman Conde, Daniel Woolard, Dasan Robinson, Austin Washington, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Krzysztof Król, and Steven Kinney.</p>
<p>Notes: Getting Krol and drafting someone like Watson-Siriboe should make up for the losses of Gonzalo Segares and their lack of depth down the stretch in 2009. Conde will obviously still be the rock in the middle and adding Krol to the outside should work. I&#8217;m curious to see if Frank Klopas and Carlos de los Cobos add anything else to this group. Its good but not great right now, maybe one more center back would do the trick to keep Jon Busch from having to come up with big games.</p>
<p><strong>Midfield:</strong></p>
<p><em>Who they have: </em> Logan Pause, Baggio Husidić, John Thorrington, Marco Pappa, Mike Banner, Justin Mapp, Peter Lowry, Corben Bone, Julio Martínez, and Drew Yates.</p>
<p>Notes: I really like what they&#8217;ve done to make up for the losses of Blanco and Chris Rolfe this winter so far. Adding Martinez on loan makes up for Rolfe on the wings and getting lucky in the draft by landing Bone was something else. For some reason I really like this group and hope it turns out to be as good as I think they can be in 2010. I&#8217;m very curious to see the development of Husidic in 2010 and I hope Thorringtoncontinues to grow as a player too.</p>
<p>One thing I kind of see happening at some point is a trade involving Justin Mapp. For some reason I get the feeling his time in Chicago is almost up. Just a hunch at this point from me but all I am saying is don&#8217;t be shocked if at some point this season we see him in a different uniform.</p>
<p><strong>Forwards:</strong></p>
<p><em>Who they have: </em>Brian McBride, Patrick Nyarko, Calen Carr, and Stefan Dimitrov.</p>
<p>Notes: I&#8217;d say this is the one area Klopas has the most work to do. There are <a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-fire-confidential/2010/01/a-calculated-risk.html" target="_blank">rumors</a> that Collin John could be headed to Chicago. John was a former teammate of McBride at Fulham. I&#8217;m not entirely sure if that is the best move for the Fire at this point but they definitely need someone else along with McBride and Nyarko. Someone younger than John would probably be the best fit in my eyes. (ignore that comment on finding someone younger, I thought I read that John was 34, but he is only 24. Wow, it is Friday)</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
<p><strong>Overall</strong>:</p>
<p>The Fire aren&#8217;t looking too bad overall considering the talent they lost this winter and the coaching change. I still have my doubts defensively with this group and I question right now whether or not they have enough offense to remain a top dog in the east. Also with SuperLiga on their schedules again this year I wonder a bit about their depth. On the surface it seems decent enough but a couple more quality moves like Krol and Martinez before the season will put my worries to rest with this group.</p>
<p>Klopas and de los Cobos have done a good job so far this month. Their draft a couple weeks ago was one of the best in the league. Usually a coaching change in the winter will see its ups and downs but seeing how de los Cobos is letting Klopas take control of picking out a good majority of the talent I think this team will be just fine in 2010.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Busch, Parkhurst Honored By League</title>
		<link>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/11/04/2333/busch-parkhurst-honored-by-league/</link>
		<comments>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/11/04/2333/busch-parkhurst-honored-by-league/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:08:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Drew Epperley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chicago Fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New England Revolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News and Rumors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goalkeeper of the Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Busch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Parkhurst]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS Fair Play Award]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Team Fair Play]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wvhooligan.com/?p=2333</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Three awards were handed down today by Major League Soccer. Goalkeeper of the Year as well as both team and individual Fair Play awards. Chicago Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch was voted the 2008 Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year. New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst was named the winner of the MLS Fair Play award, and<a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2008/11/04/2333/busch-parkhurst-honored-by-league/">…[continue reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Three awards were handed down today by Major League Soccer. Goalkeeper of the Year as well as both team and individual Fair Play awards.</p>
<p>Chicago Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch was voted the <em>2008 Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year</em>. New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst was named the winner of the <em>MLS Fair Play award</em>, and the Revolution earned the <em>MLS Team Fair Play award</em>, recognizing the MLS club with the fewest disciplinary points during the 2008 regular season.</p>
<p>Busch had a stellar year thanks in some part to having an injury free year and a strong defense in front of him. The 32-year old started and played every minute (2,700) of all 30 regular season games for Chicago. He led the club to a second place finish in the Eastern Conference (13-10-7) and ranked first in MLS in shutouts (10), was tied for second in wins (13) and second in goals against average (1.10).</p>
<p>Busch is also up for Comeback Player of the Year award. <span id="more-2333"></span></p>
<p>Parkhurst is claiming his second consecutive <em>MLS Fair Play Award</em>. He becomes the third player to win the award twice and second to do it in consecutive seasons. Steve Ralston, his New England teammate, won the award in consecutive years in 1999 and 2000. Mark Chung is the other two-time winner.</p>
<p>The New England Revolution claimed the <em>Team Fair Play award</em> for accumulating the fewest disciplinary points (300) of any team during the 2008 regular season. As stated by the league&#8217;s website, disciplinary points are assigned as follow: 4 points for each caution received, 10 points for each red card, 0.50 points for each foul committed and a reduction of 15 points for each game that a team completes without receiving any cards or action from the MLS Disciplinary Committee.</p>
<p>Two more awards will be handed out this week on Thursday with the Referee of the Year and the Defender of the Year.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>WVH Award Tracker</title>
		<link>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/10/03/2116/wvh-award-tracker/</link>
		<comments>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/10/03/2116/wvh-award-tracker/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:59:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Drew Epperley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chicago Fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chivas USA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rapids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Columbus Crew]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DC United]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FC Dallas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Houston Dynamo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LA Galaxy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New England Revolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Red Bulls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News and Rumors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[San Jose Earthquakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sporting KC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto FC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2008 MVP Race]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andre Rocha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andy Iro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bobby Boswell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chad Marshall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darren Huckerby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Defender of the Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dominic Kinnear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emmanuel Ekpo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frank Yallop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Geoff Cameron]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goalkeeper of the Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gonzalo Segaras]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guillermo Barros Schelotto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joe Cannon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Busch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jorge Rojas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Juan Pablo Angel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Braun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kheli Dube]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Landon Donovan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matt Reis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Parkhurst]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monthly Awards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newcomer of the Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat Onstad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Preki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rohan Ricketts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rookie of the Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rookie Watch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sean Franklin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shalrie Joseph]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sigi Schmid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Nicol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wilham Conde]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[William Hesmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WVH Award Tracker]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wvhooligan.com/?p=2116</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A lot of end-of-season awards in Major League Soccer are just as tight as the playoff race. I&#8217;ve been tracking the Rookie of the Year and MVP races for some time now but I figured I would weigh in on all the awards for once since we are in the final few weeks of the<a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2008/10/03/2116/wvh-award-tracker/">…[continue reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="float: center;" title="Guillermo Barros Schelotto (getty Images)" src="http://wvhooligan.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/gbs6-300x240.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="240" /></p>
<p>A lot of end-of-season awards in Major League Soccer are just as tight as the playoff race. I&#8217;ve been tracking the Rookie of the Year and MVP races for some time now but I figured I would weigh in on all the awards for once since we are in the final few weeks of the season.</p>
<p><strong>MLS MVP Award:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew: His club may be playing well without him but his numbers still make a serious case for MVP this season. He should be back soon, which can only mean his soccer IQ on the field will enhance the Crew even more here.</li>
<li>Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy: 19 goals in just 21 games. I think that may be all I need to say here. Earlier I thought his production wasn&#8217;t enough for the MVP this year but I am thinking otherwise now.</li>
<li>Shalrie Joseph, New England Revolution: He and his club may be stumbling but that should all work itself out once the Revs clinch a playoff spot.</li>
<li>Darren Huckerby, San Jose Earthquakes: If this were a half-season MVP I would probably have a tough time picking between Schelotto and Huckerby. Both have been stellar in the second half of the season. Huckerby has only been here for a half season, just think what he can do for a full year.</li>
<li>Juan Pablo Angel, New York Red Bulls: He&#8217;s forth in goals this season in the league but I don&#8217;t think that will be enough to get him this award this year.</li>
</ol>
<p>Others in the discussion:</p>
<p>Javier Morales, RSL; Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chicago; Kenny Cooper, FC Dallas; Jamie Moreno, DC United; and Sacha Kljestan, Chivas USA.</p>
<p><span id="more-2116"></span></p>
<p><strong>Newcomer of the Year:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Darren Huckerby, San Jose Earthquakes: No doubt that Huckerby will win this one. In nine games with the Quakes, he has scored six goals. Not to shabby.</li>
<li>Andre Rocha, FC Dallas: A bit of a homer pick for me but I&#8217;ve loved Rocha&#8217;s play on the field this season. At times it&#8217;s been tough to watch but most of the time he has been a solid addition to the Hoop&#8217;s midfield.</li>
<li>Rohan Ricketts, Toronto FC: There has to be a bright spot in a dark season for the Reds, that bright spot is Ricketts.</li>
<li>Jorge Rojas, New York Red Bulls: Let&#8217;s face it, since the addition of Rojas the Red Bulls have looked like a whole new club. He&#8217;s a big reason for that.</li>
<li>Emmanuel Ekpo, Columbus Crew: This Olympian has given Sigi Schmid a nice addition on the wings.</li>
</ol>
<p>Others in the discussion:</p>
<p>Jamison Olave, RSL; Louis Crayton, DC United; and Francisco Lima, San Jose Earthquakes.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p><strong>Rookie of the Year:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Kheli Dube, New England Revolution: Some think that Dube isn&#8217;t the front-runner anymore, I think otherwise. Then again, this year&#8217;s award may be anyone&#8217;s guess at this point.</li>
<li>Andy Iro, Columbus Crew: I still like Iro could sneek in and win this award. But will the voters feel the same way?</li>
<li>Geoff Cameron, Houston Dynamo: Expect to see more of him in the final weeks of the season.</li>
<li>Justin Braun, Chivas USA: He&#8217;ll get more minutes as well which could really help him out in this award race.</li>
<li>Sean Franklin, LA Galaxy: Some have him as the front-runner but I think he played himself out of that a while back. Could he sneak up again though is the question?</li>
</ol>
<p>Others in the discussion:</p>
<p>Roger Espinoza, KC Wizards; Stephen King, Chicago Fire; and Steven Lenhart, Columbus Crew.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p><strong>Goalkeeper of the Year:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Jon Busch, Chicago Fire: Best stats in the league, to his credit though his defense in front of him is pretty darn good too.</li>
<li>Joe Cannon, San Jose Earthquakes: Cannon is a very close second right now for me in this race. Should the Quakes get in the playoffs he will earn a bunch of votes for this in the process. And rightfully so.</li>
<li>William Hesmer, Columbus Crew: Hey his club is still top dog in the league, and he is a reason for it.</li>
<li>Matt Reis, New England Revolution: I still think Reis is one of the best keepers in the league. From time to time he isn&#8217;t able to show it because of faulty defense.</li>
<li>Pat Onstad, Houston Dynamo: Onstad is in that same category as Reis. Solid every year.</li>
</ol>
<p>Others in the discussion:</p>
<p>None, really outside of Busch and Cannon there isn&#8217;t much of a race going on here.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p><strong>Defender of the Year:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Gonzalo Segaras, Chicago Fire: There&#8217;s little doubt in my mind he will win this award this season.</li>
<li>Michael Parkhurst, New England Revolution: We know what Parkhurst can, but can he work his way to the top of this list?</li>
<li>Wilham Conde, Chicago Fire: People love Segares and hate Conde at the same time. Its a shame too because Conde is a beast.</li>
<li>Chad Marshall, Columbus Crew: Speaking of a beast, Marshall is one of those guys that probably is due for a National team call-up.</li>
<li>Bobby Boswell, Houston Dynamo: Think DC is wishing they hadn&#8217;t traded Boswell before the season?</li>
</ol>
<p>Others in the discussion:</p>
<p>Jimmy Conrad, KC Wizards; Bakary Soumare, Chicago Fire; Jamison Olave, RSL; and Wade Barrett, Houston Dynamo.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
<p><strong>Coach of the Year:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Sigi Schmid, Columbus Crew: Once the Crew wrap up the Supporter&#8217;s Shield so does Sigi wrapping this award up. Or has he already done so? Maybe.</li>
<li>Preki, Chivas USA: His club may have had a rough year but you cannot deny how well Preki has handled it all this year.</li>
<li>Frank Yallop, San Jose Earthquakes: Can Yallop get his club to be the first expansion club to reach the playoffs since Chicago did so back in 1998?</li>
<li>Dominic Kinnear, Houston Dynamo: Two MLS Cups and possibly one more on the way? Simply remarkable if you ask me.</li>
<li>Steve Nicol, New England Revolution: Nicol has navigated his club through a heavy schedule.</li>
</ol>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>The All-Snubbed Team</title>
		<link>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/07/17/1316/the-all-snubbed-team/</link>
		<comments>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/07/17/1316/the-all-snubbed-team/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:39:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Drew Epperley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chicago Fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chivas USA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Columbus Crew]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DC United]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FC Dallas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto FC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alejandro Moreno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All-Snubbed Team]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carl Robinson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gonzalo Martinez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gonzalo Segares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guillermo Barros Schelotto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Javier Morales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jesse Marsch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Busch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Mapp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Luciano Emilio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS All-Star Game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nat Borchers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wvhooligan.com/?p=1316</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the All-Star rosters are now official, its time to put together the group of eleven that didn&#8217;t make but had a damn good reason for making it. I&#8217;ve stated my opinion on some that got snubbed but figured that it would be best to put out a full starting lineup of guys that didn&#8217;t<a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2008/07/17/1316/the-all-snubbed-team/">…[continue reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" style="float: left;" src="http://www.whufc.com/javaImages/65/3d/0,,12562~3620197,00.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" />As the All-Star rosters are now official, its time to put together the group of eleven that didn&#8217;t make but had a damn good reason for making it. I&#8217;ve stated my opinion on some that got snubbed but figured that it would be best to put out a full starting lineup of guys that didn&#8217;t make the All-Star festivities.</p>
<p>If you got someone who was snubbed let&#8217;s hear it.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll keep with the same 3-5-2 formation that we&#8217;ve been using for the All-Star game.</p>
<p>Keeper:</p>
<p><strong>Jon Busch, Chicago Fire</strong>: Easily putting up the best numbers of any keeper this season. It was clear that it was going to be tough to beat out Matt Reis but surprising enough Busch had to contend with Pat Onstad too. The Canadian won since the game is in Toronto and Busch is left with nothing.</p>
<p><span id="more-1316"></span>Defense:</p>
<p><strong>Gonzalo Segares, Chicago Fire</strong>: Hmm, another Fire player snubbed. But Segares was one I was pretty upset about. He&#8217;s one of the best defenders in the league and continues to show he is the most underrated defender in the league today.</p>
<p><strong>Nat Borchers, Real Salt Lake</strong>: There is a reason why Salt Lake is starting to contend this season, and it is because of this guy on their backline. They finally wised up and signed some defense this season and it is paying off.</p>
<p><strong>Gonzalo Martinez, DC United</strong>: He wasn&#8217;t a high profile signing in the offseason but something about Martinez works for me in DC. I think he is having a solid season and those early season struggles are why he was left off, then again its why any DC player was left off.</p>
<p>Midfield:</p>
<p><strong>Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew</strong>: Three goals and eight assists have GBS sitting out of the All-Star game while one goal and two assist have Juan Toja on the roster.</p>
<p><strong>Jesse Marsch, Chivas USA</strong>: We talk about veterans that lead clubs like Jimmy Conrad and Steve Ralston. Well, if it weren&#8217;t for Marsch the Red-and-White would be down in the dumps of the west with Dallas and San Jose right now and not in the thick of things.</p>
<p><strong>Javier Morales, Real Salt Lake</strong>: Three goals and seven assists seem Morales sitting at home while one goal and two assist have Juan Toja on the All-Star roster. Man someone dropped the ball with picking Toja huh?</p>
<p><strong>Carl Robinson, Toronto FC</strong>: Probably one of the most underrated players on the Toronto roster.</p>
<p><strong>Justin Mapp, Chicago Fire: </strong>Another Fire player&#8230;hmm&#8230;I say Mapp because even though Blanco is making most of the magic in the Fire midfield, its Mapp that creates a lot of space for him on the wings to do that magic. Plus five assists is three better than Toja&#8217;s two.</p>
<p>Forwards:</p>
<p><strong>Luciano Emilio, DC United: </strong>I don&#8217;t need to explain this one do I?</p>
<p><strong>Alejandro Moreno, Columbus Crew</strong>: He may have cooled off but he still has six goals on the season. That&#8217;s not too shabby for Moreno.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>All-Star Voting Heating Up</title>
		<link>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/06/16/1193/all-star-voting-heating-up/</link>
		<comments>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/06/16/1193/all-star-voting-heating-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:30:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Drew Epperley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MLS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News and Rumors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alejandro Moreno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amado Guevara]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cuauhtemoc Blanco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Danny Dichio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Beckham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dwayne De Rosario]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frankie Hejduk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greg Sutton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guillermo Barros Schelotto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeff Cunningham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jim Brennan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jimmy Conrad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Busch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Juan Pablo Angel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Landon Donovan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marvell Wynne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matt Reis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS All-Star Game]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wvhooligan.com/?p=1193</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With only a couple weeks left to vote, fans are starting to pile on the votes for their favorite players in Major League Soccer for this summer&#8217;s All-Star game in Toronto. Not a lot of changes at the top of the overall voting list.In fact that top three remain: David Beckham Landon Donovan Cuauhtemoc Blanco<a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2008/06/16/1193/all-star-voting-heating-up/">…[continue reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With only a couple weeks left to vote, fans are starting to pile on the votes for their favorite players in Major League Soccer for this summer&#8217;s All-Star game in Toronto.</p>
<p>Not a lot of changes at the top of the overall voting list.In fact that top three remain:</p>
<ol>
<li>David Beckham</li>
<li>Landon Donovan</li>
<li>Cuauhtemoc Blanco</li>
</ol>
<p>Once you get by the top three the positions break down pretty easily. You can also tell which fan groups are voting like crazy here for this game. Mostly the home fans in Toronto wanting their own in the line up as the All-Stars take on West Ham United. Its also interesting to see Toronto&#8217;s main rival Columbus have a few players on this list. The Crew are having a solid season so far and their players deserve the nod in my book.<span id="more-1193"></span></p>
<p>Goalkeepers:</p>
<ul>
<li>Greg Sutton</li>
<li>Jon Busch</li>
<li>Matt Reis</li>
</ul>
<p>Defenders:</p>
<ul>
<li>Frankie Hejduk</li>
<li>Marvell Wynne</li>
<li>Jim Brennan</li>
<li>Jimmy Conrad</li>
</ul>
<p>Midfielders:</p>
<ul>
<li>David Beckham</li>
<li>Cuauhtemoc Blanco</li>
<li>Amado Guevara</li>
<li>Dwayne De Rosario</li>
<li>Guillermo Barros Schelotto</li>
</ul>
<p>Forwards:</p>
<ul>
<li>Landon Donovan</li>
<li>Danny Dichio</li>
<li>Juan Pablo Angel</li>
<li>Jeff Cunningham</li>
<li>Alejandro Moreno</li>
</ul>
<p>Am I surprised by any of this news? Not really. The one shocker to me may be Juan Pablo Angel getting the votes. He was the MVP in last year&#8217;s game but he has been hampered by injuries and clearly isn&#8217;t as effective as last year because of those injuries.</p>
<p>Other than that I&#8217;m not totally surprised by it. I would like to see Kenny Cooper or Edson Buddle get some votes.</p>
<p>Some are still asking for my line-up, that will come later on once voting is complete on July 2. Remember, the online fan voting will comprise one quarter of the All-Star First XI selections, with coaches and general managers (25 percent), players (25 percent) and media (25 percent) all getting a say in who is named to the First XI, which will consist of one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards.</p>
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		<title>Current All-Star Voting</title>
		<link>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/06/03/1120/current-all-star-voting/</link>
		<comments>http://wvhooligan.com/2008/06/03/1120/current-all-star-voting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Drew Epperley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MLS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News and Rumors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amado Guevara]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andra Rocha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cuauhtemoc Blanco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Beckham]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dwayne De Rosario]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frankie Hejduk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gonzalo Segares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greg Sutton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guillermo Barros Schelotto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jesse Marsch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jon Busch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kenny Cooper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Landon Donovan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matt Reis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maurice Edu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLS All-Star Game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robbie Rogers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sasha Kljestan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[West Ham United]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wvhooligan.com/?p=1120</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There&#8217;s really no drama in this news or any surprise for that matter but David Beckham leads the way in the MLS All-Star voting after two short weeks. Landon Donovan was second and Cuauhtemoc Blanco was third. Again, shocker, I know. Here is a look at the top 10 after two weeks of voting: 1.<a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2008/06/03/1120/current-all-star-voting/">…[continue reading]</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There&#8217;s really no drama in this news or any surprise for that matter but David Beckham leads the way in the MLS All-Star voting after two short weeks. <span><span>Landon Donovan was second and Cuauhtemoc Blanco was third.</span></span></p>
<p>Again, shocker, I know.</p>
<p><span>Here is a look at the top 10 after two weeks of voting:</span></p>
<p>1. David Beckham, Los Angeles Galaxy<br />
2. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy<br />
3. Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Fire<br />
4. Amado Guevara, Toronto FC<br />
5. Frankie Hejduk, Columbus Crew<br />
6. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew<br />
7. Dwayne De Rosario, Houston Dynamo<br />
8. Greg Sutton, Toronto FC<br />
9. Robbie Rogers, Columbus Crew<br />
10. Maurice Edu, Toronto FC</p>
<p>Okay I kind of lied about the no surprises. One could easily consider Greg Sutton or Amado Guevara a surprise but we all know the Toronto fans enjoy stuffing any ballots that come their way when they have a player or two on it.</p>
<p>Other than that there really isn&#8217;t a shocker on this list. A few players that need your votes are guys like <span>Jon Busch (Chicago), Gonzalo Segares (Chicago), Sasha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Jesse Marsch (Chivas USA), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Andra Rocha (FC Dallas), and Matt Reis (New England) just to name a few.</span></p>
<p><span><span>Fans, Players, Coaches/GMs and media each make up 25 percent of the vote. Fan voting concludes July 2. The first XI will be announced on July 10. The commissioner&#8217;s selection will be announced on July 15. The MLS All-Stars take on West Ham United on July 24 at BMO Field. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>I haven&#8217;t done my ballot but once I do I will be sure to pass it along to you all.</span></span></p>
<p>Feel free to post your All-Star selections at anytime here</p>
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