Chivas kick off '24 Hours of Chivas USA'

CARSON, Calif. -- While most of southern California may have been dressed in St. Patrick's Day green on Tuesday night, downtown Los Angeles' LA Live Entertainment Campus was covered in red and white for the kickoff of "24 Hours of Chivas USA."

The event features 24 continuous hours of short-sided games, performances, live music and appearances by the Chivas USA players in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

"It's a celebration of the opening of our fifth season," said Chivas USA president and CEO Shawn Hunter. "We wanted to bring the passion of Chivas USA to downtown L.A. and celebrate with the fans. So far, it's a huge hit."

Tuesday night's kickoff included five-on-five games of soccer, a live Mariachi band, and the first public appearance by the 2009 ChivaGirls, the official Chivas USA dancers.

Fans could also sign up for raffles, win free prizes, play soccer video games and even meet a few of the Chivas USA players.

"It's always good to come and mingle with the fans," said Chivas USA defender Shavar Thomas. "It also introduces Chivas USA to people passing by who have never been to one of our games."

Veteran Carey Talley and new signing Eduardo Lillingston were all smiles as they talked with fans and signed autographs.

"It's pretty neat," said Talley. "I'm itching to get on the Xbox 360 and play against some of my teammates."

"I actually need to go out and buy one of those games so I can show my son that his dad was actually pretty cool at one time."

Good humor abounded at the opening ceremony of the event, and surely continued through the night as local teams came downtown to play short-sided games on the temporary field. A free breakfast was then be served at 7 a.m., followed by appearances by Disney mascots and the taking of the official Chivas USA 2009 team photograph at 2 p.m.

The whole thing was to be capped off with a closing ceremony at 6 p.m. that includes another performance by the ChivaGirls.

"This is such a great location; it brings so many people down to one central area," said Hunter. "We're excited to bring our great fans together with all the good things happening in downtown L.A."

While "24 Hours of Chivas USA" gives the players a chance to relax and enjoy a day out, the team is still very focused on Saturday's opening match against Colorado.

"We've had two months to prepare for this game," said Talley. "I think the guys are really itching to get out there.

"I'm ready to go and I know the rest of the team is too."

Winding road leads Peters to D.C.

WASHINGTON -- Hundreds of players have arrived in Major League Soccer via unconventional routes, but Anthony Peters can claim an itinerary to beat all: Baton Rouge, La. to Lexington, Ky., then brief stopovers in Iceland and Norway, a soul-searching spell back home, a stint in tiny Buckhannon, W. Va. and a few fleeting moments in Cleveland before finally catching on in Washington, D.C.

Not that he's spent much time in the nation's capital yet, however. As one of D.C. United's newest signings, Peters hopscotched across the continent with the rest of the team in their wide-ranging preseason preparations, and the big defender spent much of that time on trial, hustling just to earn a coveted spot on the club's senior roster. Now he hopes to carve out a long-desired pro career in his latest destination.

"It was a long journey, that's for sure," acknowledged the Louisiana native. "I've played at literally every level of soccer there is: youth league, premier, PDL. I did everything I could possibly do to get to this point."

Raised in southern Louisiana, an area known more for its love of gridiron football than the futbol variety, Peters' substantial size and athleticism (6-5, 205 lbs) would seemingly have directed his sporting destiny into a helmet and pads. But his father, still carrying the scars from his own football exploits, decided otherwise.

"My dad played football in college," said Peters. "He was a quarterback and he really messed up both of his knees playing football and he just didn't want me to get into it early. In middle school, you can start playing football and all my friends were playing, and I wanted to play. ... [But] by that time I was so grounded in soccer and basketball that there was just no possible way that I was going to wait until I was a freshman to start playing a sport brand-new." He began his college career brightly at the University of Kentucky before traveling overseas in hopes of catching on with a club in one of the aforementioned Scandinavian nations. But that effort was interrupted by Hurricane Katrina's disastrous impact on his native soil. While his childhood home was left relatively unscathed, he nonetheless hurried back to Baton Rouge to assist neighbors, friends and extended family.

"By the grace of God our electricity only went off for maybe 10 to 15 minutes," he said. "But both my parents are one of 12 [children], so we have a lot of relatives and some who live in pretty rural areas on my dad's side.

"A lot of our neighbors' houses got devastated -- one house in our neighborhood, a tree split it right in half, right down the middle. ... We were helping with water and generators, stuff like that. Thank God it wasn't too bad for us, but when people need you, you've got to step in and do what you're called to do."

With his hometown in tatters, Peters admits that his hopes of a pro soccer career faded into the background. Both his parents are mechanical engineers who expected him to eventually pursue a similar vocation, but his mother urged him to pursue his dreams wholeheartedly and when one of his trainers, a former Trinidad and Tobago international, learned of his lingering NCAA eligibility, he quickly arranged for Peters to resume his career at his own alma mater, West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Peters' physical presence and potential caught the interest of USL-1 side Cleveland City Stars as well as the Columbus Crew this spring. While training with the Crew in Florida, he made an impression on United head coach Tom Soehn with a strong display in a practice match and eventually it led to an opportunity with D.C., a club which stands to gain from his type of authoritative defending.

"Some guys are big and don't play big, but he plays big as well," said Soehn. "And he's a little bit more experienced than everybody thinks: he's 25 years old so he's not a young kid. The one thing we really liked about him was his vocal skills -- he talks a heck of a lot and that's obviously very important."

United's boss wants Peters to improve his footwork and distribution out of the back, and adapting to the MLS style of play will be no simple task, as last week's unfortunate performance against Real Salt Lake in the Charleston Challenge Cup demonstrated. Peters entered in place of Greg Janicki nine minutes from full time, only to be sent off mere minutes later as United fell 3-0 on a miserable night for the Black-and-Red.

"It's a constant demand for consistency," said Peters of his new league. "You have to deliver every single time, quickly, on time, [with the] best decision. Because the split second that you don't or the one time that you have a bad pass or a bad touch, these guys will punish you for it."

But given the length and breadth of his journey to get to this point, he's content to take his knocks and continue learning the trade. United's busy 2009 schedule should offer ample opportunities to prove himself in the months ahead.

"I was set and determined that I was going to make this happen and get to where I wanted to go, if I was faithful and just kept working and taking one step after the other," he said. "Being picked up by D.C. is just a huge blessing that I probably couldn't tell you in words."

Ekpo hopes to seize opportunity

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Crew that won the MLS Cup four months ago is essentially the same team that will take the field Saturday at Houston in its first title defense, with the notable exception of a new coach and a big hole to fill in the middle.

Former Crew player and longtime assistant Robert Warzycha was promoted to head coach after Sigi Schmid left for Seattle. While Schmid was not officially on board at the time of the expansion draft it's no secret why the Sounders selected Crew midfielder Brad Evans.

Evans proved to be a reliable two-way player after taking over the center midfield spot when Adam Moffat went out for the season with a knee injury. Evans scored five goals and was not afraid to thwart an attack with his aggressive play, much in the manner Moffat did in scoring twice in seven matches before undergoing surgery.

While the Crew was hoping Moffat would be ready for the season opener it's clear he's weeks away from playing. His absence has likely given second-year midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo the opportunity in front of defensive midfielder Brian Carroll.

Warzycha liked how Ekpo handled himself during the preseason trip to England and favors him at the moment over veteran Duncan Oughton and Stanley Nyazamba, who was signed to a discovery contract in September after finishing his rookie season with Richmond of the USL Second Division and has no MLS experience.

"(Ekpo) is very technical and a good passer," Warzycha said. "For him, it's understanding the spacing and the tactics a little bit more and he's going to be fine."

Although running the flanks with wicked speed would seem to best suit Ekpo for flank play -- the first of his two goals came June 28 after blowing past the Colorado defense -- he is comfortable in his new role.

"Centerfield midfield is where I started playing football. I'm OK with that. Even back home in the national team camp I play center mid," said the member of Nigeria's silver medal team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. "There's difference in the positioning. I prefer playing in the center mid. I can play the wide side but I prefer to play in the middle."

He appeared in 17 regular season matches and three more in the playoffs but admits to still finding his way in MLS.

"I'm beginning to get used to the way to play soccer here in America so I think I'll be OK," Ekpo said. "In MLS, there's a lot of running, people on the ball and off the ball. That's quite different than the way we play back home where the ball does most of the running. Here, even without the ball you need to run because everyone is running. I'm a soccer player so I like to run ... but not all the time."

Ekpo might have to change his way of thinking. The Crew depended on Moffat and then Evans to carry their weight at both ends of the field. Their play was a reason the Crew was second in goals scored and third in fewest allowed last season.

"It's important now that Manu becomes a box-to-box player and covers as much space as some other guys have in the past," forward Alejandro Moreno said. "Manu is a different player than, say, Brad Evans at the end of the season or even Adam Moffat earlier last year.

"He's a more technical player, perhaps a guy more offensive oriented. It will take some time for us to get a rhythm but when Manu's quick with the ball and when he allows us to change the point of attack with some speed and a change of pace then we become very dangerous. The more he does that and the more he allows us to get balls into the space the better off we'll be."

Whether Ekpo maintains his spot when Moffat returns is up to him. Warzycha said he knows what he's getting in Moffat despite the Scotsman not playing in any preseason matches.

"I'm not judging him now because he's coming off injury," Warzycha said. "I'm judging him off last year and how he fit in with our team. He's not ready but we all remember what he did last year. "

After scoring twice in helping the Crew to a fast start Moffat underwent the surgeries -- the second on the left knee was the more serious -- and was ruled out for the season in June. He spent many hours with the medical staff away from the team.

"The first couple of months I didn't want to come into practice, really," he said. "I would work out outside the facility because I knew it was going to be at least six months before I could even kick the ball. I was sad but the guys around me really helped. As soon as that season finished I wanted to start again. My break was too long."

He will have to wait a bit longer as Warzycha is targeting mid-April for his return. The opening is there for Ekpo.

"A player with the ability he has is going to be more effective in the middle because he is very technical so he is going to have more touches," Warzycha said. "Obviously, his first touch is very good so I'm hoping he brings something that we didn't have before to our game because if his passing is very good, he can put through balls. His shot is very good, too, and he can dribble with speed. If you take everything together we can be very, very good with him."

Two early goals give RSL win over TFC

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Real Salt Lake got two goals in the first 20 minutes from Yura Movsisyan and Clint Mathis and held on to beat Toronto FC 2-1, to capture the sixth annual Carolina Challenge Cup.

Real Salt Lake went 3-0 during the week long event.

RSL dominated the action early, getting several quality scoring chances in the first 15 minutes of the match. Then after a flurry of action in the Toronto FC half of the field, Real Salt Lake took a 1-0 lead on Movsisyan's goal in the sixth minute.

RSL midfielder Javier Morales pounced on a loose ball at midfield and sent it over the top of the Toronto FC defensive wall. Movsisyan ran down the ball and beat Toronto FC goalie Stefan Frei between his legs from about 10 yards out for the score.

RSL had another excellent scoring chance in the 16th minute. After a scramble in front of the net, the ball popped out to Findley at the top of the 18-yard box. Frei, who had tried to chase down a loose ball, had left his line and Findley had nearly the entire net to shoot at, but Toronto captain Jim Brennan blocked Findley's blast to end the threat.

After some sustained pressure, Real Salt Lake pushed their advantage to 2-0 on Mathis' second goal of the tournament in the 20th minute.

Findley got the ball about 35 yards out on the left flank and was able to beat Toronto FC midfielder Rohan Ricketts to the six-yard box. Just as Frei was coming off his line, Findley slid the ball to a wide-open Mathis at the back post, who easily knocked it into the open net.

RSL nearly scored again two minutes later when Toronto FC defender Kevin Harmse was ejected from the game for picking up his second yellow card after grabbing Findley from behind. Morales' free kick from about 25 yards out hit the right post and Findley's follow-up header also went wide of the net.

Despite being a man down, Toronto FC was able to generate some pressure and finally cut the gap to 2-1 on Dwayne De Rosario's third goal of the tournament in the 37th minute. After a foul on RSL defender Jamison Olave, Toronto had a free kick just to the left of the goal from about 20 yards out.

Amado Guevara's curling free kick was blocked off the line by RSL defender Chris Wingert. But De Rosario picked up the rebound, stepped around a defender, and beat RSL keeper Nick Rimando for the score.

Toronto FC appeared to tie the game in the 85th minute when Fuad Ibrahim redirected Guevara free kick from about 30 yards out. However, the assistant referee ruled that Ibrahim was off side on the play and the goal was nullified.

FC Dallas blank Atletico Paranaense

FRISCO, Texas -- Despite getting an early goal from Jeff Cunningham, FC Dallas couldn't find the back of the net again and lost the 2009 USA-Brazil Challenge to Brazilian side Clube Atletico Paranaense on penalty kicks at Pizza Hut Park after a 1-0 victory through 90 minutes Saturday night. The sides finished tied 4-4 on aggregate over the two-game series, but CAP converted all five of their penalties to just four by FCD in the post-match shootout.

The home side got on the board early, 52 seconds in to be exact. The goal was set up when CAP defender Antonio Carlos executed a horrendous clearance that went right to Cunningham.

Cunningham then quickly lobbed one over the head of CAP goalkeeper Vinicius to give FCD an early 1-0 edge. The veteran scorer's tally, his sixth of preseason, tied the series after CAP claimed a 4-3 win in the first leg in Brazil.

FCD remained active and maintained possession in the CAP third of the pitch for much of the first half. In the seventh minute, Cunningham had a nice shot at another goal but his effort was blocked on the endline by Luis Rhodolfo.

A trio of shots by Cunningham's strike partner Kenny Cooper were each denied by Vinicius between the eighth and 19th minutes. Cooper had missed two training sessions this week and at one point was considered questionable to play in the match, but still started.

CAP's first chance of note came in the 16th minute. The Brazilians were able to find a seam in the FCD backline, executing a nice give-and-go that sprung Renan inside the box. With FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala charging and Renan facing virtually an open net, his shot inexplicably went wide right.

New left midfielder Dave van den Bergh and Cooper hooked up on several chances. The best of those opportunities came in the 37th when the former Dutch international struck a great ball from the right side that found Cooper near the far post. But Cooper's header was right at the CAP 'keeper and Vinicius made the easy save.

The starting 11 fielded by FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman was very close to the likely first 11 for next weekend's season opener. Captain Pablo Ricchetti, who will be suspended for the match with the Fire, did get the start at the holding midfield role, but he will be replaced in the lineup by either Bruno Guarda or Dax McCarty next Saturday.

Besides Cooper and Cunningham up top, Hyndman employed a midfield of van den Bergh on the left, former CAP player David Ferreira at the attacking spot, Ricchetti and McCarty manning the right flank. In the back, it was Blake Wagner on the left, Danny Torres and Steve Purdy in the middle with Drew Moor on the right with Sala between the posts.

Ferreira, who is on loan from CAP, was in the lineup against his former team for the first time. This marked his second match of preseason for FCD. The Colombian international had previously played 73 minutes in FCD's 4-3 loss to Parana FC in Brazil on March 2.

Just before half, Cunningham benefited from another great bit of service. McCarty made a great sprint up the left flank and sent a great cross through the box and to the FCD striker, who was waiting near the right post. Cunningham didn't strike the ball squarely and it went high over the CAP goal.

After 45 minutes of play, FCD had eight shots, including six efforts on frame compared to just four shots by CAP with only one of those on goal.

Ferreira made good things happen in the 58th when he spotted van den Bergh open just outside the CAP area. Van den Bergh launched a blast that missed the opposing goal by mere inches, going wide right.

While CAP made three lineup changes to start the second half, Hyndman finally went to his bench in the 69th when Andre Rocha, another former CAP player, came on for McCarty.

Two minutes later in the 71st, the visitors appeared to have scored when Lima booted one into the upper side of the goal. His tally was quickly waved off after he was deemed to be offside.

In the 81st minute, CAP once again seemed to have taken the lead on aggregate. Lima was charging toward the FCD goal when Sala came outside of the box and got a hand on his first shot. Play continued and Lima knocked the ball into the back of the net, but for the second time a goal of his was nullified, this time because of Sala's infraction.

The FCD 'keeper was shown red for his hand ball and Hyndman quickly summoned backup goalkeeper Ray Burse to replace Cunningham on the field. Julio Dos Santos took the ensuing free kick for CAP, which Burse made a spectacular stop on near the left post to allow FCD to keep their lead.

A shot by Sandro in the 86th went wide left for the Brazilians. But Burse came up big again three minutes later to deny Jorge on a great shot from distance. Burse logged another key denial in the 89th when he denied Jorge's effort on goal.

In the penalty kick shootout, CAP converted all five of their chances. The only FCD player who did not convert his spot kick was Andre Rocha, the fourth shooter for FCD. He attempted to tuck a shot just inside the left post but did not strike the ball firmly and CAP goalkeeper Galatto came over to deny his shot and give the South Americans the challenge victory.

FCD opens league play next Saturday against Chicago in the first Brimstone Cup meeting of the season, which will kick off as Pizza Hut Park at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Old rivals highlight MLS opener

Juan Pablo Angel has fond memories of playing in the English Premier League during his time with Aston Villa, scoring some big goals in the EPL, including one against Kasey Keller.

And the New York Red Bulls forward will get a chance to go back in time a bit Thursday night when he meets Keller for the first time on U.S. soil in the Seattle Sounders FC's inaugural MLS game at Qwest Field.

"Obviously I don't have to speak about Kasey's quality," Angel said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. "One of the things this league is going to benefit from is all his experience and bringing it back to his own country. We did face each other a couple of times in England. I remember one game in particular, I think it was the 2004 campaign when we had a great year."

The forecast, which calls for a rain and temperatures in the mid-40s, should certainly be familiar for Angel.

"If you miss a wet, windy, February night in Newcastle, he's going to get it Thursday," Keller said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.

"I definitely don't miss (the weather)," Angel said.

Weather aside, Angel is anxious to get to Seattle for the opening game of the 2009 season after helping lead the Red Bulls to their first MLS Cup appearance in November.

"We heard the stadium is going to be sold out for this Thursday," he said. "There's nothing better than that, playing in front of a full house and opening up the season."

Keller, a native of nearby Lacey, Wash., is also excited to finally play his first Major League Soccer game after signing in August. The 39-year-old former U.S. international spent 16 years in Europe, last playing for Fulham in 2007-08.

"It's nice to finally get it going," Keller said. "We're extremely excited about the way the city has responded, the fans, now its up to us to put a good product on the field for everybody."

For Keller, the weather isn't the only similarity from playing in the English Premier League and Seattle.

"You're not going to fly under the radar here in Seattle as a soccer player," he said. "Here you're going to be held accountable for playing well and for playing bad. It's going to be the most professional environment in the states for soccer. It's amazing it feels that way before we've even kicked off yet."

Keller, who joked that he'd be fine if Angel missed his flight to the Pacific Northwest, is certainly well aware of the striker's qualities. Angel scored more goals (33) in the past two years than any other player in the league.

"I think what's great for Juan Pablo is to come to America and show the professionalism and that's so key," Keller said. "Juan Pablo has been a huge example to the younger players that you can come from England, be a big-name player and prove why the league invested in him from his work rate, his professionalism to the quality on the field. I haven't lost many games against Villa so I'm going to take his word for it that he scored on me."

Seattle Sounders FC co-owner Drew Carey met with reporters in Manhattan Monday to talk about the buzz in Seattle, including a social networking type of supporters site and the plan to have a marching band lead fans from nearby Pioneer Square to Qwest Field on game day.

Keller said it's not just the players who need to perform.

"Obviously Drew is the head of the marching band patrol so the pressure is on him," Keller said. "If they don't perform then stop watching 'The Price is Right.'"

Chivas aim to close preseason on high note

CARSON, Calif. -- After two tough matches against San Jose and Chicago last week, Chivas USA will seek redemption Friday night in their final preseason tuneup, when they take on Houston Dynamo at The Home Depot Center. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT.

The Dynamo come to southern California with an impressive preseason record, losing only twice in nine games.

"Houston's a tough team," said striker Justin Braun. "They're always hard to play against, but we're going to come out and be tough to play against too."

Of particular concern for the Red-and-White will be in-form striker Brian Ching, whose 13 goals last season put him fifth in the league. Much of the responsibility of dealing with the powerful forward will fall to Carey Talley, the Red-and-White's defensive veteran.

"I think Ching is a player that I'm well suited to defend," said Talley. "I'm sure we'll be battling for balls the whole game."

Talley will most likely get the start Friday, and the absence of new signing Ante Jazic, will see him assume a leadership role in the back line. Jazic picked up a small knock in practice and will probably sit out the Dynamo match.

Trialist Mariano Trujillo will also see some time on the backline against Houston. Trujillo comes to Chivas USA by way of the Mexican Primera Division, where he has played for 13 years with such teams as Pumas, Santos and Morelia. He appeared most recently for Atlante.

Trujillo has made two appearances for the Mexican national team, scoring one goal. He was also a teammate of new signing Eduardo Lillingston on the Mexican under-20 national team that played at the 1997 FIFA Youth World Championships.

Chivas USA head coach Preki views the Houston game as a chance to do some final tinkering on the lineup that will start the season next week against the Colorado Rapids.

"We want to put a group on the field that we would feel comfortable using at the start of the season," said Preki. "We hope that everyone's sharp and that everyone has a good game."

Although Chivas USA has had a tough time with MLS competition in preseason thus far, confidence in the Red-and-White camp is high.

"We're in good spirits," said Carey Talley. "We're confident in the people that we put on the field and, whoever ends up playing, we can expect a good level of soccer to be played."

Excitement surrounds Seattles's first season

SEATTLE -- Anyone who has lived through a Seattle winter knows the feeling of dreariness, the endemic malaise that seeps into all aspects of life. The sun disappears for so long, one forgets what it's like to feel its warmth.

But then the most amazing thing happens. March rolls around and out of nowhere, the clouds part. The blue sky greets the city one morning and, at that moment, everyone knows summer is on its way.

If you compare Seattle's recent sports history to one of its winters, then the March 19 opening game against the New York Red Bulls is that first day of sunshine. The importance of MLS First Kick is not lost on the players.

"We talked about that ... the specialness and the uniqueness of this whole thing. We talked about what a special night it's going to be on March 19th," coach Sigi Schmid said. "It's a night that none of the players will ever forget and none of the staff will ever forget.

"We're very excited. The guys are chomping at the bit to show the fans what we can do."

MLS Season PreviewsCHICAGO FIRE • Fire ready for another run at Cup
• Preview Quick Hits: Chicago Fire

CHIVAS USA • Chivas set sights on trophies
• Preview Quick Hits: Chivas USA

COLUMBUS CREW • Crew changing little in '09
• Preview Quick Hits: Columbus

D.C. UNITED • Team chemistry paramount for D.C.
• Preview Quick Hits: D.C. United

FC DALLAS • New faces look to make big impact
• Preview Quick Hits: FC Dallas

LOS ANGELES GALAXY • Roster changes give LA new look
• Preview Quick Hits: LA Galaxy

NEW YORK RED BULLS • Red Bulls dropping Cinderella tag
• Quick Hits: New York Red Bulls

SJ EARTHQUAKES • Revamped Quakes feeling offensive
• Preview Quick Hits: San Jose

SOUNDERS FC • Excitement surrounds Seattle
• Preview Quick Hits: Sounders FC

TORONTO FC • Reds look to boost scoring numbers
• Preview Quick Hits: Toronto FC

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Get pumped for First Kick '09 >

Sounders FC enters Seattle's sports landscape at a uniquely miserable point in its history. In just the past year, the Sonics were relocated to Oklahoma, the Mariners limped to another last-place finish amid contentious in-fighting, and the University of Washington football team failed to win a single game. Even the NFL's Seahawks, the city's most successful franchise in recent times, stumbled to an abysmal 4-12 record.

With no hope on the horizon for any of these teams, Seattle fans were looking for something -- anything -- to get excited about. And when the MLS granted the Emerald City its expansion team way back in November 2007, Seattle's citizens embraced the team and circled opening night as that sunny March day.

To date, more than 20,000 season tickets have been sold. Amazingly, 10,000 of those were sold within a month after the announcement, a full 15 months from the team's first competitive match. To accommodate the extra fans, the organization recently expanded the soccer-ready capacity of the Qwest Field from 24,500 to 27,700 for the 2009 season. The opening night configuration against the New York Red Bulls will seat 32,400.

Even with the tremendous excitement in mind, goalkeeper Kasey Keller cautions against making this season more than what it is.

"We can't worry about the other teams in Seattle. We just have to go out and be as good as we can possibly be," Keller said. "Whenever you try to create something special, you will come up short. Instead you have to prepare to play well, and if you do something good will come from it."

With regards to preparation, Seattle has rattled off several wins in the preseason without designated player Freddie Ljungberg, who rejoined the team when they returned from Argentina. Offensively, forwards Fredy Montero and Nate Jaqua combined for 16 goals in the preseason. However, Schmid is quick to acknowledge that preseason games against college teams and free agents do not approximate the level of competition in the regular season.

"When the bell goes off for the real thing -- that's when we'll really be able to evaluate the team," Schmid said. "We get close to it in the preseason and I've like what I've seen, but until we get into the real thing we won't know for sure."

Coming into the season there are still some huge question marks. Of the midfielders and defenders likely to play on opening night, only two (James Riley and Tyrone Marshall) have extensive MLS experience to their credit. The defensive line has been cobbled together at the last moment.

The issues continue. Center back Taylor Graham, who is one of the only team members fluent in English and Spanish, suffered a broken foot in the preseason. Seattle had only two preseason matches on the Qwest Field turf before opening the season in front of a national television audience and over 30,000 screaming fans.

"It will take us 7-8 games into the year (to develop team cohesion). Once we get into the true competition and the true battles, we'll be able to see how people react under pressure," Schmid said, adding that every experience for Sounders FC is a new experience. "We can try to replicate it in the preseason, but it's not the same thing."

Even with all those distractions, the team has made significant progress. The roster is finally set and the probable starters have had the chance to play with each other several times in preseason. In Argentina the team sat together and set their goals for the 2009 campaign, including an ambitious target for an MLS expansion team.

"Our goal is to make the playoffs. We would be the first team to do that since 1998," Schmid said.

Seattle's placement in the Western Conference makes this goal all the more achievable -- last season, three teams (San Jose, Los Angeles, and Dallas) failed to reach double-digits in the win column.

While it's not possible to draw conclusions from the handful of preseason contests, a few things look certain heading into the 2009 season.

Attacking would have to be Seattle's strong point. Led by Fredy Montero and Nate Jaqua, Seattle's offense is capable of scoring in bunches. Jaqua's proven himself as a goal-scorer in spells with Houston and Los Angeles while Montero's preseason goal tally is too high to be a fluke. The roster was built with the idea of getting forward and playing attractive, flowing soccer. Should that be the case, the Sounders could score 50 goals this season.

An emphasis on the attack can also leave them vulnerable in the back, which makes Keller that much more valuable between the posts. The skipper has displayed excellent form in the preseason -- working with longtime coach Tom Dutra has been beneficial to getting him game-sharp after a long layoff from competitive soccer.

The unique architecture of Qwest Field features an overhanging roof on each side of the playing surface, designed to keep the rain off spectators -- and keep the noise inside. During the NFC Championship game in January 2006, researchers at the nearby University of Washington Seismology Lab measured the crowd noise as a 3.0 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale. Even with an empty upper deck, Seattle looks to have one of the most imposing home-field advantages in the league.

Yet, with the absence of Ljungberg and Peter Vagenas, the center of midfield looks to be a problem area for Seattle. In preseason games, Schmid has been deploying the tandem of Osvaldo Alonso and Brad Evans in the center of midfield.

While they are both capable defensive players, Evans doesn't possess the game-breaking attacking quality of a Ljungberg. Alonso is untested -- despite his experience captaining the Cuban U-23 team in Olympic qualifying, he played last season in the USL. Vagenas and Ljungberg will join the team in Seattle, but both are at least 2-5 weeks away from match fitness, according to Schmid.

The wings are also question marks -- Sebastien Le Toux on the left is learning a new position (he played as a striker for the past two seasons). On the right, Sanna Nyassi's talent cannot hide the fact that he is a tender 20 years old. While he shows glimpses of greatness, he shouldn't be relied on to carry a team. Schmid knows that Seattle will need goals from these positions for sustained success.

And while it could evolve into a strength based on the talent, the potential lack of cohesion early in the season makes the back line a weakness. Traditionally, the back line requires the longest acclimation period. Seattle's back line still isn't solidified -- Taylor Graham's broken foot could keep him out of the opening day lineup. Talent-wise, the group of Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Graham, Marshall, Patrick Ianni and Nathan Sturgis can be considered solid by MLS standards. But some breakdowns will be inevitable -- making Seattle happy to have a superb shot-blocker like Keller in net.

It seems counterintuitive that an expansion team can have high expectations, but such is the price of the strong fan support.

Hyndman pleased with club's play against CAP

FRISCO, Texas -- FC Dallas might have lost the USA-Brazil Challenge on penalty kicks to Brazilian side Clube Atletico Paranaense on Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park, but for FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman, the night was full of positives.

FCD won the game 1-0 thanks to a first-minute goal by Jeff Cunningham. However, the home side finished tied with CAP 4-4 on aggregate, after a 4-3 loss in Brazil a couple of weeks ago, and the sides went to penalty kicks. CAP converted all five of their attempts while FCD's Andre Rocha failed to connect on his side's fourth attempt.

"I thought that was a great goal by Jeff Cunningham," Hyndman said. "I thought there were some great opportunities to catch a second goal in the first half. We played against a very good team. I really thought that we did a good job in our possession. It seems that the maturity picked up on the team. We all were really pleased with the defending."

FCD captain Pablo Ricchetti agreed it was a good way to conclude preparations for the start of the 2009 season.

"I think it's the perfect game to close the preseason," he said. "We played really well today. We have improved our defense. I think it was a complete game."

The home team finished the night a man down after starting goalkeeper Dario Sala was sent off in the 81st minute after a handball outside of the FCD box that saved a goal. CAP was unable to convert the ensuing free kick, which helped send the game to penalties.

"That was a breakaway and if (Sala) had stayed on his line, he probably would have gotten beaten one-on-one," Hyndman said. "I think what he did was he came out quickly and did what any goalie has to do at that point in time, you foul the guy and you're going to get a red card or you try to stop it and you're going to get a red card. When you think about it, he had a good game."

Hyndman quickly summoned backup 'keeper Ray Burse from his bench and Burse came on for Cunningham. He was quickly tested on CAP's resulting free kick, which he made a great save on.

"I was really impressed with Ray coming in cold," Hyndman said. "The first thing they did was take a free kick and he made a save. Then, he made a couple of other saves."

Cunningham's goal was his sixth of the preseason and it came about after a poor clearance by CAP defender Antonio Carlos.

"Hey, they're all going in," Cunningham said. "So I will take them however I can get them."

Hyndman also lauded the play of left-sided midfielder Dave van den Bergh and the great service he provided all evening.

"I think Dave in the first half had more services than we had all of last year," Hyndman said. "I thought he was quality. When he gets a free angle, he will serve. Our players will continually put themselves into position of expecting those crosses.

FCD outshot CAP 8-4 in the first half. But in the second half, CAP outshot the home team 5-2.

"In the first half, we had the early goal," Cunningham said. "That gave us some confidence and we were able to play more attacking football. In the second half, they made some adjustments defensively. I thought they pressed us much higher and didn't give us a lot of time on the ball. As a result, they played better than us in the second half."

Saturday's match marked the second preseason action, but home debut, for recently signed attacking midfielder David Ferreira. Hyndman also gave him high marks for his performance.

"I thought he did well," Hyndman said. "Here's a guy who doesn't know us. He might have had four training sessions with us. So he really doesn't know us and I don't think we know him because there were a lot of times where he was available and we didn't pass him the ball. I think as we grow together, we're going to find him much more. As you can see, he's a very skillful player when the ball is on his feet. But I thought he did well tonight."

Ricchetti agreed. "I think he has experience and knows what he has to do," he said. "Hopefully he can adjust his play to this league soon. He had a good game and helped us a lot. We just have to adjust to him a little bit."

FCD opens the 2009 MLS season next Saturday against the Chicago Fire, with the Brimstone Cup match set to kick off at Pizza Hut Park at 7:30 p.m. CT.

New faces look to make big impact for FCD

FRISCO, Texas -- It was a busy offseason for FC Dallas. Head coach Schellas Hyndman and team brass have upgraded the roster by acquiring left-sided midfielder Dave van den Bergh from New York, signing Colombian attacking midfielder David Ferreira and adding defensive depth in Steve Purdy and Danny Torres.

However, with FCD's opener with Brimstone Cup rival Chicago looming, it is time for the club to start putting it together on the field and show that 2009 will be much different than 2008, when FCD missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

One problem with last year's team was a lack of strong chemistry, which has not been an issue during preseason.

"I think the team chemistry is better than what it was last year," Hyndman said. "I think players are working hard for each other and the team is excited. I think the team has good focus. When we look at things we want to work on, they have really accepted and embraced them."

His players agree.

MLS Season PreviewsCHICAGO FIRE • Fire ready for another run at MLS Cup
• Preview Quick Hits: Chicago Fire

CHIVAS USA • Chivas set sights on trophies
• Preview Quick Hits: Chivas USA

COLUMBUS CREW • Crew changing little in '09
• Preview Quick Hits: Columbus

D.C. UNITED • Team chemistry paramount for D.C.
• Preview Quick Hits: D.C. United

FC DALLAS • New faces look to make big impact
• Preview Quick Hits: FC Dallas

SJ EARTHQUAKES • Revamped Quakes feeling offensive
• Preview Quick Hits: San Jose

LOS ANGELES GALAXY • Roster changes give Galaxy new look
• Preview Quick Hits: LA Galaxy

TORONTO FC • Reds look to boost scoring numbers
• Preview Quick Hits: Toronto FC

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Get pumped for First Kick '09 >

"It's probably the best locker room since I've been here, this being my fifth year," said FCD defender Drew Moor. "There is great character in the locker room and a little bit of everything. There is intensity, humor and leadership. There are all different age groups. It's looking good."

Forward Kenny Cooper, who finished second in MLS last year with 18 goals, concurs.

"It's a fantastic locker room," he said. "I think that the Brazil trip and the Florida trip (were) all good for building team chemistry. I think that maybe when you get to know people on a more personal level off the field, you might play a little more for them on the field. So I think that the team camaraderie and chemistry is great. Hopefully we will show that on the field with our performances and fight for each other."

After being hired last June, Hyndman also said he wanted to see more accountability from his players, an area in which he has seen measurable results.

"We've talked about it many times," he said. "The game of soccer is a game of mistakes. At every level, people make mistakes and there's nothing wrong with making mistakes as long as you acknowledge that you make a mistake. I think the group has started realizing that mistakes are part of the game. Trying not to make the same mistake again is part of it but so is acknowledging that you make one and improving so it doesn't happen again."

Another trend from 2008 that has continued in preseason is that the club has no problem scoring goals, but also has shown a propensity for allowing them.

"We don't seem to have a problem scoring goals," Hyndman said. "We just have a problem of giving up goals. So our focus is on trying to prevent teams from scoring. We realize that good teams are going to score but we don't want to give them goals."

FCD also had problems defending set pieces last year, allowing a number of goals on corners and free kicks, an adjustment that remains an ongoing one.

"It's still a challenge for us," Hyndman said. "I think we're bigger and stronger. The guys who are getting beat aren't our bigger and stronger guys. It's more of the weaker guys or the guys who aren't mentally into it. So what we've got to start doing is holding players more accountable."

Up top, FCD is set with Cooper set to start alongside Jeff Cunningham, who had five goals in 11 games after coming over from Toronto FC last summer. In the midfield, van den Bergh will start on the left side and be looked to deliver plenty of great balls to Cooper and Cunningham.

Pablo Ricchetti, who will miss the season opener on suspension, is again the holding midfielder and will wear the captain's armband. Ferreira figures to start at the No. 10 spot with the right flank manned by either Dax McCarty or Andre Rocha. McCarty led FCD in assists two seasons ago with seven while Rocha led the club a year ago with eight.

In the back, things are a bit more in flux. Marcelo Saragosa had won the starting job at right back before he was sidelined by a knee injury. In his absence, Moor will shift over from center back. Torres will move into Moor's spot alongside fellow newcomer Purdy with Blake Wagner starting on the left side. However, once Saragosa returns, Torres could displace Wagner in the starting 11.

"With Marcelo getting injured and moving Adrian (Serioux), that has left that right back position open," Hyndman said. "Probably the best player that can go out there and play that position is Drew . It's not his best or favorite position, but I think he helps the team the most by going there. I think Steve (Purdy) and Torres will play in the center because they're both pretty good ball winners on the ground and in the air. They've seemed to play well when we've had them together and then Blake (Wagner) on the left side."

Dario Sala, who received a multiple-year contract extension last fall, will again start in goal. He missed a career-low two games due to injury a year ago. The Argentinean veteran has returned in great shape and looks to again be rock solid between the posts.

After missing out on last fall's playoffs, the goal for the 2009 team is a simple one.

"I think our first objective needs to be getting to the playoffs," van den Bergh said. "It doesn't matter if it's as a first or an eighth team. That's our goal and the main reason we started preseason two weeks early. That should be the goal for each and every guy in the locker room, to make the playoffs. I consider it a failure to not make it."

With the team's preseason camp having come to an end and preparations beginning for the season opener, Hyndman still feels his team is a much improved product over last year.

"I think we're a better team than we were last year," he said. "It's a long season and you're going to have your ups, downs and injuries. I think the boys have come out and been aggressive. We're getting there."

Moor and van den Bergh agree that they are both ready for the start of the '09 campaign.

"It's time," Moor said. "This is an exciting time for everybody. Preseason always seems long and it's tough. Hopefully it prepared us mentally and physically for the first few months. I think this preseason has been very good. Guys have been very focused and everybody is ready to go."

Said van den Bergh: "We finally have our full roster together now and can start working towards our first objective, which is Chicago at home. I think the team is in place and everyone knows what his role is. It's just a matter of executing on the field."

Dynamo regroup after Robinson injury

HOUSTON, Texas -- Over the last two years, the Houston Dynamo have been defined by their tough and physical defense. After conceding the fewest goals in each of the last two seasons, the Dynamo got bad news last week as they learned defender Eddie Robinson will miss a significant portion of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

How much will Robinson be missed? Veteran defender Craig Waibel simplified the matter when he said, "He is a great player. The only thing you can say is it is disappointing. We are obviously disappointed and everybody else [in the league] is excited. So that really says it all."

Robinson's partner in the center of defense, Bobby Boswell, knows better than most how important Robinson can be to the team. An eight-year veteran, Robinson has played 140 league games in his MLS career; after playing 25 games in each of his first two years in Houston, injuries limited him to 20 games a season ago.

"You never want to lose a guy like Eddie -- he is a vital part of the backline," Boswell said. "He missed some games last year, and guys were able to step in. You never know what can happen in a season -- guys get injured, guys get suspended. It's just one of those things. You would rather have him out there, healthy and available, but he has got to do what he has to do to get better and the team has to move on regardless."

Houston's success on the defensive end has had less to do with one individual player and more to do with the entire team's commitment to defending. Brian Mullan and Brian Ching, among others, frequently track back and contribute defensively more than many players at their respective positions.

Boswell believes the team will be fine if they continue the team commitment to defending.

"We're a solid team defending," he said. "That's our whole goal -- to make it tough on other teams. Good reactions on turnovers and try to keep the ball. When there is a turnover, try to win it back."

One of the possible replacements for Robinson might come in Andrew Hainault, a young Canadian defender on trial with the club. While the team has yet to sign the defender, Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear has been pleased with his performance.

"He's coming along well. He's fit in well with the guys. He's played a little at right back and in the middle and he's done pretty good for us," Kinnear said.

Whether the team signs Hainault, the Dynamo can also take comfort that that Boswell and young Julius James -- acquired from Toronto in the offseason in the trade for Dwayne De Rosario -- are beginning to gel in the preseason.

"I think Julius is a very good player. He is very talented," Boswell said. "He's a good kid and he is willing to work hard. He understands it's a different system here and he has to play a different style than he is used to, but I did that last year and I can help him through it this year."

Kinnear is confident not only in James, but also in some of the other options that he has in the Dynamo squad.

"Julius stepped in pretty well. Geoff Cameron was a bright spot Tuesday against Atlante in the center of defense, and he has played there before," Kinnear said. "You want to have your whole team healthy and available, but Eddie being out for a while means some pieces have to be moved. But we've done that in the past and we've been OK."

United welcome Carolina competition

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United are barely two weeks away from their 2009 season opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy, yet still find themselves dodging winter weather as preseason training winds to a close.

The squad returned to Washington from Puerto Rico last week just in time to have their schedule disrupted by the heavy snowstorm that inundated much of the mid-Atlantic region. The whiteout spoiled United's friendly match with the University of Maryland and prompted an early departure for the milder environs of Charleston, S.C., where Tom Soehn and his staff will use the Carolina Challenge Cup to push the Black-and-Red closer to full speed.

"You mean the blizzard of 2009?" quipped Brian Namoff, when asked about the sub-freezing conditions that greeted the team in D.C. "Yeah, I think we're eager to head down to Charleston -- we're excited to get to warmer weather. We had it easy in Puerto Rico."

Fittingly enough, the mercury in D.C. rose almost immediately after the team's pre-dawn departure on Thursday. But the trip south offers more than a temperate locale. The Challenge Cup, also featuring Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC and hosts Charleston Battery of the United Soccer League's First Division, will present United with quality competition at an important stage in the run-up to First Kick.

"It's a great way to lead into the season," said D.C. midfielder Ben Olsen. "Good games, and getting that game fitness in the next two weeks is crucial. The people down here do a very good job."

Evenings at the Battery's cozy Blackbaud Stadium typically offer a compelling gameday atmosphere for players and Soehn is planning to bracket his team's three matches with focused training sessions, starting with a "two-a-day" on Friday, as the buildup to match fitness escalates.

"I'm still factoring in some guys who are carrying just a couple nagging [injuries], but it's time to push the minutes a little bit more for some guys," he said. "Not necessarily 90 [minutes], but get them up and around 90 so that their bodies can sustain that when it comes to opening weekend."

United have taken part in four of the tournament's six renditions, most recently in 2006, and will be hoping it helps them open the upcoming MLS campaign as brilliantly as it did that year, when the Black-and-Red lost just one match in the first three months of the season.

In the two years that followed, early-spring participation in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup complicated the club's preparations dramatically. This time around, a fitter, more physical D.C. squad is more than happy to hone the finer points under less stressful conditions, inwardly focused and out of the limelight.

"Every team is going to say the same thing at this point. 'Yeah, everything's going good, we're ready.' It's always a time of optimism in preseason," said Olsen. "So we'll see. I don't want to get too confident with where we're at, but I certainly think we're in a better spot now than we were last year at this time."

United's 24-man roster is nearly set, with the only question marks lingering around the backup goalkeeper spots and the recipient of the final senior roster slot. Soehn believes those issues will be sorted in "the next week or so," and he has turned his attention to "the details stuff" -- tactical organization, set pieces and the like. With time rapidly ticking down towards March 22 in L.A., Soehn and his charges sound cautiously upbeat about the current side.

"With all the games we have, we need a deep roster and we need to have options so when guys go down [injured] we can't drop off too far," he said. "That's what we've tried to accomplish this year, and only in the course of time will we be able to tell if we did as well as we hope we have."

Twellman's neck opens door for Dube

CARY, N.C. -- New England Revolution striker Kheli Dube wants to dull the pain caused by Taylor Twellman's sore neck.

Dube will likely face the difficult task of stepping into Twellman's prolific shoes and giving the Revolution a potent option up front when the season starts in San Jose on March 21.

"It's tough when Taylor gets injured because he's such a core guy for our team," Dube said. "When someone gets injured, you have to step up and make sure you get goals."

A Gatorade Rookie of the Year finalist last season, Dube scored four goals and accumulated four assists in 21 games last season. Those numbers don't quite match up to the 99 goals Twellman has recorded over his seven MLS seasons, but the total represented a decent rookie haul for the Coastal Carolina grad.

Expectations will be higher heading into 2009. Dube will have to assume Twellman's role, at least as the season opens. The shift means Dube will have to hold the ball up more and act as an outlet for his teammates in addition to his role as a goalscorer.

"I've been playing as a target forward and I'm trying to get used to the role because you never know what can happen," Dube said.

The role is a different fit for Dube, who ordinarily deferred those duties to others last season. Dube has the size and strength to add that dynamic to his game, but said he needs some time to get used to the additional responsibilities.

"I'm comfortable playing up top," Dube said. "It's just one of those things where you just have to get used to it. It's a little bit different."

Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said he will look to Dube to fulfill some of Twellman's target responsibilities. Dube has worked hard in training to try to add more buildup play to his game instead of focusing solely on scoring, according to Nicol.

"He's been doing what Kheli does," Nicol said. "He's trying to get better and better."

The transformation is still a a work in progress. The role isn't a natural one to Dube, who is more used to acting as a finisher than a conduit.

"It's getting better day by day," Dube said. "It's something I have to improve. That's why we have preseason. I'm trying to work on all of the small stuff."

While the link-up play is important, the goals will also have to flow to compensate for Twellman's absence. After a barren stretch in league play during the second half of 2008, Dube knows he will have to find net early and often to help fill the hole left by Twellman.

"I feel more pressure when I'm not scoring, but it's more of a team game," Dube said. "If I can help out the team and we can win games, that's what we need. There's a little bit of pressure because he's not there, but as time goes on, it's all about the team."

Healthy Chivas setting sights on trophies

CARSON, Calif. -- With nearly all of their starters from the 2008 campaign returning this year, Chivas USA have their sights squarely set on winning the MLS Cup. And after adding a couple new faces to complement the stable of veteran talent, the team looks poised to make a real run into the postseason in 2009.

"It's all about winning trophies," said Chivas head coach Preki, now in his third year with the team, "Hopefully we'll give ourselves a chance or two to do that this year."

Returning to Chivas USA for the 2009 season is much of the team's core talent from last year. MLS Originals Jesse Marsch and Ante Razov will lead a team that's loaded with experience.

Five-time MLS All-Star Zach Thornton returns to the net looking leaner and more agile than last year. The defense in front of him will include 11-year veteran and 1999 MLS Cup winner Carey Talley and 2004 MLS All-Star Jim Curtin.

Chivas USA's midfield is perhaps its strong point, boasting two members of the U.S. national team. Sacha Kljestan, a natural right wing, and Jonathan Bornstein, a left-back who will probably push up onto the left flank this season, give the Red-and-White a powerful creative spark in the midfield.

MLS Season PreviewsCHICAGO FIRE • Fire ready for another run at MLS Cup
• Preview Quick Hits: Chicago Fire

CHIVAS USA • Chivas set sights on trophies
• Preview Quick Hits: Chivas USA

COLUMBUS CREW • Crew changing little in '09
• Preview Quick Hits: Columbus

SJ EARTHQUAKES • Revamped Quakes feeling offensive
• Preview Quick Hits: San Jose

LOS ANGELES GALAXY • Roster changes give Galaxy new look
• Preview Quick Hits: LA Galaxy

TORONTO FC • Reds look to boost scoring numbers
• Preview Quick Hits: Toronto FC

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Get pumped for First Kick '09 >

They are supported by Marsch and Brazilian Paolo Nagamura in the middle, two players with tons of experience and plenty of time playing together.

Chivas USA's striker corps battled injuries all last year, with 2004 MLS Cup MVP Alecko Eskandarian and 2007 Chivas USA Golden Boot winner Maykel Galindo both sidelined for much of the campaign. Second-year man Justin Braun has begun to find his stride, however, and should shoulder some of the work this season.

Then in the days leading up to the season opener, the group was further bolstered by the addition of Eduardo Lillingston, an 11-year veteran of the Mexican Primera Division.

Not returning to the Red-and-White this year are Mexicans Francisco Mendoza and Claudio Suarez. Suarez, the second-most capped player of all time, has retired from professional soccer at the age of 40. Speedy left-winger Mendoza has signed with CD Guadalajara.

"Claudio is a world-class player and a great guy to have in the locker room," said Sacha Kljestan. "And Francisco was a Chivas USA original. It's tough to lose guys like that."

Preki and his staff have made moves to fill the spaces left by Mendoza and Suarez with some new faces, the most prominent of which is veteran defender Ante Jazic.

"Ante is a great veteran player who has played at a top level for many years in both Europe and in the MLS," said Kljestan. "He's a good player to have on the field that we can connect with. I'm happy about his signing."

The Canadian-born Jazic comes to the Red-and-White by way of a trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy that sent Chivas USA's second round draft pick (19th overall) to their Home Depot Center rivals. With Suarez having hung up his boots and second-year Bobby Burling recovering from ankle surgery, Preki will be glad to have the experienced defender as an option.

"I've felt really comfortable from the first day," said Jazic. "I settled in quickly and I'm happy to be here. ... Chivas USA has a great locker room and a good mix between veteran leadership and young players."

One of those young players is Wake Forest alumnus Michael Lahoud, who was selected ninth overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.

Lahoud should add a welcome set of young legs in a midfield that, with the departure of speedy winger Mendoza, will need to pick up some pace.

"He's an exciting and versatile player," said Preki. "It's up to him to push hard and challenge for a spot."

While he's an exciting prospect, Lahoud has a lot to learn before he sees any serious playing time.

"Michael has great physical abilities," said Talley. "Now it's about really getting him integrated with the team and the whole concept of how we do things here." Another new face that will see plenty of time on the field is Mexican striker Lillingston, a 31-year-old who has spent the entirety of his professional career in the Mexican Primera Division with such teams as CF Atlas and Santos Laguna. Most recently he played for Guadalajaran outfit Tecos UAG, where he scored 15 times in 81 appearances.

While these new players will certainly help the Chivas USA cause this year, the team must, first and foremost, find a way to stay healthy if they hope to challenge for the 2009 MLS Cup.

"We had a pretty bad spell of injuries last year," said Talley. "The key to anybody's season is avoiding injuries, but for us it really seems to be the case."

The Red-and-White had a very unlucky 2008 campaign. Galindo, Bornstein, Lawson Vaughn and Alecko Eskandarian, all of whom would normally be in the starting XI, all spent time on the sideline with various injuries.

"We're trying to take it a game at a time right now," said Thornton. "If we stay healthy, I think we're a very good team."

Beyond overcoming any injury problems, Chivas USA must also find a way to win away from home. The Red-and-White lost eight of their first 12 away matches in 2008, earning only one victory during that time.

This problem is specifically troubling in the context of the postseason. In each of the last three years, it was the away leg of Chivas USA's Western Conference Semifinal Series that ultimately prevented their progression to further rounds of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

In fact, Chivas USA has never scored a goal away from The Home Depot Center during postseason play. But with players like Galindo and Eskandarian finally coming back from injury, confidence in the Red-and-White camp about Chivas USA's ability to score goals is high.

"The guys are getting back on the field, that's the main thing right now," said Preki. "Hopefully, as we get closer to the season, they'll be ready. And I think they will be."

"It's great to look up and see Galindo," said Nagamura. "Everyone knows dangerous he can be."

The return of Galindo and the addition of players like Jazic and Lillingston might be the final pieces in the puzzle for Chivas USA.

"I think we're going to be strong," said assistant coach and former Chivas USA defender Carlos Llamosa. "If we have a full team ready to go, I think we're going to challenge for the MLS Cup."

Wizards dealing with adversity well

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A little more than a week from the March 21 season opener against Toronto FC, the Kansas City Wizards are all systems go -- almost.

Third-year forward Adam Cristman, who was acquired from New England via trade last November, is out for the next two or possibly three months with a broken bone in his left foot.

"He has a broken fifth metatarsal," Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo said. "Obviously, it's a little disappointing losing Adam, but that's all part of it.

"Every good team has to deal with adversity. With all honesty, Adam had limited playing time in preseason because of the toe injury he was coming back from. So, that's disappointing, but we move on."

Cristman missed time late last season with the Revolution with a sprained big toe on his right foot that ultimately required surgery to repair, ending his year prematurely in September.

Cristman isn't the only Wizards newcomer missing.

The team continues to wait for Argentinean midfielder Santiago Hirsig to join the team in the United States. Hirsig was with the club in Mexico, but is waiting for a visa before coming to Kansas City.

"My understanding," Onalfo said, "is that he will be back this weekend and will be ready to train next week.

"You have to get appointments, and there is always a little bit of delay when you're doing that stuff. Considering the time that we identified him and offered a contract, it's normal -- the time it takes."

In the meantime, the Wizards continue to make preparations for the regular season. Onalfo said the team is where he expected it to be by this point, including firming up starting positions.

Whether the starting 11 is or isn't completely set as of yet (Onalfo wouldn't divulge details), the team has started preparing for Toronto FC.

"We have a certain way we want to play, regardless of who is on the field," Onalfo said. "So, certainly, we've been thinking about Toronto for some time now.

Individual pieces within the TFC squad already are on Onalfo's radar.

"First of all, they are an experienced team. They have a very good passing team," Onalfo said. "They have players like Dwayne De Rosario, who is arguably one of the best players in the league, if not the best. So we have to make sure we do a good job of dealing with him. We have to make sure we do a good job of dealing with their forwards.

"They're just, overall, a very good team and can get you in a lot of different areas, so we just need to make sure we are sound defensively and put them on their heels with the players that we have."

Rookie Barnes making impression

CARY, N.C. -- Draft picks don't have much time to adjust to the rigors of professional level.

From the time players are selected in the SuperDraft or offered a trial as a free agent, they are auditioning for a spot on the roster. Those roster spots are few and far between, especially for players who are drafted outside the first round.

New England Revolution defender Darrius Barnes hasn't locked up one of those precious roster spots yet, but he has done enough to interject himself into the discussion for a place on the Revolution's senior roster.

"Every time I step on the field, I try to give it my all," said Barnes, a third-round pick out of Duke University. "I think it's paid off so far. I still have some work to do. Hopefully, I can keep getting better every day out."

Barnes has impressed coaches and players alike with his smooth transition from the college game. Good work in practice has yielded starting nods in central defense for each of the Revolution's first two preseason games.

"Darrius has settled in well because he's got a great attitude," Revs defender Jay Heaps said. "He's a great talent. He's athletic. He understands the game."

Heaps and Barnes work well together for reasons aside from their common alma mater. Heaps' vocal leadership helps Barnes to perform his defensive duties and utilize his talents, according Revs boss Steve Nicol.

"He helps him get into the right spots," Nicol said. "[But] everyone has to do their job first."

One of Heaps' jobs is to help Barnes learn the finer points of defending at the next level. Barnes has made strides because he is willing to listen and learn, Heaps said.

"He's like a sponge," Heaps said. "Every day, he's getting better and better. That's what is most important about making the transition from college. Some players stay the same, while others continue to improve."

That growth has allowed Barnes, who entered camp as a long shot to make the roster, to leapfrog second-year defender Rob Valentino on the Revs' central defense depth chart. With Michael Parkhurst in Denmark and Gabriel Badilla on the sidelines, Barnes has had the opportunity to bed in with the first team and assimilate to the professional lifestyle.

Barnes credits Heaps and other veterans like Chris Albright, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz for outlining what the team expects from him and what duties and responsibilities he needs to perform in order to succeed.

"I'm starting to get familiar with everybody," Barnes said. "The guys have been a big help for me trying to make the transition. The speed of play is a little bit faster than it was in college, so that's been an adjustment for me. The guys have definitely helped me and held my hand to help show me the ropes. They've helped me out with the transition."

As the season approaches, Barnes hopes that transition will include a permanent spot on the roster. The situation looks promising right now, but Barnes said he knows that nothing is certain until he signs a contract.

"I just try not to deal with the extraneous things and try to control what I can control," Barnes said. "I just try to come out and perform the best I can."

Red Bulls add Celades to midfield

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The restructuring of the New York Red Bulls continued on Wednesday when the club announced the signing of Spanish midfielder Alberto Celades.

The former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder, who joined the club in preseason training in Argentina, had his first practice on Wednesday on the Giants Stadium turf.

"It's a new experience," he said through a translator. "I played in Spain for a long time. I wanted to experience a new league, a new experience, a new team."

The 33-year-old midfielder was a product of the FC Barcelona youth system and made 72 appearances from 1996-1999 before spending a season at Celta Vigo. Celades spent five years with Real Madrid, making 56 appearances, winning a pair of La Liga trophies and the 2002 UEFA Champions League title.

After spending one year on loan at French Ligue 1 side Girondins Bordeaux, he then spent three years with Real Zaragoza.

Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said he sees Celades as a box-to-box midfielder with a keen eye on distribution.

"He can see his options very early, earlier than many players," Osorio said. "He has the ability to see to different options and then select the best one, keep possession and he has that eye of the needle pass. He has kept himself very healthy, no injuries so far and he has done it at the highest level. That can only lead me to believe he will be more than capable of doing that in the MLS. ... His distribution is second to none."

Osorio said he first learned of Celades' availability from former MetroStars coach Alfonso Mondelo, the MLS Director of Player Programs. Osorio said he already knew of Celades' abilities and saw enough out of him in Argentina to offer a contract.

"It's a good thing he has already made his money, otherwise it would have been very hard to bring him here," Osorio said.

Also practicing with the Red Bulls Wednesday was Carlos Johnson, a Costa Rican right fullback who is on the verge of signing with the club. He most recently played with Norwegian club Byrne FK, but was released when the club was relegated.

"I got a good impression," Johnson said of the Red Bulls. "I know last year the team lost in the championship game. The coach tells me that he's pleased I'm here. Now I have to start working."

The 24-year-old has seven caps with the Costa Rican national team and represented his country at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2001.

"Box to box, can defend, can attack, very good one-v-one defensively and offensively, very athletic and technical player and probably the most important thing, he wants to be here," Osorio said of Johnson. While Johnson's signing is imminent, the Red Bulls are not done just yet. According to published reports out of El Salvador, Alfredo Pacheco, a 26-year-old left back from CD F.A.S., has already come to terms with the Red Bulls, but he is delayed because of visa issues.

The Red Bulls could potentially have five different starters for their opener from the team that stepped on the field for MLS Cup in November.

"The way we designed the team for this season, it allows us more options," Osorio said. "I think that has to be one of the strengths of the team. It's not just about juggling starting lineups, it's about keeping everybody fresh and one of the ways to do it is by having good competition in every position. Now we have better options."

Schmid lauds fans for helping land Cup

SEATTLE -- Sigi Schmid believes one group is responsible for the decision to play MLS Cup 2009 in the Emerald City: Seattle's soccer fans.

"It shows that Seattle has jumped ahead of a lot of people just because of the response of the fans," the Sounders FC coach said. "I think MLS Cup coming here is really a tribute to the interest that the city has shown and what the fans have done by getting behind this team and supporting it. It's almost like a thank you to the fans to be able to witness and watch a showcase game."

Fan interest in the expansion team, which was awarded to Seattle in November of 2007, has been unprecedented. With more than 20,000 season tickets sold, Seattle boasts the largest season ticket base in Major League Soccer.

International exhibitions featuring teams such as Manchester United, the Brazilian national team, and the Mexican national team have also long drawn strong soccer audiences in Seattle.

A sold-out crowd of 32,400 spectators at Qwest Field will greet Schmid's team when they open the season on March 19 against the New York Red Bulls. Season ticket holders were mailed rave green scarves which will serve as their tickets for the nationally-televised match.

The potential home field advantage makes MLS Cup an enticing target for Schmid's squad.

"Our objective, even though we're an expansion team, is to find our way into that game if at all possible."

Seattle soccer fans also have one more reason to celebrate -- the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The continental governing body announced that Qwest Field will host a doubleheader on July 4. Teams are yet to be determined.

The 23-day tournament will be played at 13 venues, including four with artificial surfaces (Qwest Field, FIU Stadium in Miami, Gillette Stadium and Giants Stadium).

Warzycha, Crew changing little in '09

The Columbus Crew finally tasted the fruits of the ultimate victory in Major League Soccer when their lucky 13th season ended with the club's first title.

If new coach Robert Warzycha had any doubts about his team being ready to play like champions in 2009, they were dispelled early in preseason training.

"Based on the results of the testing they had, they're fitter than last year. The results were better," Warzycha said. "They used the offseason to prepare for the season. The results of the test showed me they're going to be hungry to win another championship."

Other than a big change at the top -- and it will be many months before the verdict is on the departure of head coach Sigi Schmid to Seattle Sounders FC -- the Crew are remarkably similar to last season's team that surprised the experts and thrilled their unsuspecting fans when they went from a non-playoff team to defeating New York 3-1 in MLS Cup 2008 on Nov. 23.

"There's not too many new guys," midfielder Adam Moffat said. "It's good we kept the same squad. Obviously, the squad is a lot smaller this season so it makes it more competitive."

With the reduction in rosters by four players to 24, the Crew jettisoned many fringe players but the core remains. In fact, 10 of the 11 starters in the championship match are back and only two others in the top 18 are gone.

Central midfielder Brad Evans was lost to Seattle in the expansion draft but the Crew feel they have the personnel to replace him. Foremost could be Moffat, who won the starting job over Evans in 2008 before going down for the season with a knee injury after playing seven games.

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However, it appears Moffat won't be ready by the season opener March 21 at Houston and second-year player Emmanuel Ekpo, a member of Nigeria's silver medal team at the Beijing Olympics, could get the nod.

"We feel that there are several players who can fill in at almost any position and that spot is one where we have options," Warzycha said.

He didn't have to state the obvious but one person is irreplaceable. The incomparable Guillermo Barros Schelotto re-signed in December after being named the league and playoff MVP. Although he will be 36 in May, he came to camp eager to add another title to his impressive resume.

"You play for the championships," the Argentinean forward said. "This year, we want to show we are the best team again."

Schelotto had 19 assists in the regular season, tied for second-most in league history. He added another six in the playoffs, including three in the MLS Cup.

"You know when your team starts with Guille (pronounced ghee-zhay), you have a pretty good foundation to build on," defender Frankie Hejduk said.

While Schelotto drives the attack, the backline is anchored by MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall. The Crew's first draft choice in 2004 had a breakout season at both ends of the field. The center back partnered with either rookie Andy Iro or Danny O'Rourke, who was in his first season as a defender after years in the midfield. Iro and O'Rourke, a Columbus native, return.

Marshall's 6-foot-4 frame and leaping ability patrolled the box in front of goalkeeper William Hesmer and he was a force on the Crew's set pieces. Marshall had four goals in the regular season, added a timely score against Chicago in the Eastern Conference Championship and headed in the winning goal in the second half off a Schelotto corner kick in the MLS Cup.

"More of the same," was Marshall's response when asked for his goals in 2009.

Sometimes not making moves is good. The Crew certainly hope so.

Hesmer started all but a meaningless game at New York after the Crew (17-7-6 in 2008) had clinched the Supporters' Shield. He tied for the league lead with 10 shutouts and was third in goals against average (1.14). Andy Gruenebaum, who was supplanted by Hesmer after the 10th game of the 2007 season, will be the backup.

Hejduk starts at right back and Gino Padula will man the left side. The Crew were nearly unbeatable with Padula in the lineup, losing only one of 18 matches he played in his first season with Columbus. The Crew will miss the experience in the back of three-time MLS Cup winner Ezra Hendrickson, who retired to become an assistant with Seattle.

The unsung hero was defensive midfielder Brian Carroll. He quietly parlayed his first year in Columbus to an invitation to the U.S. national team camp in January. His role as conduit from the defenders to the midfielders made the transition game go and was a reason the Crew were second in scoring (50 goals) while also allowing the third-fewest (36).

U.S. Olympian Robbie Rogers was named to the All-Star team and was a Best XI selection along with Marshall and Schelotto. He creates havoc on the left flank with his speed but is equally adroit on the other side when needed. Rogers, who made his first appearance for the national team in January, is hoping to turn a productive season into a European contract.

His counterpart on the right side is just a year older at 22 but Eddie Gaven will enter his seventh MLS season and fourth with the Crew. Gaven had three goals and two assists with most of his points coming down the stretch when the Crew pulled away from New England with a 7-0-2 run.

There is plenty of competition in the middle of the park for Moffat and/or Ekpo. Duncan Oughton, the longest-tenured Crew player, and September discovery signee Stanley Nyazamba will be in the mix, but Stefani Miglioranzi was traded to Los Angeles in the offseason.

Schelotto, of course, will be up top in conjunction with hard-working Alejandro Moreno, who had a career-high nine goals.

The bench is deep and versatile among the forwards. Pat Noonan joined the team in August and was a part of a championship team for the first time after three near-misses with New England. The Crew was 2-0-1 when he started for the injured Schelotto in September and he can also play wide midfield.

Jason Garey has provided instant offense at times in a reserve role and Steven Lenhart had an impressive rookie season as he came off the bench to score three late tying goals, including a critical one in the first postseason game at Kansas City.

There is little room for newcomers but 2009 draft choices midfielder Alex Grendi and defender Chris Clements are among those vying for a spot on either the full or developmental roster.

"We have a great team, obviously, and it's pretty much the same team," Rogers said. "Anything less (than a championship) would be a disappointment for all of us."

A deep roster is needed. Unlike last year when the Crew went out early in the U.S. Open Cup, and had no other tournaments, Columbus will be in the CONCACAF Champions League. There will also be disruptions as Hejduk and possibly others get called away to the U.S. side for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and FIFA Confederations Cup and World Cup qualifiers. Also, Moreno (Venezuela) and Ekpo could miss time for national team duty.

Juggling the lineup falls to Warzycha in his first full season. The former Crew player (1996-2002) was interim coach in 2005 when he took a team that was 4-10-2 to a 7-6-3 record. He had been Schmid's understudy the past three seasons.

He was a popular choice among the fans and players to become the team's fifth head coach.

"It's different being the head coach and being in that position and being responsible for basically everything. That's what the position brings and you have to be ready for it," Warzycha said.

The former Polish international is expected to play more up-tempo but otherwise has done little tinkering so far with a winning formula.

"We haven't been doing anything drastically different than we did before. We had a good thing going," Marshall said. "It's definitely good from his end that he can demonstrate stuff, being a coach that is still able to play and hit that ball and show you what he's talking about. He brings that aspect to it, which is great."

To fill Warzycha's void on the staff, former Crew defender (1996 and '98) Ricardo Iribarren was hired.

Otherwise, nearly all the familiar faces return. The big difference is the Crew are now the hunted ones instead of being at the back of the pack.

"We have real humble players. Everyone is still working really hard. It feels kind of the same as last year," Rogers said. "Bobby's done a good job at bringing in guys and keeping guys together that will work hard for each other and that are not content just with that trophy last year so I think we have a great group of core players and I'm excited for the league to start.

"Playing with silver ball (as MLS Cup champions) is a target on our back. It will be interesting to see how teams come out against us compared to last year."

Ljungberg joins Seattle training session

SEATTLE -- Freddie Ljungberg, who has spent the last three months rehabbing from offseason hip surgery, joined his Seattle Sounders FC teammates in training Monday. Although his participation was limited, his teammates still managed to make a positive impression from the outset.

"They were very concentrated, I must say that. In the warmup I joined in and at the beginning it was the most concentrated warmup I'd ever been in," Ljungberg said. "In Europe they'd go have a laugh. They seem focused and that's a very good thing."

While the club is happy have its designated player in camp, the Swede is not game-fit and will likely miss the season opener. In 2-3 weeks, coach Sigi Schmid expects Ljungberg to be at full speed in training. Nevertheless, that timeframe would rule him out of action for the season opener, March 19 against the New York Red Bulls at Qwest Field.

Neither the club nor Ljungberg put a timetable on his competitive debut.

"We don't want to put pressure on exactly what date it is, but it feels great. There's nothing I can't do, so it's all good," Ljungberg said. "I'm so much ahead of schedule that it looks too good to be true. They're a bit scared that if I do too much I'll have a setback.

"There is no pain in anything that I do, which is great, so that's why they want me to take it step-by-step. ... In the next two weeks I want to train really hard, then I can start to ease off and just do the technical stuff on the pitch."

Schmid reiterated that message, while pointing out that his star midfielder has been fit enough to practice with a second division club in Sweden.

"We're going to look at it day-to-day," Schmid said. "We're not pushing too much of a timetable on it. We want to see how he gets through today, how he gets through tomorrow."

Ljungberg underwent hip surgery on Dec. 19. The surgery, which according to the club was meant to rectify recurring injuries, involved repairing a slightly torn labrum and shaving a small amount of bone away from his hip. The initial diagnosis called for 10-12 weeks of recovery time.

During the training session, Ljungberg participated in the warmups and team drills but sat out the 11 vs. 11 session. He also granted some insight into his anticipated role with the team.

"I'm probably going to play central to get a lot of the ball either as a dropping-off striker or as a central midfielder," Ljungberg said. "That's what I played at Arsenal when we were 1-nil down. I went up one position when we were trying to get a goal, so I had a lot of experience there when I was young."

Midfielder Peter Vagenas, who is recovering from knee surgery, also joined the team upon their return from Argentina.

Convey, Yallop excited about future

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- It's funny how a chance meeting can set in motion a series of events. No one knows this better than Bobby Convey, who after running into San Jose Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop last December in England, now finds himself on the other side of the world suiting up for Yallop's side.

After spending last week practicing with the team in Los Angeles, Tuesday marked Convey's first training session with the Quakes in northern California, and the Philadelphia native looked upbeat as he took in his new surroundings. Yet Convey's thoughts also drifted back to that December meeting when he bumped into Yallop.

At the time, Convey was clearly on the outs with his club, Reading. A knee injury suffered in 2006 knocked him out of the lineup for an extended period, and playing time had become scarce thereafter. The team even told Convey last summer that he was free to go elsewhere, although the timing of the message, coming as it did just two days before the summer transfer window closed, meant he was stuck there for at least another six months.

But when Convey saw that the MLS Generation adidas side (a select team comprised of younger MLS players) would be playing against Reading's reserve team, he decided to take in the match with his wife. Then after spotting Yallop on the sidelines he thought it was time to catch up with his old mentor, who was an assistant coach with D.C. United during Convey's rookie season in 2000.

Convey confided in Yallop that he was looking to perhaps return to MLS. With the Quakes sitting atop the allocation order for returning MLS players, San Jose were perfectly poised to benefit should Convey return.

"My wife and I went to dinner with Frank because I've known him for so long," said Convey. "He said, 'What do you want to do? We have the first pick.' It kind of went from there. There was other MLS interest, but with San Jose having the first pick it wasn't really up to anyone else. It was either come here or wait until the summer and I didn't really want to wait until the summer."

Given the Quakes' position in the allocation line, it's possible that the deal might have come to pass without the two running into one another. But the meeting did get the wheels spinning in Yallop's head. The San Jose was manager was keen to acquire his former protйgй, but with the Quakes a bit hamstrung by the league's salary cap, the decision wasn't so straightforward.

Eventually after several conversations between Yallop and general manager John Doyle, the choice to acquire the U.S. international was made.

"Me and John were thinking maybe we couldn't afford [Convey]," said Yallop. "But then we looked at each other and said, "Let's do it. He's a good player.' And you don't get this kind of opportunity very often. He's only 25 years old, which for me is great."

Now that Convey is firmly in the San Jose fold, his future is rife with possibility, whereas just a few months ago, his prospects at both club and international level were looking bleak.

"It was miserable over [in England] knowing I wasn't going to play," said Convey. "It's just nice for my wife and I to come back here and start playing again and know you have a game on Saturday instead of knowing your going to go watch."

After spending almost his entire career on the left flank, a big challenge for Convey will be adapting to a new role as an attacking midfielder. But the newest member of the Quakes is convinced that he can thrive in such a setting, especially given some limited time in the spot while with D.C. United.

"It's just getting used to playing there again, it's a transition," said Convey. "The [midfield] line's always at your back, so you have to be a little bit more aware. But I'm sure I can adapt easily."

One aspect of Convey's play that is prized by Yallop is the player's versatility. Convey's initial practice sessions have seen even lining up as a second striker, and Yallop didn't rule out playing him anywhere in midfield. That suits Convey just fine, who is clearly grateful for the opportunity to resurrect his career.

"[Yallop] is giving me the opportunity to play now," said Convey. "He's someone I know, someone I trust, and someone who can get the best out of me.

"It's an opportunity to come here and play. It's not about money, it's not anything else. It's about playing and enjoying being back in the States."