There may be more to David Beckham’s Tottenham Hotspur training stint than meets the eye.
A report this morning cites Tim Leiweke of AEG, owners of the LA Galaxy, as stating that there is a “strategic alliance between AEG and Tottenham on thinking about how we can be involved in Tottenham the football club.”
Meanwhile, the Galaxy tied the Portland Timbers 1-1 in an exhibition played on Tuesday. But the questions for Bruce Arena concerned Beckham’s extended stay at Tottenham. See what the Galaxy manager had to say on the topic.
The Timbers’ goal came from a Ugandan trialist who had this to say about his equalizing tally: “I tucked it in for a predatory strike.”
Meanwhile, Portland have finally nailed down a date for the arrival and unveiling of new forward Kenny Cooper.
Following Vancouver’s 2-1 exhibition win over the Columbus Crew, Whitecaps manager Teitur Thordarson is elated and surprised at the quality of the team’s play this early in their expansion season. He called the team’s shape “perfect” and says the Whitecaps should have had two or three more goals.
The game-winner came from No. 1 SuperDraft selection Omar Salgado and Thordarson says that anyone who is still questioning the club for making him the top pick “will start to understand why soon.”
The field that the Vancouver vs. Columbus match was played on? It held piles of manure until recently.
The Whitecaps’ future home, BC Place, will open in the fall but it won’t be the MLS team inaugurating the newly renovated facility.
Vancouver’s rivals were also in action yesterday. Seattle’s Fredy Montero scored on a PK in Tuesday’s 3-3 exhibition draw against Real Salt Lake. The Colombian is now technically a Designated Player, but that means nothing, according to Montero.
More and more Colombians are following Montero’s lead to MLS. Fans have seen two names of Envigado players bouncing around MLS preseason camps. While Yessy Mena has already returned home, Fáider Burbano hopes to stick with the Chicago Fire. (SPANISH)
Colombian forward Tressor Moreno, who was rumored to be a Philadelphia Union target, has spurned the MLS side for a Brazilian side. (SPANISH)
Today’s preseason action is highlighted by the Bulls against the Colts as the New York Red Bulls face the Iron Colts of Atlante tonight in Cancún, Mexico. (SPANISH)
The Red Bulls’ efforts to sign right back Mauricio Sabillón have seemingly hit a brick wall according to Honduran club Marathón. They say they don’t like the terms. (SPANISH)
The rumors of Nicolas Anelka joining the Red Bulls after Chelsea purchased Fernando Torres? Untrue, according to an agent cited in this New York Times article.
Anelka’s compatriot, Ousmane Dabo, would seem to be a natural fit alongside Shalrie Joseph in New England’s central midfield. This is how Pat Phelan, who recently re-signed with the Revs, reacted to Dabo’s arrival: “I knew all offseason they were going to look to replace me.”
Scouting the Digicel Caribbean Cup in Martinique has seemingly proven well worth the time for Houston Dynamo manager Dominic Kinnear. The number of Caribbean players in the Dynamo ranks during preseason continues to grow. With the addition of two new trialists from Jamaica, they are up to six.
The identity of that Brazilian holding midfielder pursued by FC Dallas has now been revealed by manager Schellas Hyndman. His trial period in Dallas has already begun.
Longtime MLS midfielder Dema Kovalenko has apparently informed a Russian outlet that he has decided to retire from the game. (RUSSIAN)
Read about the Colombian-American who is battling relegation in Moldova and dreams of one day playing for the US Olympic team.
The pursuit of a European club for US Under-20 defender Gale Agbossoumonde seems to have come to a successful conclusion, according to this report.
Speaking of Under-20 players, one player who had hoped to land with Real Salt Lake is now in the middle of a storm which has seen El Salvador disqualified from the CONCACAF Under-20 World Cup qualifying. Find out the reason here.
Those two Sky broadcasters who were fired over sexist remarks made off camera? They now get their own three-hour radio show in England.
European clubs are not happy with FIFA these days over the international calendar. Top club execs are vowing not to release certain players for the 2012 Olympics, meaning a repeat of the club vs. country clashes of the 2008 Olympics is inevitable.
While La Liga leaders Barcelona are celebrating the one-year contract extension of manager Pep Guardiola, they have also figured out how they will manage placement of the UNICEF and Qatar Foundation logos for their new jerseys in 2011.
The international news today will be dominated by a handful of prestigious exhibition matches on tap. GolTV has the Ronaldo vs. Messi battle (Portugal vs. Argentina, 3 p.m. ET), while there is also a rematch of the 1998 World Cup final between France vs. Brazil (3 p.m. ET, ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes).
Tonight, there’s Mexico vs. Bosnia from Atlanta (7:30 p.m. ET, TeleFutura) with a crowd expected to reach up to 50,000.
You know those scientific reports about penalty kicks and how to take them? Well now there’s one on when coaches should make substitutions if they’re losing a match. Specific minutes are included in the final study.
Finally, 29-year-old American-Argentine Peter Lovell, who played in the US lower divisions, is determined to make it in tryouts with the River Plate reserves. (SPANISH)
MLSsoccer.com Must-Reads:
RSL manager says that his club still needs work ahead of Champions League
New Brazilian midfielder for FC Dallas is expected to relieve the burden for MVP
Eric Lichaj leaves Aston Villa to join fellow English club in loan deal
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