However nice the pitch at Saputo is, the players are being idiots about this. You want to play Mexico in the worst conditions possible. Once the weather gets cold, they lose the ability to control the ball with their body properly. Ideally, we'd play that game in the Yukon or in St. John or something. Of the three cities those, it's odds-on that they'll be having the worst weather.

On the other hand, Jamaica at BMO is insane as the Jamaicans will be out in force there. Play the Jamaicans at Saputo and the Hondurans here.

Absolutely. For a friendly, play it wherever you'll get the best gate, but for a qualifier, play it in the coldest most miserable place you can find. The US played Mexico at Columbus last time. I think we can do better than that. Lambeau Field perhaps.

Seattle are currently engaged in retrospectively further humiliating Portland Timbers, as they are killing Hollywood United 4-0 at halftime. This earns them a date with Chivas USA.

As for the rest of tonight's action:
Cleveland upset Minnesota after extra time 2-0, their reward is to be fed to the Fire. Charleston dumping Charlotte 2-1 sends Houston to South Carolina.
Palace defeating Harrisburg on PK's after a 2-2 draw means they host NYRB.
Rochester killed Pittsburgh 3-0, and travel to DC United.
Carolina needed a late late PK to defeat Real Maryland by the odd goal in one, they host Kansas City.
Richmond made the long long trip to Western Mass and won 2-1, they play New England in New Britain, CT.
Miami survived Atlanta 1-0, and they go to FC Dallas.

3rd round matches are scheduled for next Tuesday, DC's might move since they play on Sunday vs the traveling freak show.

Idle speculation, but...

Conde for McBride's rights.
Conde plus Robinson for De-Ro and possibly a draft pick of some sort.

TFC gets D-Ro, a second open foreigner spot, and a small amount more room in the salary cap.

And then signs a DP. I continue to hope for Martin Palermo, who is basically Dichio with pace and agility.

I don't think there's any power on earth that would get Houston to voluntarily surrender DeRo.

US Soccer just announced the quarterfinal matchups of the Open Cup bracket, Tuesday July 8th.

In no particular order, clarifying where clear beyond the third round:

Round 3, part 1: Carolina hosts KC (which usllive says they'll stream, btw). Winner of that gets the winner of Seattle-Chivas. If Seattle wins, they host the QF. If not, depends.

Round 3, part 2: DC hosts Rochester at the Soccerplex. If they win, they host the winner of Chicago home to Cleveland in the QF (Aside: JESUS CHRIST NOT CHICAGO AGAIN). If not, depends.

Round 3, part 3: Houston gets a rematch of last year's upset at Charleston; Dallas hosts Miami. If Dallas wins, they host the QF. If not, Houston's at Miami, or Miami's at Charleston.

Round 3, part 4: Plastic Palace hosts the Red Bulls; Revs "host" Richmond in New Britain. Winner of NER-Richmond hosts the QF, period, which would be back in New Britain for the Revs).

Western Mass wants to appeal their loss to Richmond to the USSF on the grounds that the ref sucked and hated them anyway. It finished 10 Kickers v 8 Pioneers, and the ref had previously needed an escort to the locker room at Western Mass after reffing their 2-2 draw with Palace earlier in the season and botching it beyond measure apparently. Richmond's opening goal was an uncalled dispossessing bodycheck on the Pioneers keeper and a tap in into an empty net, sending Western Mass ballistic, and it went downhill from there so they say.

Portland Timbers are going to play Morelia July 3rd in Portland, and July 7th in Seattle, since neither Seattle nor Vancouver were free and Morelia wanted 2 games. There's also rumors that they might get a friendly vs Lyon this summer. Real Maryland meanwhile get to make some cash Friday playing Firpo at the Soccerplex. And Sasha Kljestan's little brother signed for Red bull, after a winter playing indoors with New Jersey Ironmen.

There's a rumour DeRosario has some kind of clause in his contract related to Toronto. Take that for what it's worth (not much).

Mo can sit on this as long as he wants, there's no rush for the Fire to get it done. MLS will surely step in at some point: not signing McBride would be a major embarrassment for them.

jefe, L'Equipe is reporting that Lyon have cancelled their North American trip.

No reason given, but they have having a rather weird close season.

So, it looks like the Niell experiment is semi-officially coming to an end. Goff is reporting that he's going to go before the July 1 salary deadline.

Too bad he didn't work out. It was amusing watching someone a foot shorter than the rest of the team run around out there. Shame he couldn't, you know, score goals or anything.

Any thoughts of Altidore going to Spain?

Sean Wheelock has been telling us in the UK how good he is, but Villareal are well stocked in the striker department. Apparently there is a chance that he will be loaned out to another team.

It would be nice to be at this match and view DC's dominance in person, and see all those Beckham fans go away disappointed.

But it's obscenely hot and humid outside, so I think I'm happier overall being in my air conditioned apartment. Even with the AC, it's a bit sticky in here, but it's tolerable and this way I won't miss any of the Euro Final.

DC should have 6 or 7 goals. Many missed chances. The one we conceded was the sort defensive Keystone Cops effort that has marred this team all season.

And Ben Olsen is on the field!! Fantastic.

Yes, the perfect appetizer before the Spain win, this one was. My favorite part was the banner the Screaming Eagles had that said "Shouldn't You Be in Austria?". At one point, Rece Davis (the studio twat at ESPN, truly horrible) actually called them the "David Beckhams".

Also, as infrequently as I watch LA, I am struck every time by what a whiny bitch Landon Donovan is (has become?).

I liked last year's banner more: We Sing Better Than Your Wife.

Highlight of the day was Landon on the sidelines with his nose packed to stop the blood and everyone in the Eagles/Barra Brava gleefully singing "Landon Donovan has a tampon up his nose, tampon up his nose, tampon up his nose." Hate is a glorious thing.

I am however deeply worried about what the hell kind of roster we're going to be able to throw out vs. Rochester in 48 hours though.

Columbus canned Niko Hernandez in the same manner DC dropped Niell.

"DC should have 6 or 7 goals. Many missed chances."

You're totally off. They should've had 24 goals.

It was great to see my curiosity quelled. I wondered how a team with Beckham and Donovan could suck these past few years. Watching that shit show I realized "ohhhhhhh......that's how they suck." Beckham walks around like Hugh Hefner, Donovan yaps incessantly, and the other 9 players trap the ball like elephants and are as fast as Redwood trees.

Was it Inca who said that any team with Edson Buddle as an option at forward must inherently suck?

If he didn't, I did.