I have nothing to say, but I thought I'd restart this thread over in the New World.

Inca, are you supposed to bless the thread or something?

Dang, I was hoping to get this in.

Funny how the new board goes up the very same week as the MLS season starts. We had very nearly 800 posts before a proper game--who knows what it would be like when the Galaxy begin their march to glory. Someone should be put in jail for their lack of humor.

I got the last word on the old thread, too. Something to the effect of: y'all better get used to vast hordes of TFC fans descending on your stadia.

Just got my tickets but am now worried about my ability to cross the border because my passport is at an embassy in DC getting a visa stamp and I'm not 100% sure it will be back in time...

Well, do I not like not having control of the thread title any more.

Is this also the general American soccer thread though? I need somewhere to post Michael Bradley updates for JV.

Testing the NSA's data mining capabilities again, eh, Gramsci?

not sure if this is going to be the American soccer thread as well but...

Bradley didn't start Beasley against Poland... did he finally see the light or is there something more to it?

Beasley is injured. He's also very good.

I didn't realize he was hurt.

He is a good player, but that doesn't mean he is part of the best US eleven. Donovan Clark Bradley Dempsey is something I have wanted to see for some time now...

Beasley's been out most of the year with a serious knee (I think) injury. He'd been playing quite well before that.

It's certainly debatable whether he's an inked-in starter, I agree, but on form, he's got something most Americans don't in terms of ability to beat people.

Of course, I'm biased having loved watching him rip past MLS defenders for the Fire.

Agreed, in form he is quite interesting out there. I just think he always seems a bit timid in international matches.

Ching on the other hand (not sure if you are watching the match with Poland) is quite useless and I don't understand his inclusion.

The 2008 player pool:(http://www.ussoccer.com/common/stContent.jsp_16-MNT2008.html

The only 3 players not in MLS are in Denmark or Norway. (So no UK-based players.)

(Considering Convey, Dempsey, and Adu all played against Mexico, I don't really know what that means.)

I'm taping the US game to watch later, so no spoilers would be good.

Ching is not very good at international level. Like Twellman, he's just good enough to be very good in MLS, but has nothing special enough about him to succeed at a higher level.

Is psounder a new member? I remember there was a guy from Tacoma that posted a few times before, but don't know if you're him, psounder.

yep same person, just couldn't remember my login from the old site. Read regularly, rarely feel the need to comment. Decided with the new forums it would finally be time to do more than lurk. Especially now that I will finally have an MLS team I can bring myself to support. Just hope they don't ruin the tradition and name.

For those that haven't seen it, www.mlsinseattle.com is running a vote for the team's name, featuring the choices Seattle FC, Seattle Alliance, and Seattle Republic. They are, however, allowing a write-in spot, and many of the Sounders faithful are writing in "Seattle Sounders". Supposedly including even FC to the Seattle Sounders name would split the votes.

FC seems like the cop-out choice for those unwilling to keep Sounders, as it would allow the nickname to remain Sounders.

Alliance is a pathetic attempt that I hope gets no recognition, and Republic is the name of one of Seattle's largest parking garage companies, although I think the name is more a reference to the fans being able to partially own the club.

According to reports, MLS has rejected the Sounders name because it is not trademarked. The ability for anyone to use the name and logo is obviously a problem for any corporate entity.

However, it strikes me that this is a massive opportunity for the fans. Perhaps ursus can fill us in on the finer points of intellectual property law, but it seems that Psounder and his crew can basically do whatever the hell they want with the Sounders logo.

In other words, it may be a blessing in disguise that Sounders (apparently) can't be your 'official' nickname.

Welcome, Psounder!

Goldstone, I tried to get "American soccer" in the title, but the character limits on titles are shorter than they used to be. I figured everyone would use it as such anyway if I stuck the MLS title on.

Urs, I think the NSA is well aware of who I am given which embassy my passport is at.