Soccer By Ives

Report: LeToux heading to Vancouver

Philadelphia Union fans have endured a roller coaster off-season, first with Sebastien LeToux's trial at Bolton, then Monday's sudden departure of goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon. Now it appears that after initially thinking LeToux would wind up staying with the Union, the French striker looks set to depart.

According to Sportsnet reporter Irfaan Gaffar, the Vancouver Whitecaps have acquired LeToux from the Union in a trade that could be announced as early as Tuesday. Gaffar, who works closely with the Whitecaps home TV broadcasts, tweeted about the impending trade on late Monday evening, but offered no definitive details, suggesting that LeToux could join the Whitecaps in Arizona next week, and stating that the trade may not involve any players heading to Philadelphia.

The Vancouver-LeToux link, which was first revealed on Twitter by UK Mirror writer Alan Nixon on Monday afternoon, comes after LeToux's brief trial with English club Bolton ended without him securing a transfer. The Union have been intent on moving LeToux, who is heading into the final year of his MLS contract, and now the club looks ready to do so by shipping him within MLS for allocation money.

Union part ways with Mondragon

The man who played as big a part as any in making the Philadelphia Union a playoff team is now headed home.

Philadelphia and goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon mutually agreed to the Colombian's release Monday, clearing the way for the 40-year-old to end his career in his native country. Mondragon had been rumored in recent days with a return to his first club, Deportivo Cali, and that move was confirmed this afternoon. 

After signing with the Union a year ago, nearly to the day, Mondragon transformed Philadelphia into a sound defensive unit, along with center back Carlos Valdes. He was the starting goalkeeper for the MLS All-Star Team against Manchester United in July.

Mondragon suffered a broken finger in September, which paved the way for rookie Zac MacMath to start a few games. MacMath will now be expected to take over permanently in goal for the Union.

Portland signs Kris Boyd as designated player

The Portland Timbers were looking for a strong target forward to help fill the role that Kenny Cooper never could quite fill, and they have turned to a proven goal-scorer to do the job.

The Timbers have signed Scottish striker Kris Boyd as a Designated Player, the team announced on Monday. Boyd, the Scottish Premier League's all-time leading scorer, joins the Timbers after a failed move to Turkish side Eskisehirspor ended prematurely due to unpaid wages.

Boyd had been in talks with the Houston Dynamo, but concerns about the heat in Texas, which can be brutal in the summer, ultimately led Boyd to pass on a move there before he eventually reached a deal with the Timbers. According to the Houston Chronicle, the Timbers are sending a first-round draft pick in 2013 to Houston for Boyd's Discovery rights.

What do you think of this signing? See Boyd being the player who helps turn Portland into a playoff team?

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USA talking potential friendly with Scotland

photo by ISIphotos.com

Five months is all that separates the U.S. men's national team from the start of its World Cup qualifying campaign, and a friendly against Scotland appears to be in the works prior to then.

According to a report in Scotland, the U.S. Soccer Federation is in talks with the Scottish Football Association over a potential friendly. A deal has not been finalized, but the game is likely to take place in the United States on May 27, 28 or 29 should it happen.

The last time the United States faced Scotland was in 2005, when the two sides played to a 1-1 draw. Josh Wolff scored the goal for the Americans in that game. The Americans have won two of the three all-time encounters between the two teams.

The United States is also rumored to be taking on Brazil in a friendly before the Americans begin World Cup qualifying against Antigua and Barbuda on June 8.

What do you think of a potential friendly against Scotland? Think it would be a good test before World Cup qualifying?

Share your thoughts below.

Mid-Day Ticker: Chelsea close in on De Bruyne, Everton avoid favorites in FA Cup draw and more

By FRANCO PANIZO

Chelsea is looking for a better second half of the season in the Premiership, and it is hoping the signing of an attacking midfielder will help them do that.

Chelsea is set to sign Kevin De Bruyne from Belgian club RC Genk on a five-year deal. The 20-year-old, who can also play on the wing, is reportedly in London for a medical. The transfer fee is reported to be around $10.6 million.

De Bruyne would become the third Belgian at Chelsea should the move be finalized. He would join compatriots goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and striker Romelu Lukaku.

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WPS suspends 2012 season

 

Another milestone was achieved this past weekend for women's professional soccer in the United States, as the U.S. women's national team qualified for the Olympics.

Unfortunately for the players, they might not have a domestic season in which to prepare for the Summer Games.

The owners of the five Women's Professional Soccer teams decided to suspend the 2012 season on Monday morning. The decision appears to have been made in part because of the legal preceedings with former MagicJack owner Dan Borislow.

"We are proud of what the League has accomplished in the first three seasons, but we do recognize the necessity to resolve our existing legal and operational issues so that we can continue to support and grow WPS the right way," said Sky Blue FC Owner Thomas Hofstetter. "This was a very difficult decision, but one we as owners feel is the best business decision for the League at this time."

The decision to cancel the season is a crushing blow for WPS, which received provisional sanctioning for a 2012 season from the U.S. Soccer Federation a few weeks ago.

What do you make of this development?

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Chicago plays D.C. to scoreless draw in preseason opener

 Photo by Jose L. Argueta/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

After D.C. United and the Chicago Fire had their fair share of defensive struggles throughout the 2011 MLS campaign, the two teams both had a notable silver lining to take away from their friendly Sunday: no goals allowed.

United and the Fire kicked off their respective preseason match slates with a scoreless draw in Fort Myers, Fla. Both clubs opened the contest with largely first-choice lineups before mixing in a heavy dose of reserves and trialists as the game wore on.

Despite the experimental nature of the friendly, United coach Ben Olsen was still pleased to see a stout defensive effort from a United squad that finished 15th in the league in goals allowed in 2011. (Chicago was 12th.)

"First and foremost, we've been preaching clean sheets and not giving up as many goals as we did last year," Olsen said to DCUnited.com. "To get out of there without them scoring is a big positive. Overall, it was a really good exercise today."

Red Bulls sign Conde after completing deal with Fire

Just days after selling Tim Ream to Bolton, the New York Red Bulls have secured the services of his replacement, signing Colombian centerback Wilman Conde after making a trade with the Chicago Fire.

The Red Bulls dealt allocation money (which one source put at $150,000) to the Fire for the chance to sign Conde, who returns to MLS after spending 2011 in Mexico with Atlas. The left-footed centerback was an MLS Best XI defender with the Chicago Fire in 2009, and left the Fire after a disappointing 2010 season.

Conde returns to MLS after injuries, and foot surgery, turned his foray in Mexico into a short-term disaster. The Red Bulls are banking heavily on Conde being the dominant centerback he was during his best years in Chicago, with the combined cost of acquiring Conde's rights, and his salary, believed to be worth close to $500,000.

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