From the wires

I go away for a few days and news of international players start hitting the wires. Chivas signs France's Laurent Merlin (man, I do love that name!), the Wizards signed Argentina's Carlos Marinelli, RBNY is trying to get Brazilian striker Edmundo. Just like leagues worldwide and the United States itself, MLS is getting to be a very worldly place to be. How lovely. Does it seem like this is a season where a lot of this is going on? I should really do some research before I post questions like that, huh? But it feels very much to me that MLS is getting to be the international place to be. Like Disneyland, except with slightly better parking. It may not be true, but it feels true, hence, it's jam-packed with truthiness.

Oh wow, I know I'm late on this, but I just listened to the MLS anthem, and I gotta say, whatever they're on, I want some of that. Does fútbol need a theme song? Why not call the people who did the song for Enterprise and have them do something for MLS while they're at it? Yeek.

So I'm goin' out drinking with friends tonight at a bar that you know won't have MLS on for its premiere Thursday night game, but since it's an California game, I may be back in time to watch it from the comfort of my own cozy gamer's chair. I have grand notions to liveblog a game, but I don't think this one is going to be it. My immediate call was for Dallas to win, but then a little gremlin grabbed my ear and whispered that it's LA's day. So the Galaxy by 1.

Drive-by thoughts on futbol

How many more days until the new MLS season starts? Someone make me a countdown ticker. I need to know and I'm too damn lazy to actually look at the calendar and county for myself.Anyway, even though I haven't been blogging about futbol, rest assured I have been thinking about it. And since I've managed to carve out three seconds on which to post ...

Last week's USMNT game against Mexico: The game hit some record TV ratings, and why not? It was, all in all, a pretty good game (although I've now issues with Eric Wynalda, who I'm firmly placing under my dismissal category of "Sports Guys Who Can't Think Without Talking Out Loud." You'd be surprised how long that category is.). I was very pleased with the way the game was played, thought the guys looked very solid against what at first seemed a scary collection of Mexico's talent, and as far as I'm concerned, Bob Bradley's the man. And dig this comment from Chivas USA defender and Mexico national team player Claudio Suarez, that El Tri needs to stop being so damn snotty about playing an MLS-packed USMNT squad, because the boys from the US are on par with the world. Howzabout that?

Colorado Arsenal: oh, wait, it's still the Rapids, apparently (but hat tip to ZigaZoga for IMing me with that news!). Still though, I'm all a-twitter with the potentiality of this deal. I also appreciate the new kits. I know, it's just a marketing deal, but still, relationships always open the way for other relationships, and as there seems to be more attention being paid to the way we play futbol on this side of the Atlantic pond, I am really hopeful for the future for both the Rapids and MLS. Although I'm not a big Arsenal fan. My peeps tend to back Manny U, and I have a great fondness for Crystal Palace. But still. It's all good. Except I still hate the name of Colorado's stadium. Ugh. But that leads right into ...

RSL gets its own stadium: And it's freakin' about time, too. I absolutely cannot stand watching matches at Rice-Eccles. I know it's for one more season, but at least I know there's a light in the stadium tunnel. This may go a long way to taking RSL out of my least-favorite category.

So long, Nicky: And more buckets of tears were shed by me as I saw that yet another DC United favorite has left the team. OK, so Perkins headed my fantasy team all last season, but I've always loved Rimando and I'm going to miss him on the pitch for DC.

But welcome back Frankie: I didn't get much of a chance last year to ooze my adoration of Columbus Crew defender and all-around great Frankie Hejduk, as he got knocked out pretty early in the season from an ACL injury. So no one's happier than me that my futbol pinup just inked a new deal with the Crew!

And apart from all this, go check out the ZigaZoga community page, to get all that you ever need for news and views and support and all sorts of futbol goodness!