Sounders welcome TFC, Union look to build on Week 1 draw

Red Bulls open up at home, Earthquakes hope new signings spark Wondo

The suddenly-glamorous Toronto FC will open up their MLS campaign tomorrow and what better place to introduce the league to Englishman Jermain Defoe and Brazilian Julio Cesar than to the confinements of Seattle's kingdom of loud.

Sure, the turf won't be easy to adjust to--or even like--but Toronto's newly-acquired employees will be impressed by the boisterous enthusiasm for football. Of course, MLS vet Dwayne DeRosario--embarking on his return yet again to this hometown club--and Michael Bradley most likely will have advised the new recruits on not only to the best-attended park in the league but also on the athleticism displayed throughout MLS. Thierry Henry has already attested to this.

Bradley vs Clint Dempsey in front of a packed house. Who would have thought this just a couple of years ago?

Seattle took three points on a last-minute goal by unlikely hero Chad Barrett in its home win last week over defending champions Sporting Kansas City. The affair was what one would expect to be for a first match of a 34-game tournament--scrappy and hesitant until the latter stages of the match.

About 175 miles further south, the Philadelphia Union deployed their shiny new weapons in Argentine Cristian Maidana and Maurice Edu as well as Vincent Nogueira to patrol the midfield. And they looked good in doing so only to be doomed by a last-second goal by Portland Timbers. The Union will surely contend for a playoff spot and--dare we say it--a possible Shield? Maybe a move or two away from that though!

First, the Union welcome a demoralized New England Revolution side that was blanked 0-4 in Houston to the Dynamo last week.

Further up the New Jersey Turnpike, the New York Red Bulls will look to forget its 1-4 walloping to the Whitecaps in Vancouver last week and hope to kick off its defense of its Supporters Shield in style as they host Colorado Rapids. If it ain't broke, why fix it? But in RB's case, it needed a little tweaking. It did not appear to do the trick initially as Harrison's heroes were sliced and diced and thrown away with yesterday's recycling although the Canadians weren't too shabby themselves as they quickly took control of the match after RB sought to do the same early on.

The apparent antidote is a young Rapids team that haven't won at Red Bull Arena in...it's gotta be years now. Although they have some good youth talent on its side, the Rapids' speed won't be enough to off Red Bulls as they need to respond to last week's debacle immediately.

Another home-opened to watch out for is San Jose Earthquakes' tilt in welcoming Real Salt Lake. The Californians made some interesting acquisitions in the offseason in Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi and grabbed Yannick Djalo from Portuguese football on loan. Chris Wondolowski is going to need all the help he can get after a top season in 2012 saw him notch 27 goals before his 2013 production fell to just 11 goals. What kind of possession play will San Jose head into now with these new players? Don't forget about Alan Gordon and Steven Lenhart. Should be a good mix of touch and physicality.

In other matches: the Dynamo host Montreal Impact, Kansas City celebrates last year's championship with fans before taking on FC Dallas while the Chicago Fire visit the Timbers and Chivas USA takes on the Whitecaps.

-Tio Pelotas

@TioPelotas74

Bradley says MLS is 'no longer a place to end your career'

Micheal Bradley, Tim Cahill and Omar Gonzalez came to visit today and all three were making the right noises about MLS.

Bradley was insistent that MLS is no longer a place where players come to end their careers. Having joined Toronto FC at 26, 10 years after playing for the MetroStars, Bradley said that the quality of the league is now starting to match the rest of the world. Saying that he wanted to build something in the sportscentric Canadian city, Bradley said that, although he may have unfinished business in Europe, MLS is the place for him right now.

He noted how all the strong international teams have a core group of players in their domestic league, something MLS has done ahead of the World Cup in Brazil this summer.

Although pushed a little on preparations for the World Cup, conditions in Brazil and their international careers, what came across was how impressed they were with the growth and direction of MLS.

Talking about the star power of David Beckham and Thierry Henry, Cahill commented on the organizational strengths on the league and how the structure is key to continued development. He mentioned the excitement of being part of a group that is building the league and taking the world game to a place of its own in the US where it doesn't need to compete with other sports.

Ahead of the season's start on March 8, the players raved about the soccer specific stadiums helping to build rivalries and create match-ups that fans can't wait to see.

Gonzalez said while he's going to be disappointed to leave the Galaxy for a month during the World Cup, that playing for your country supercedes everything, and that the league is now strong enough to hold its own even if the stars are off for a few weeks.

Roll on the new season as there are now plenty of players here in MLS that will feature in Brazil - a trend that looks set to continue as the league grows.

Pelotas' Ponderings: MLS sked favorable for more super signings?

Can the league's spring-to-fall campaign attract more players in a WC year? 

There's no doubt the reasonings behind Julio Cesar's reported interest of a loan to the ever-increasingly glamorous Toronto FC (never thought anyone would write that!) is playing time--especially in a World Cup year. In his native Brazil.

The veteran keeper has fallen out of favor on ol' 'arry Redknapp's Queens Park Rangers side but, at the same time, his hefty wages have been weighing on the club's books. Surprisingly, no other team has come in to swoop the 34-year-old Brazilian.

There's been talk of teams in South America looking to engage his services, specifically participating camps in South America' prestigious Copa Libertadores tournament. Recent reports had him in advanced negotiations with Gremio but that was shot down pretty fast by club officials. Money, again, was an issue.

If the Toronto interest is true, Major League Soccer may have just realized that it could be chipping at a gold mine in its strategy to bring over blockbuster signings in their prime. Their spring-to-fall schedule may benefit the league short- and long-term. It's been analyzed and written that MLS will eventually be able to compete with the world's leagues for some of the game's best players. But did anyone think that the league could attract some now? Can MLS scramble and grab a few top names before the competition? Would it be possible for Euro 2016 and Russia 2018?

The U.S. national team's domestic players will have a nice advantage of being in-season form ahead of the World Cup this year while most of the globe's seasons conclude about two months before the tournament. With Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley all in MLS until Jurgen Klinsmann comes calling them to camp, will these players provide momentum for their difficult group matches?

Julio Cesar may have just found the spark he needs to add to his 77 caps with the national team, which  is under immense pressure to lift its sixth trophy on its home soil. Continuous play and aerial challenges against physical MLS sides could just be what 'Big Phil' Scolari is counting on to complete his puzzle come June.

-TioPelotas

@TioPelotas74

Red Bulls get Convey, fans shrug

Skeptical supporters hope MLS vet gets his act together 

With an impressive resume, Bobby Convey, a Philadelphia product, is now entering one of the toughest markets in the league, if not, the world.

Convey, 30, is a former national-team starter with the U.S., a veteran within MLS after being drafted at 17-years-old by D.C. United before moving on to England to play for Reading, then a Championship side prior to promotion to the Premier League. After that, he returned Stateside to bounce from San Jose Earthquakes to Sporting Kansas City to Toronto FC.

New York Red Bulls fans will certainly remember him, however, for his stint with San Jose for it was Convey that netted two goals in the Red Bulls' 3-1 loss in the second leg of their playoff series at Red Bull Arena in 2010.

Plus, there have been unconfirmed grumblings about his attitude within the locker room. Whether or not that's true, it's been kept in-house but appears to have lead to Convey's exit from his previous clubs since returning from Europe.

Convey is a versatile player and has played left back with San Jose but has mostly done his work in the middle of the park and along the wing but some of his crossings with Toronto will have to be worked on if he doesn't want to frustrate Thierry Henry & Co.

His work rate appears to be healthy. He'll get yet another chance within MLS to prove his approach and posture. The Red Bulls camp and manager Mike Petke's regime will be a test for him as the team looks to build depth for MLS and Champions League play. 

Will Convey be ready for the spotlight?

Don't worry, Pipa's happy

Not sure which chip was prettier but Federico Higuain, older brother of Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain, stole the show again in this weekend's round of MLS play as the campaign reaches the home stretch.

The Columbus Crew, striving to enter the playoff fight with about 10 matches left, climbed on Pipa's back for a second consecutive week behind another two-goal performance by the Argentine.

Last week, Pipa surprised the favored New York Red Bulls with this magnificent shot over Luis Robles:

And, on Saturday, Higuain sent another over Toronto FC keeper Joe Bendik:

MLS supporters have to thank the great Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who previously played with the Crew and brought home their first MLS Cup. He recommended the city and league to Higuain, so safe to say, Pipa's a happy Midwesterner now.