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With the clubs poised at a tantalizing 1-1 in the 83rd minute, a black cat streaks across the Toronto FC half of the field just in front of goal. In the next 10 minutes, Toronto concedes two more goals to lose the match, a CONCACAF Champions League group encounter, 1-3, to Santos Laguna at home.

Hopefully the kitty was not harmed by security although she might have left some of the fans feeling blue.

Quite the plot. Someone in the middle of the night sometime last year managed to hack into City CEO Garry Cook's email, to send a highly offensive reply to Nedum Onuoha's mother, who has cancer, ridiculing her illness. The reaction was predictably one of outrage.

The reply was addressed to Brian Marwood, City's director of football operations but the hacker clicked on reply all and the damage was done. At least that is what Cook claimed but an investigation launched by City found the CEO, a Prince Phillip clone when it comes to gaffes and bad taste, guilty. Cook was left with no choice but to resign.

If there is a controversy can Kia Joorabchian be far behind? It's amazing how this man, not even an approved agent, continues to wreak havoc on every club he does business with. There is every reason to believe that this news makes him one happy man.

England overcame World War II buoyed by the bulldog spirit of Winston Churchill, the perfect choice for a war time leader. Yet, it was Clement Atlee who was voted to rebuild an England recovering from the war's aftermath and the decline of empire. 50 years later these two men rank in the list of greatest leaders. Two very different personalities but both provided the proper leadership needed for their country for their times. Those who believe Wenger's departure will be apocalyptic will be well advised to remember this example.

Arsene Wenger led Arsenal to heights never touched before. It led to the cult of AKB for all the right reasons. But something happened on the way. He got too close to the board and co-opted their message. There was no firewall. No separation of pitch from boardroom. Before long he was opining on the shareholding fight and the composition of the board. One doesn't quite know when the shift from managerial duties to a mouthpiece began but the drift has been going for long. It's now a cozy relationship without expectation.

Wenger's present avatar is now one of fiscal responsibility. His transition to an activist has been a natural fit because of the club's own belief in living within its means. It also means putting aside a wishlist which could pose a serious potential conflict of interest with the austerity that is being practiced at the Emirates.

Look at Roberto Mancini's frustration at his board (an entity that can buy the world fifty times over) at their perceived foot dragging on Samir Nasri. Today, Nasri delivered a stinging vindication of Mancini's desire to have him on the board. Manciini's first responsibility is to deliver City's first Premiership title and not a philosophical point. Sir Alex provided Wenger with strong words of support but he's never laboured under the illusion of being any more than the manager of Utd even after a record 20 titles. Juan Mata wasted no time in making an impact after Andre Villa-Boas showed the requisite alarm in not having a wide game. Ditto for Kenny Dalglish with Luis Enrique for Liverpool.

Arsene Knows F**k All (AKFA) might be a bit harsh but there are chinks in the armour.

Barring the 4th minute moment of magic which led to Theo Walcott's strike and another near Walcott goal in the dying minutes, it was Udinese who looked far more threatening for major spells of the match. Arsenal looked distinctly uncomfortable as Udinese kept the defense and Wojciech Sczeszny on their toes.

The Emirates could not have asked for a better start as Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott combined impeccably with the former curling an inch perfect cross past the Udinese defense and Walcott bursting forth near post finished emphatically. The fans were finally rocking after days of trepidation and uncertainty.

Udinese kept their counsel with the evergreen Antonio Di Natale in command and a robust midfield led by Kwadwo Asamoah, Giampiero Pinzi, and Pablo Armero it was not long before they got into the game. Arsenal survived a Di Natale free kick which had Sczeszny beaten but fortunately for them the ball hit the woodwork. A few minutes later, he had to get down low to save an Armero shot as a break away move had the Arsenal defense in sixes and sevens with Song finally clearing the ball out of danger. Udinese finished the first half with a good head of steam.

The second half started ominously with Kieran Gibbs being subbed by Johan Djourou because of a hamstring strain and Udinese applying a vise on the proceedings. Arsenal struggled to break free from their own half which ended in more misery with Djourou being in turn taken off because of hamstring concerns and Carl Jenkinson, the 18 year old central defender making his CL debut. Jenkinson was put to the test straightaway with Di Natale almost getting the better of him but the former Addick guided the ball away for a more harmless corner.

Udinese were by now bossing the ball- they looked fast, exciting, and decisive while Arsenal were ponderous, boring, and timorous. The only thing keeping Udinese from scoring was their inability to convert, a problem not unknown to Arsenal.

It was all getting a bit desperate as the thousand or so Bianconeri fans gave throat to their excitement as the Gunners looked short of ideas and control. With Arsene Wenger averting his eyes from the pitch as he served out a touch line ban it was Boro Primorac furiously texting messages to a courier with instructions. It wasn't until the 70th minute Udinese had to do their first real bit of defending of the second half as Gervinho mounted a challenge. Emmanuel Frimpong was brought on for Tomas Rosicky and like Jenkinson was tested by the wily Di Natale. A free kick by Udinese captain was saved smartly by Sczeszny.

The pressure eased off as Udinese began to tire and Arsenal were able to regain possession of the ball in the last 10 minutes and Walcott almost struck again after Gervinho did all the spadework but Samir Handanovic showed us why he's considered such a top rate talent.

In sum, it was a good win but it already has the feel of a long drawn out season. Whether this one goal lead will be enough in the return leg at the Stadio Friuli remains to be seen. We will have the services of Van Persie and hopefully Jack Wilshere.

A note on Marouane Chamakh who occupied space but did little else. He had the energy of a potted plant. His job description when successful consisted of holding up the ball and passing the ball back. Most of the times he was bundled off the ball like a cheap suit. Why he wasn't replaced by Nicklas Bendtner is a bit of a mystery but maybe the thinking was to try and hold onto the one goal lead which explains Frimpong's presence. Theo Walcott had an excellent game which is all very well because Fabio Capello watching him was less impressed by his comments. Gervinho was a live wire and showed the necessary endeavour although he appeared out of control at times. Alex Song and the back four also put in a solid shift. Aaron Ramsey drifted in and out of the match.

David Bingham's debut for the San Jose Earthquakes was quite seismic. Before his epic goal he actually thinks of throwing the ball to a player in the outfield.

He then boots the ball (physics tells you the longest trajectories by projectiles are achieved at 45 degrees to the horizontal) which bounces on the D in front of West Brom's Boaz Myhill and skips over. Myhill barely moved a muscle. Chalk up another spectacular MLS goal in a list of quite a few this year. It was the game winning goal as the Earthquakes won, 2-1. West Brom under Roy Hodgson finished a respectable 11th in the EPL.

Watch Bouna Condoul fumble a run of the mill grab of a corner and gift the ball to Ryan Stephenson for San Jose Earthquakes equalizer. Last weekend he was similarly embarrassed when he completely flubbed Marco Pappa's soft shot on goal.

Condoul's horrifically incompetent goalkeeping is a seamless transition from his predecessor Greg Sutton's equally inept performance.

The Red Bulls forced yet another draw their tenth this season as their stellar beginning fades to distant memory. The arrival of Dax McCarty brought some zip in midfield and it was the new man creating the move that led to Roy Miller finding acres of space down the left to send in a curling cross which Joel Lindpere was able to sweep home after regaining possession of the ball. Then came Condoul's blooper and just like that the Red Bulls momentum evaporated.

It was San Jose's centreforward Steve Lenhart rising above Tim Ream to head Steven Beitashour's cross which propelled Frank Yallop's team ahead. Jon Busch playing larger than his 5' 8'' frame bringing off a couple of stellar saves before Lindpere struck late in the 85th minute as his spanking drive was headed by Bobby Burling for an own goal. Chicharito Hernandez could not have done it better. To add insult to injury Burling was ejected after receiving his second yellow in added time.

Hans Backe needs a new goalie. Even Manuel Almunia might be preferable to the two mishaps he has on his roster.

Bruce Arena had to draft Mike Magee in the 44th minute as emergency goalkeeper after losing Donovan Ricketts with a broken forearm following a nasty collision and Josh Saunders, his replacement ejected for lashing out at the obnoxious Steven Lenhart.

Magee the winger turned goalie had little to do for the most part against an unambitious San Jose side who failed to press the man advantage. He however managed to pull of a series of fine saves when they finally came alive in the last 10 minutes. The Galaxy face a goalkeeping crisis now with Ricketts out for possibly weeks and Saunders out for the next two matches. Brian Perk, a U20 standout will probably get his first start for the Galaxy

Charlie Adams and Charles N'Zogbia: Who will be the saviour?

Russian roulette. Five clubs battle it out to stay up in the Premiership. Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Wolves, and Wigan The killer B's vs the killer W's for the phonetically inclined. Wigan stay or we gonna fall?

The emotional favourite for the neutrals is Blackpool obviously. Ian Holloway's squad have played delightful football with no let up in attack while being absolutely shambolic at the back. They however face the toughest challenge playing Man Utd unbeaten in its citadel. Holloway's best bet would be with the title wrapped up Sir Alex's side maybe less inclined to go all out.

Birmingham's season has rapidly unraveled and they look to gain a win against Spurs. But the London side are tough to beat at home with only one loss. A tall order for a team that struggles to score.

Wigan come into their match against Stoke with a bit of momentum after a relegation saving win against West Ham last weekend. Stoke has little to play for but could use back to back losses against City as motivation. Wigan's attack is delightfully unpredictable. The stage is set for some vintage Charles N'Zogbia.

Blackburn and Wolves have the best chances of staying up but they're pitted against each other providing fresh material for last day theatrics. Rovers travel to Molineaux and a win will guarantee staying up. Having the best goal differential boosts their chances even if the result is a draw or a loss depending on how many rivals lose.

Mick McCarthy is a bit more hamstrung with a goal differential comparable to Birmingham, Blackpool, and Wigan. A win would be most desirable. Hopes for staying up with a different result would depend on the these three losing and the margin of the loss.

The Beeb has the low on the permutations and the combinations.

The MLS family welcomed two new additions to the 2011 season, the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps, increasing the number to 18 clubs. One of the original members, Kansas City Wizards rebranded themselves Sporting Kansas City, a European touch as the club included other sports like lacrosse and rugby. They also await moving to the new Livestrong Stadium, their third home which opens June 9.

In 2012, the Montreal Impact will join the MLS and in a few years, New York could see a derby between the Red Bulls and a reincarnated Cosmos. But the expansion might not just stop there as Don Garber indicated that the MLS could very well end up having more than 20 teams in the not so near future with interest being generated in several markets.

This season has seen the return of many prominent European based US players notably Jay De Merit and Benny Feilhaber. Charlie Davies, the 2009 USMNT standout has provided the season's biggest buzz returning to the sport with a vengeance after potentially career ending injuries kept him out for a year. He moved from Sochaux to DC United in a loan move.

The MLS has also established itself as a league that big European teams love to travel to in their off season and this year is no exception as Man Utd, Barcelona, and Real Madrid come knocking.

These developments augur well for future growth and profitability. Player salaries and portability have improved and while the MLS still does not attract top notch foreign talent in their prime it has a smattering of big names that generate an audience. However, the bottomline is and will always be, the number of supporters who show up to see matches. The MLS shows a decidedly less rosy picture on that front.

The above graph shows a subset of the 10 original MLS franchises with declining or sub par attendances after a quarter of this season gone by. Even last years inductee, the Philadelphia Union dipped in attendance. Chivas USA, the club linked with the storied Mexican club and boasting a huge Hispanic base continue to operate at disappointing 50% level.

The Revs decline has much to do with a club stuck in reverse. The arrival of Benny Feilhaber bolstering Shalrie Joseph's midfield creativity might lead to an uptick but the Revs have not attracted the marquee names like the Red Bulls. For the first time under Steve Nicol, the franchise failed to make the playoffs last season after eight years. There they cemented a frustrating Buffalo Bills type of frailty, losing all four MLS finals.

Even big ticket boosters like Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez are not enough it seems as New York has failed to fill seats. Exciting national prospects like Juan Aguadelo and Tim Ream are fodder for fevered online forums but it has not translated to an increased presence. Juan Pablo Angel, the long time Red Bulls/ Metrostars warrior move to LA might be a factor. The former Aston Villa striker was known for his skill and gutsy performances. It's the same story for the Rapids. The bloom from their first MLS Cup triumph has provided no special incentive. An Eagles vs Giants type of rivalry clearly evident in the Union's April 9th encounter with the Red Bulls was witnessed by a record 19,027 attendees. But there are fewer takers for the other matches.

The second graph shows two clubs that have shown an improvement with DC United benefiting from the Charlie Davies factor. FC Dallas's brand of attacking soccer with a Latin flair finds an eager audience with David Ferreira and Marvin Chavez leading the way. Ruben Luna, a home grown player is being followed keenly and Fabian Castillo, a Colombian import adds depth to the striker corps.

As has been the case the previous two seasons, it is the Sounders who consistently sellout Qwest, bringing up the MLS numbers. Seattle's fan base, a network of highly educated young technocrats are a passionate and knowledgeable group. They now have North West rivals in Portland and Vancouver, two other cities with comparable demographics which can only burgeon attendance.

This post's purpose is to open up debate. The overarching theme is of a league on the upswing but narrower indicators like average attendances also show uneven trends and decline in some instances. The focus should not just be on a lateral spread but also to find ways to deepen the existing audience.

Before we say Raul and make no mistake this was all the former Real Madrid man, we've to say this Inter defense was exposed once again. What a difference a year makes.

Schalke was obviously the brighter of the two teams but Jurado slipping a pass to Raul through a defense hopelessly caught out of position and the striker feinting past a stumbling Julio Cesar did not make for a pretty picture. Thiago Motta got a consolation equalizer but a desperate Inter were undone as Raul slipped a nice pass for Howedes to outrun the defense and score.

It is Man Utd and Schalke in the semi-finals and if past records are any indication then the Red Devils will have their hands full against Ralf Ragnick's team. German teams have had their way against the Mancusians.

Chad left hanging at Sporting KC? No longer

A feel good gesture but as suspected Chad Ochocinco failed to make the grade. Peter Vermes, Sporting KC's coach also invited the Cincinnati Bengals WR to train anytime he wanted with the reserves.

Vermes statements are revealing.

"But being out of the game for as long as he was, there's no way he could make up that time so his basic foundation for the game just is not there," Vermes said. "His first touch is what kills him."

No two things about Ochocinco's athleticism but soccer is not just about that. It is an easy trap to fall into saying Michael Vick or Terrell Owens would be great for the game and if such athletes took to soccer then the US would be a world power. Ochocinco could probably outrun and outleap Leo Messi in a head to head but Messi would run circles around him all day with the ball.

Even Didier Drogba considered an elite athlete is an exception to soccer but he would be a dime a dozen in the NFL. But Drogba does not just rely on his power to be effective, he possess a great first touch and an uncanny ability to be at the right place and time to put the ball into goal. Gary Lineker would have failed every NFL combine but his poaching instincts were impeccable. For that matter David Beckham was panned by George Best for his distinct lack of athletic ability.

"He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that he's all right."

But everyone knows Beckham can bend the ball to the delight of physicists studying the Magnus effect. You don't have to be an elite athlete to succeed in soccer.

Soccer is one of the most visuo-spatially complex sports. In fact, it shares many parallels with basketball. It is for that reason Steve Nash would have made a fantastic soccer player if he had not chosen to become one of basketball's pre-eminent point guards. Nash regularly highlights his previous exposure to soccer as being instrumental in enhancing his basketball skills. So does Paul Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, and Manu Ginobili.

Chad Ochocinco's headline grabbing foray into soccer maybe motivated by the same feelings which led Deion Sanders and Michael Jordan's crossover into baseball. For a sport constantly looking for a bubble (Beckham, World Cup) to inject it into the larger consciousness of the US mainstream it is a welcome novelty. Nothing more than that.

There are a few differences between the two sports.

Wide receivers are only as effective as their given route in the tightly scripted world of the NFL. It is all jotted down in a playbook and memorized by rote. There is a hierarchy which calls the plays, transmits, and executes them.

Sure they are perfectly capable of improvising in the end with their athleticism but unlike the discrete units of football (downs, yards to go, etc) soccer is a sport of continuous improvisation and motion. It does not matter who passes or receives the ball in that continuum. That is also the reason why movies on soccer are hard to film. Soccer is also compared to most sports, statistically impoverished.

Football in contrast is a made for TV/ film sport and littered with all sorts of statistics that become part of the playbook. There is a simplicity to soccer which is at odds with the overwhelming mental preparation and specialization that a game of football entails. But the difference in mindset is not the only one.

In bio-mechanical terms, the rest of the human body is far less precise than the hands.

Ochocinco would be an intimidating sight with his 6'3" frame blistering his way through with the ball attached to his feet. He would be par excellence if that is all it took to play soccer.

Given Ochocinco's length of time away from the game (10 years) it is simply another category of skill altogether if he can dead trap with his foot a ball kicked to him from 30 feet away. Or arch his trunk with the requisite number of degrees to chest trap. Or rotate his head ever so slightly to change the trajectory of the ball to effectively score a goal. In soccer, the effectors used to make contact with the ball and the number of successful outcomes associated with them vastly outnumber that of football. Even Rory Delap uses his hands to deadly use. And we all remember el mano de Dios!

What soccer does is make these less naturally precise parts of the body more precise. Try writing your name with a marker clutched between your toes. It can be done neatly after great practice and indeed there are individuals who do that out of necessity.

When we see Leo Messi dribbling the ball with such great skill, he's using muscles in the legs not naturally predisposed to grading force accurately, certainly not the kind that can manipulate a coin into a vending machine. The hands (and face) are examples of overtrained mechanisms because we use them so often in daily interaction. The famous picture of the homonculus reflect the real estate grab of these anatomical parts on the brain. Soccer wants to reverse that and introduce a more egalitarian human morphogenesis. That may well be the reason for its popularity in the school age population.

Not a knock on the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver who from all accounts has played the global game and loves it but he might have more success taking to golf.

Not to be part of the squad but to train with them for four weeks. He will return to the Galaxy well before the MLS season begins. That was a lot of hoo ha about nothing. Harry Redknapp could still be angling for a loan move as rumoured.

Trite but true - won't someone show Beckham the door?

It is interesting to note that Harry Redknapp is reconsidering David Beckham's short term loan move to Spurs fearing it could prove counter productive. He seems to indicate he prefers a longer stay.

That won't sit well with the LA Galaxy. This is a club that can make the same argument against Beckham. The overwhelming feeling is that he is on loan to the MLS while his larger ambitions and fealty to his global iconic status show up the league as doormats. It was left to fans showing a spirited dissatisfaction forcing Beckham into a megaphone of commitment but the league itself did not take concrete steps to stop this guilt free binge. It's no surprise he's doing it again.

Beckham has played just 48 out of the 106 regular season games since arriving at the Galaxy in 2007- the second season with 25 appearances accounts for more than half of that productivity. He was absconding for most of the third season when he extended his 2009 Milan move to six months and then his appearances in the fourth season was curtailed to just 10 games (7 regular season + 3 playoff matches) after rupturing his Achilles heel while on loan to Milan for his second time. Clearly, he is not even a bragging point any more when all those European super clubs come into town for the summer friendlies. More practically, his move has done nothing to end the Galaxy's trophy drought.

By now, these loan moves have become du jour. Ostensibly, it is to keep him in the hunt for a spot in the English national squad. This endeavour is beginning to look Sarah Palinesque - as capricious as her presidential ambitions. His presence makes a virtual mockery of Fabio Capello's purported change in direction towards younger and fresher blood rejuvenating an old and stale English squad. Beckham's time machine has been stuck for a while while his body ages. The more likely consequence will be yet another devastating injury and more angst for the Galaxy fans.

There is some speculation that Beckham's move is an effort on the part of Phillip Anschutz, the owner of the LA Galaxy to strengthen his association with Spurs. His company AEG is teaming up with the North London club for the Olympic Stadium tenancy. There are some rumblings that he is also planning a takeover. But if that were the case wouldn't that make Landon Donovan a more attractive alternative to Aaron Lennon? He impressed while at Everton matching the league's physicality. He can play with speed down both wings, shows deftness with set pieces, and is a proven goalscorer.

No, this is entirely Beckham's doing. He can't even be a Dennis Rodman and retire to a life of shotgun weddings and bad flicks. It's time for the MLS to sell him to Blackburn, a club that seems to be bent on becoming the laughing stock of the Premiership. The Colorado Rapids, a no name team were winners of the MLS Cup for the first time in club history reminding us when 23 regular guys come together as a team, good things happen. They didn't need no stinkin' superstars.

Freddie Ljungberg, playing his best years at Arsenal before unraveling at West Ham and taking a more calamitous turn in the MLS at Seattle Sounders and Chicago Fire is back in the news.

He is a Celtic now. For at least a short while till he finds another underwear gig or is overcome with kilt.

Macoumba Kandji, the erstwhile Red Bulls striker forced the issue in extra time when he pushed through a nutmeg between Jair Benitez's legs and then toe poked the ball which deflected off George John for an own goal. Before that the match was tied 1-1. The first goal was scored by Dallas's David Ferreira through a spectacular strike (video). Colorado answered back through Conor Casey (video).

The goal came against the run of play because Dallas looked for most part as the team more likely to score the winner. They were far more skillful and assured on the ball with Ferreira and Marvin Chavez leading the way. But football does not tread the straight and the narrow.

Congratulations to Colorado on picking up the win! Hopefully this means that Stan Kroenke pays more attention to his club then trying to stage a coup in the Arsenal boardroom.

In case you missed this. FC Dallas are going to their first MLS final after shocking the pre-abortive favourites LA Galaxy.

This defeat was not because the big names in the Galaxy did not show up to play - in fact David Beckham, Landon Donovan, and Juninho were outstanding. They were undone by a superb Dallas performance.

Kevin Hartman was an absolute rock in goal bringing of spectacular save after save. Up front the pace of Atiba Harris, Marvin Chavez, and MVP candidate David Ferreira proved too much for the Galaxy defense. The trio combined for the first and the last goal with Ferreira and Chavez getting on the board. The second was created by Brek Shea and finished by George John, Dallas's central defender, scoring his first ever MLS goal.

A well deserved victory and now Dallas meet the Colorado Rapids in the MLS final on November 21st.

Marquez put together this 30 yard screamer that tore a hole in the ozone. Great strike. The Mexican talisman opens his scoring ahead of far more vaunted Thierry Henry who has functioned more as an assist man.

NY went onto decimate Toronto, 4-1 through Marquez, Angel, Robinson, and an own goals by Nane. Toronto got an consolation by Dwayne De Rosario. Rest of the highlights here >>

The LA Galaxy won bragging rights as they beat the NY Red Bulls, 1-0.

Edson Buddle was put through by a nice pass by Juninho and the Galaxy striker made no mistake. Juan Pablo Angel came close to restoring parity on a couple of different occasions. His free kick missed by a whisker and then his header from a swerving free kick by Rafa Marquez clanged off the crossbar.

Thierry Henry showed some nice foot skills and a quick eye for a pass but his finishing let him down- he looks a few knots slower than his Barca days. His big moment came when he raced after the ball with Donovan Ricketts also come charging out from goal - the French striker tried going to the right but Ricketts with a sliding challenge was able to cut him off.

The Red Bulls came close again with Ricketts saving Angel's header off Lindpere's cross and off the rebound Tim Ream smashes it but it deflected off Berhalter for a corner. Buddle came close again in the final minutes with Bouna Condoul stretched out to make a finger tips save off his stinging grounder.

Tom Cruise denies that Beckham has a part in the upcoming Mission Impossible: The Mothership Returns (snark). However, his close friend is preoccupied with his own mission impossible, at the age of 35 and with a host of injuries a sinew away from a permanent end - can Beckham force himself back to national consideration?

A return depends on a few factors.

A move to a bigger stage (European).

Capello will be forced to monitor him closely if Beckham moves to the Premiership or to the Serie. West Ham seems to be ogling him. Now, that will be a wise move because he can make an instant impact on a lower rung club. He can conserve his energy and efficiency cutting down on the trans Atlantic travel that he has had to undertake in the past with the LA Galaxy.

A midfield lacuna.

Theo Walcott is far, far from the finished product. Aaron Lennon is far, far from the finished product. Shaun Wright- Phillips is far, far from the finished product. Now, Beckham may not be able to play but 15 -20 minutes tops but he can sure cross and bend a free kick better than these boys. So if the young uns do not step up, then the former England captain could be back on the menu.

The sympathy vote.

Capello's move to call an end to Beckham's international career on TV has backfired miserably. He is coming off the worst as players, media, and fans have piled on making the former England captain an object of sympathy. Steven Gerrard has not ruled out his return. David Cameron has expressed shock at his ouster. At this point if Capello decides to resign there will be few sympathizers. After 115 national appearances, Beckham should be given the honour of deciding when he gets to hang up his boots.

The Beckham imbroglio serves as an example of how shallow the talent pool is in England - the short shrift given to developing players in the youth academies and the false linking of the success of the Premiership with that of the national squad. But there you have it. Capello's blunt and insensitive comments have actually helped buttress Beckham's waning credentials.

The scoreline flatters to deceive as Brazil put on a clinic against the USA. The capacity crowd of 77,723 at the Meadowlands was treated to a young Brazilian squad who played with poise, tenacity, and some talent to match. Their domination was so complete that the US could probably count on their fingers the times they had the ball.

The USA had one big shining moment in the 2nd minute after Landon Donovan cut in to take over Buddle's pass and was a shot away from putting the ball into the net but the Brazilian defense was able to get back in time to shepherd the ball away. Donovan was definitely pushed from behind by Thiago Silva but his appeal for a spot kick was denied.

On the other end, the very impressive Neymar and Pato were dangerous every time they penetrated the defense. The former especially showed he is the face of the future with his skills on and off the ball. The duo were given acres to operate with the US defense showing no desire to put any pressure on them.

Brazil opened their scoring through Neymar nodding Andre Santos's cross past Howard after breaking free from Jonathan Bornstein. They could have gone two up but Pato's goal was disallowed as the AC Milan striker ran over Howard. However minutes later, there was no mistake as Pato latched onto Ramires's heads up pass which split the porous US defense and the Milan man danced around Howard to put Brazil two up.

With Neymar and Robinho skipping, bobbing, and weaving past the US defense - it was a matter of when Brazil would be on the boards again. And it would have happened but the upright denied them twice.

The US had a goal turned down after Bradley was found offside with his header. They had their best chance of the second half when sub Herculez Gomes headed Jonathan Spector's whipping cross towards goal but Victor, the Brazilian goalie was able to deflect it out.

Omar Gonzalez had a solid game - he was able to get in some timely tackles. Brad Guzan subbing for Howard also caught the eye saving a shot from Neymar and in stoppage time denying Andre Santos.

Landon Donovan exited to resounding applause from an appreciative audience but they were groans when his sub Robbie Findley entered the field. He showed his trademark speed but his touch was as usual, familiarly heavy. Buddle went off to Altidore who had a decent game with his physical presence posing some problems but again there was no finish.

Amongst the Brazilians, David Luiz, Benfica's central defender played the role of a holding midfielder. Much of the midfield build up went through him. A player to watch for the future.

All in all, Mano Menezes should be quite pleased with his new look Brazil squad. For the US, there were few Confederation Cup moments. Actually, they looked a bit slow and ponderous - not the usual quick counterattacking one associates US soccer with.

The NY Cosmos cheerleaders - the 70s!

These are heady times for soccer fans especially in the Tri State area. The Copa NYC in its second year attracted 22 teams which was won by Poland. They beat Jamaica, 5-4 on PKs after both teams tied, 3-3. Chris Karcz, a former Red Bulls reserve forward who had already scored during regulation, provided an assist, was responsible for the winning penalty kick.

At halftime, the crowd was treated to the sight of Pele, making a rare appearance to NY along with fellow New York Cosmos team mates Carlos Alberto and Giorgio Chinaglia announcing they were forming the Cosmos Academy in partnership with BW Gottschee soccer club from Queens to provide talented players with free tuition to their well regarded training program.

This would eliminate the pay to play system in place currently in place ensuring that the program attracts the best kids. Pele also announced that the Cosmos were acquiring the Copa NYC to expand the tournament domestically as well as internationally.

However, the biggest buzz was created by the news that a consortium of English businessmen led by former Tottenham Hotspur director Paul Kemsley as Chairman, CEO Carl Johnson and former David Beckham associate Terry Byrne as director of football had purchased the name of the New York Cosmos which was the North American version of the Galacticos back in the days of Studio 54.

The Cosmos was the hottest ticket in town as Gavin Newsham's book "Once In A Lifetime" makes amply clear.

A bright, incandescent jewel in the history of the ill fated NASL. It was bought by Warner Brothers and Steve Ross - and the likes of Mick Jagger, Robert Redford, Barbara Streisand, Ahmet Ertegun, Woody Allen, Jimmy Carter, Henry Kissinger would grace Giants Stadium where 70,000 + fans would roar on the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, Giorgio Chinaglia, Johan Neeskens, Werner Roth, Shep Messing, and even Johan Cruyff.

The Cosmos was power personified - Henry Kissinger was drafted to get the signature of Pele. The Cosmos was to soccer what the Hacienda was to the Manchester music scene - including the drugs, sex, and rock n' roll.

The acquisition of the Cosmos name is the first step to a possible return of the club. If it all pans out then New York will have its first MLS club and not a proxy called the New York Red Bulls out in Harrison, NJ.

But and this is the cautionary but - the prohibitive cost of building a stadium in the city means that the consortium has to have seriously deep pockets, possess the werewithal to overcome the myriad and deeply entrenched zoning laws, take on the city, state, and community boards with their political and environmental agendas, which more often than not pits them against each other to the detriment of development.

The Jets were doomed in their NY venture, the Yankees and Mets have priced out their matches to pay for their exorbitant new stadiums, and the Nets are moving into their new Atlantic Yards address amidst stiff public opposition. It is going to be a gargantuan task. There is talk that the Willets Point area where Citifield Stadium is located could potentially be a venue but it might be years and a pretty penny before every case of eminent domain is settled.