I mentioned on my radio show last night that I get emails asking for more womens coverage.
Those that want more coverage of the womens game need to get on the phone and bring the subject to the table.
I have interviewed on my show ‘The Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis’ Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Cat Reddick, Greg Ryan, Abby Wambach, Tiffeny Roberts and Heather Mitts among others.
When Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Carla Overbeck retired along with the phasing out of Brandi Chastain at the national team level one wondered where the support for the womens game would go.
Without that big 4 and before them Michelle Akers the game has lost their pioneers. Combined with the collapse of the WUSA it is tough now for the women to get their due. Now with the Womens World Cup coming up the womens game has opportunity to get a boost again. Currently the collegiate game is the highest level women can play at in the U.S.
Sad to hear that fiscal responsibility and partnering with MLS clubs now becomes relevant after poor leadership when the WUSA was formed. This is the way it should have been launched in the first place.
On another note the U.S. Women won the four nations tournament in China beating the hosts 2-1 in their final game .
Rising stars Lori Chalupny and Natasha Kai scored the goals.

HDNET and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban joins Glenn Davis on the Soccer Hour this Tuesday at 7pm on 790 AM radio.
Cuban will weigh in on MLS, David Beckham, sports ownership, plus television and soccer.
Call in number is 713-212-5790.
The show also streams live on the internet at www.790thesportsanimal.com and is podcast at Houstonchronicle.com

Superstar David Beckham will be a part of a 30 second spot during the Super Bowl that will be produced by the NFL Networkeir.
The theme is a Super Bowl party that according to the NFL reflects the tremendous diversity of their enormous audience. (Enormous yes, not quite as enormous as the World Cup Final)
Also included in the spot are NFL players, Martha Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Janet Reno, LL Cool J, and country band Rascal Flatts. Quite the eclectic group.
All kidding aside this is where Beckham will bring attention to MLS and soccer where others can’t.
I am looking forward to all the top ESPN announcers on other sports cross-promoting MLS on ‘their’ broadcasts. There must be support on other broadcasts and with ESPN and FOX paying a rights fee lets hope the effort is made. Beckham already conquering the U.S. and he hasn’t even arrived.
This from Yanks Abroad. Oguchi Onyewu is set to join Newcastle United on loan from Standard Liege in Belgium. Onyewu has been linked with numerous clubs including Real Madrid, Fulham, Chelsea to name a few. Onyewu wanted the guarantee of starting and may just get his wish at Newcastle.
Welcome to the world of the Geordie Oguchi.
Have spent time in Newcastle one summer I can tell you this is soccer country.

The hot rumor of Edgar Davids coming to FC Dallas might have just come to an end.
According to the Dallas Morning News Davids has agreed to terms with Dutch side Ajax contingent upon the deal being worked out with Tottenham.
This reminds us again that just because David Beckham has been signed in LA don’t think the floodgates have opened for name players in MLS to hit our shores.
Many of the names bandied about in the media became hot items when someone contacted an agent after picking up a phone. How much was legitimate interest who knows. MLS teams have to put it out to their fans that they are looking at acquiring a ‘name talent’ yet the intent for certain teams may not be that serious.
The Davids situation was interesting. Is this just about acquiring a name or was it about new coach Steve Morrow wanting to play with two defensive/holding type midfielders. After all he has one of the best in the league in Richard Mulrooney. Unless some don’t believe Mulrooney has regained his full form after a knee injury?
The designated player will be used differently by different teams. Certainly LA and New York need a name. Is Claudio Reyna got the New York market excited?
FC Dallas fan how do you feel about the Davids situation?

The first day back never involves working out so the process is a bit like going back to the first day of high school.
Catching up with teammates we didn’t see over the break, re-living some of the moments from last year, moving back into the dungenous yet somehow welcoming confines of the locker room at Robertson and breathing in the first breath of the 2007 season are what make the first day so great. Some will have butterflies in their stomachs wondering if this year will be as good as the last, while others will have the same feeling caused by the thoughts that this season will be their breakout year.
A brief conversation with a doctor will go something like this…..
Random doctor: Welcome back…hope you enjoyed your time off!
Player: I loved it……..all eight weeks of it.
Random doctor:….How do you feel? Are there any lingering injuries or new injuries we should know about?
Player: We’ll I still haven’t gotten rid of the ones I had in mid-November, and I anticipate being sore for the next three weeks …..soooooooo
Random doctor: HA HA Three weeks? How about the next ten months.
Player: Long exhale…….another sigh…..eyes staring blankly at the floor……..Yeah I can’t wait.

And then it is over. This whole process will take about twenty to thirty minutes. The excitement will be tangible and the smiles will be contagious. The scene will be played out in thirteen different cities this year, and in every one it will represent the hopes and dreams of all of the players and fans alike. Let me be the first to officially welcome you to the 2007 season …..It starts today.

Craig Waibel

Manchester City’s thirty three year old Claudio Reyna will return to his home state of New Jersey to play for the New York Red Bulls and his former college and national team coach Bruce Arena.
This rumor was hot last summer in MLS and Reyna’s father had even made it clear to some in New Jersey that this was going to happen. Reyna will earn at least over $300,000 per year as a designated player after an outstanding career in Europe with Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, Rangers, and Sunderland. European clubs put a huge value on Reyna’s soccer brain and ability to calm a game down in extremely athletic leagues and most recently Manchester City.
Reyna failed to impress or lead in the 2006 World Cup for the United States after an outstanding career that included 112 caps.
Now Reyna will definetly be more coachable than Amado Guevara who was sent packing to Chivas USA but one has to wonder how the injury prone player will hold up on the artificial surface at Giants Stadium. Lets not forget that Toronto and NE will also be playing on the fact stuff so Reyna will be playing easily over half of his games on the fake stuff. Reyna will be brought in to help the Red Bull possession game plus provide leadership…… Is he that big of an improvement over Guevara by MLS standards ? Or did Arena just want to get rid of player that he didn’t feel he could manage or want to put the effort into managing. I for one would not want the headache of Guevara despite his obvious talent.
Lets hope for Red Bull fans sake that Reyna stays healthy. As a DP he needs to be the Red Bulls best player and as fans and media should hold David Beckham to producing in MLS they also should hold Reyna to just as high a standard.

LA Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop dropped in to the Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis last night on 790AM radio and had lots to say about the impending arrival of former England captain David Beckham. Yallop has even had breakfast recently with Beckham’s wife Victoria “Posh” Spice and comments on that meeting.
Yallop addresses how Beckham will be used in LA, his search for the right support players, plus Beckham’s influence on Landon Donovan.
Hear what Yallop said in his interview with Glenn Davis at www.790thesportsanimal.com. Just click podcast or go to www.houstonchronicle.com

LA Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas and head coach Frank Yallop will join Glenn Davis tonite on the Soccer Hour at 7pm on 790 AM.
Davis will question both on the arrival of David Beckham, how life in the Galaxy organization has changed since his signing, plus address if the pressure to win has intensified.
To speak to Glenn Davis call 713-212-5790
The show streams live on the internet at www.790thesportsanimal.com and is podcast on www.houstonchronicle.com

Thierry Henry scored a stoppage time game winner to sink Manchchester United in front of over 60,000 fans .
Henry clearly unmarked smashed in a header past Edwin Van Der Sar to secure the full three points.
Rooney opened it up for Manchester United but goals from second half sub Robin Van Persie and Henry capped an amazing comeback and reminded us why the EPL is the world’s greatest domestic league.
So Arsenal and Liverpool knock off the top two teams in the EPL with 14 games to go.
Arsenal were deserved winners winning out in the possession and both these youthful squads look well positioned under managers Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger for the future.
Breathtaking.