Former MLS great Preki will become the next coach of Chivas USA.
Here is another one of MLS’s all time greats getting a chance ala Peter Nowak at DC United to make a quick impression in the coaching department.
Preki’s move to head coaching was accelerated when Bob Bradley took the interim position with the U.S. National team.
I have always liked Preki’s ideas as a player, amazing skill and his 100 percent focus on the game of soccer.
So how will it translate as a head coach?
Speaking to Bob Bradley during his last visit to Houston in the MLS playoffs he said that Preki was progressing as an assistant but still was learning the player management side of things.
This is always the issue with a former player. Can they be open-minded? Can they take other opinions before making a decision
Can they use their strong ego’s in a postive way as a leader of men. Will he have patience with young MLS players who are trying to develop professional habits?
The upside is that Preki will want to continue the work Bradley has done and play attacking soccer that is for sure.
The key issue to their season will simply be how Preki can work with acquired playmaker Amado Guevara. Bruce Arena moved him from Red Bull in New York for just that reason. Arena it seemed didn’t want to be bothered with the coachability side of Guevara.
Will two creative soccer minds like Preki and Guevara work together at Chivas USA……One wonders.
One additional TEAM BECKHAM note , it seems their is a rumor floating around the King David has the option to buy a discounted MLS Club at the end of his career. Discounted! Are you kidding.
If true, the discounted price would probably be a way to lure back Beckham money and get him in ownership.
Stick with me here for the daily Beckham rumor.
Reminder THE SOCCER HOUR WITH GLENN DAVIS returns to it’s Tuesday time slot tomorrow night at 7pm.

The announcement from Carson, California today about the creation of a Super League is historic.
Finally we will get more real competition between MLS clubs and Mexican League clubs. This makes real sense and will take energy from the already created rivalry between the U.S. and Mexico at the international level. Cut to the chase….this is U.S. vs. Mexico……a chance for teams and players to prove to fans which league is better in theory.
Many might have questioned the seriousness of which this tournament would have been approached by both teams but that theory will quickly be thrown out the window as the Champion of the tournament will receive a 1 million dollar purse. The tournament will take place July 24 through August 29 and will take precendent over MLS play. Add in the fact that both the Gold Cup (June 6th-June 24th) and the Copa America(June 26 through Jul.y 15th) will be played prior and you may have some fatigued MLS players that will be coming off national team duty.
This means now that the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is going to get buried under this tournament and become secondary to any teams involved in the Super League. In fact I imagine you will see reserve teams representing MLS teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Group A consists of Chivas, Pachuca, FC Dallas, and David Beckham’s LA Galaxy while Group B consists of the Houston Dynamo, DC United, Club America, and Morelia.
This is going to be interesting.

Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello on David Beckham:
“The decision of the player is to go to Los Angeles, he has always been a great professional but a player with such an important contract with another club we can’not count on him. He is not going to play anymore.”
So what does this mean.
Are we really to believe David Beckham will just practice with Real Madrid?
I find it hard to believe that Beckham will do this through the remainder of the season, the player has pride and certainly from a marketing standpoint he wouldn’t want to endure five months of talk why he isn’t playing before coming to MLS maybe cheapening the effect of his arrival.
Could he be transferred prior to coming to MLS for the next few months?
Don’t see this happening as this would be a slap in the face to those who put together a 250 million dollar deal.
Roll out the red carpet for King David and Queen Victoria they arrival may be coming prior to the August date that has been presented to us.
The earlier the better for Beckham from the standpoint of an adjustment period to MLS and his teammates. Different players and different conditions will take getting used to in the states not to mention all the off field appearances and attention.
Is it a commercial move for MLS? You bet? Will he perform for the LA Galaxy? You bet.
Beckham will help the sport’s growth from far more than just his playing ability.

GAME ON !
Not a bad choice for a designated player.
Beckham to Hollywood and the LA Galaxy, like anyone ever thought he was going to play in Columbus for the Crew?
The spotlight is on MLS with this signing that transcends sport, this is about celebrity.
Beckham will finish out with Real Madrid and come to MLS in August to begin a late season run of selling out stadiums and limos heading out to the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The Galaxy and head coach Frank Yallop will have time to put their squad together the best way they can before the King and Queen’s arrival. Hey lets not forget, Victoria Beckham aka ‘Posh Spice’. For every Hollywood party she attends or interview she gives the sport of soccer and her husband David who plays in MLS for THE LOS ANGELES GALAXY in the sport of SOCCER will be mentioned. So consider this a two for one deal.
Beckham will have to get used to passes balls to Alan Gordon not Ronaldo or Robinho yet their is alot of good here marketing aside. Take the celebrity status away and MLS is probably less enticed with Beckham. Fact is Beckham is only 31, is a player of integrity and has stated he is coming here to help that sport grow. Beckham can play.
MEMO TO MLS HEAD COACHES AND PLAYERS: Stop conceding silly free kicks around the penalty area come August against the LA Galaxy.

The Harris County Sports Authority’s Cathy Dean received good news from UH that Robertson Stadium can be used for the NCAA Mens College Cup. This is a huge boost for the bid that the Harris County Sports will put together as they try to land the 2008-2010 NCAA Mens College Cup.
The city of Houston would be the perfect place to have the college cup for a variety of reasons.
The weather in Houston surely will beat last years NCAA college cup in St. Louis that was tormented by snow.
Other assets that the NCAA will be smart to consider is the great media support, strength of youth and adult soccer community in Houston and the big city international feel ‘Space City’ can bring to the event. Volunteer support would be plentiful as well.
Not having an NCAA division one mens program in the Houston area won’t effect the bid but it reminds us again of the amazing fact that only SMU has an NCAA division mens program in Texas.
Frisco, Texas and the Pizza Hut Park are also bidding on the event.
It’s time for the NCAA to make the College Cup finals a reward for top college talent.
Think big NCAA when it comes to soccer!!!

Join me this Friday at 7pm on 790 AM radio the sports animal for the Soccer Hour.
U.S. under 20 national team coach Thomas Rongen will join me on the eve where they leave for Panama for U20 World Cup qualifying. I will discuss his roster, Freddy Adu, growth of the American player plus the difficult blend that is combining the college player and professionals to put the best squad out at this very important level. It is about results at this level and grooming players for the full national team and olympic team. Keep an eye on this group as some of these players could prove pivotal in qualifying and playing in the next World Cup. If you have questions for Thomas email me at gdavis 98@swbell.net Also we will have another guest out of the U.S. National team camp in California to give us a report on what is going on there as they approach their first match under Bob Bradley in 2007.
As I am traveling to the NSCAA convention I will bring you updates and talk about the MLS draft as well plus television meetings and what the plan is coming in to the 2007 season.
*call in number 713-212-5790
*topics to discuss: Dynamo vs Club America and Morelia in USAMEX tournament
Real Madrid nightmare
Crowded schedule
DeRo- Should I stay or should I go?
Stadium talk in Houston
The age old debate between high school soccer and club
Dynamo youth development and more.

It appears the Houston Dynamo will be taking on Club America this summer in the new USAMEX tournament that includes four MLS teams and four Mexican League teams.
It looks to be an amazingly busy year for the Dynamo with league, Open Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, and the USAMEX tournament.
Unidentified sources have the Dynamo playing Club America here in Houston as well as Morelia.
The defending MLS Champions will finish off group play against DC United.
This competition much like the Concacaf Champions Cup will pit MLS teams against Mexican club teams in more meaningful international competition and again add fuel to the fire when comparing the two neighboring countries leagues. This will be just another version of the U.S. vs. Mexico.
The Dynamo now have the potential to play three Mexican League clubs in 2007. In addition to Club America the Dynamo also could play Copa Sudamerica champions Pachuca if they get past Costa Rica’s Puntarenas in the opening round of Concacaf Champions Cup competition that will begin in February.
Projecting out, the Dynamo could be stretched thin if you throw in the potential of national team call ups to the Gold Cup and Copa America which will be played in July.
Clearly the depth of the rosters of MLS teams are going to be tested in the coming year.
Game on!

Twenty year old Gago signed from Boca Jrs. in Argentina for Real Madrid was baptized in the Spanish League Sunday in a 2-0 loss to Deportivo at the Riazor Stadium. Real Madrid looked disorganized, lacking desire and cohesivness.
As for Gago his debut was a nightmare and one wondered if this was the right time for manager Fabio Capello to put the young talent in the starting line-up. Here is what Capello’s starting line-up looked like.

Van Nistlerooy

Reyes Guti Raul

Gago Emerson

Ramos Cannavaro Helguera Salgado

Casillas

The starting lineup was minus Robinho, Ronaldo, Cassano, David Beckham, and Roberto Carlos .
Beckham and Ronaldo would get a run. This was a team that was a mess and was clearly outclassed in every facet of the game.
The first goal conceded was off a free kick in the 9th minute, the newcomer Gago shy’s away from the shooter pulls off the end of the wall and leaves a large gap. Capdevilla hits the space that he moves out of. If Gago remains courageous he blocks the free kick.
Cristian scored a second in the 55th minute for Deportivo.
The tactic altering goal played out perfectly for the hosts. There is so much that went wrong in this game for the ‘Galactico’s’ that you just have to see it for yourself on GOLTV.
Real Madrid blamed a bumpy field for their passing woes and also an injury to Guti.
This is not the Real Madrid Revolution that many expected with autocratic Fabio Capello in charge, in fact one wonders if his personality is too strong for a team where it’s superstars have been in charge for years?
On the Real Madrid website midifielder Jose Reyes is quoted and finishes up by saying:
“I guess fans are f—– up just like we are, but I ask them to stay calm because I am sure we will get over it.”
I am surprised this made it on to the Real Madrid website.

Meanwhile Manchester United got a gift in the FA Cup from Aston Villa goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly who made an amazing blunder off a Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer shot in stoppage time in the 2nd half.
Henrik Larsson scored on his debut make his signing look like genius while Villa’s Milan Baros tied things.

Former MLS player Junior Agogo scored once in Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 win over the EPL’s Charlton Athletic.
Forest who play a division below produced the win at home and were clearly the better team.
Charlton Athletic were passionless against Forest and looked no-where near being an English Premier League team.
As for Agogo many remember him in MLS where he played one game for the Chicago Fire before being traded to the Colorado Rapids, from there he was traded to San Jose for former UNC star Chris Carrieri who no longer is in MLS.
Watching Charlton Athletic might remind us that MLS just might have done NE midfielder Clint Dempsey a favor by not accepting a deal to send him there. Dempsey expected to go to Fulham for a reported 4 million dollars pending a tribunal might just be glad the deal never came off after looking at Charlton Athletic.

Over the last two years we have heard of the potential of DC United being sold.
Well it looks like Monday it will be come reality for the AEG owned club.
A consortium led by San Francisco real estate developer Vic McFarlane has joined former Duke basketball player Brian Davis and the Discovery Channel’s John Hendricks. McFarlane is fronting most of the money apparently with the group’s main interest most likely being a 27,000 seat soccer stadium which would be built near the new Washington Nationals Stadium which is scheduled to open in 2008. The
Hendricks you remember had a big part in the Womens United Soccer Association which failed after a handful of seasons.
So what does this all mean.
Lots of good. A new stadium (although I will be sad to see RFK go) and vision and ownership for the most branded club in MLS history. New ideas and new vision is now coming to MLS in the form of KC, Toronto, and now DC United. Lets see what comes from these new ownership groups.