Week 11 Rookie Watch

Draftees

2. Joshua Yaro (Philadelphia) - Started vs LA Galaxy, 90 mins
2. Joshua Yaro (Philadelphia) - Started vs Montreal, 90 mins
3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs LA Galaxy, 90 mins, 3 shots, 1 goal
3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs Montreal, 90 mins, 2 shots
4. Brandon Vincent (Chicago) - Sub vs Vancouver - 28 mins
4. Brandon Vincent (Chicago) - Started vs New England - 90 mins
6. Fabian Herbers (Philadelphia) - Sub vs LA Galaxy, 4 mins
6. Fabian Herbers (Philadelphia) - Sub vs Montreal, 24 mins, 1 shot
9. Tsubasa Endoh (Toronto FC) - Started vs Vancouver, 90 mins, 1 shot
11. Julian Buescher (DC United) - Sub vs NYRB, 16 mins, 1 shot
12. Jonathan Campbell (Chicago) - Started vs Vancouver, 90 mins
12. Jonathan Campbell (Chicago) - Started vs New England, 90 mins
51. Femi Hollinger-Janzen (New England) - Sub vs Chicago - 18 mins, 1 shot, 1 goal

Homegrowns

Joey Calistri (Chicago) - Started vs Vancouver, 90 mins, 2 shots, 1 assist
Joey Calistri (Chicago) - Sub vs New England, 13 mins
Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs FC Dallas, 90 mins, 1 shot
Alex Muyl (NYRB) - Sub vs DC United, 19 mins

Jordan Morris saw his scoring streak come to an end, but New England's Femi Hollinger-Janzen headed in a goal for the Revs, the first of his career. Philadelphia's Keegan Rosenberry continued to make his case for being an early rookie of the year favorite by adding his first goal along with playing solid defense at right back for the Union. Elsewhere, Chicago's Joey Calistri earned his first career assist while making his first career start in midweek action.

The B Team - Missing Copa América

So back in March, for kicks we put together a U.S. roster comprised of players that were not on the World Cup Qualifying Roster or the Olympic Qualifying Roster to see what kind of team we could throw together. Now with Copa América looming and the U.S.'s 40-man preliminary roster in place, I thought it might be fun to do it again. Our roster's going to look a little bit different this time with some players getting called up (Nick Rimando, Eric Lichaj, Danny Williams, Graham Zusi, Tim Ream and Perry Kitchen) and others hampered by injuries (Quincy Amarikwa), but I still think this is a halfway decent - if MLS-biased - roster. Here's what I came up with:

STARTERS

Goalkeeper - Luis Robles - New York Red Bulls - The reigning MLS goalkeeper of the year who hasn't missed a start since 2012 has had a rough start to 2016, but much of that can be attributed to the porous defense in front of him. CAPS: 2

Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - For whatever reason, despite the lack of left backs in the system, Villafaña still isn't getting a look with the USMNT. Well, he's a staple at left back for our B Team. CAPS: 0

Center Back - Nat Borchers - Portland Timbers - The Wyndham Rewards Wizard is still plugging away at Age 35. He's not a long term solution, but he brings toughness and savvy to the table without being a high risk for cards (just one yellow in his last 41 regular season matches. CAPS: 3

Center Back - Chad Marshall - Seattle Sounders - The 6'4" Marshall is exceptional in the air and already has a pair of goals for the Sounders this season. Paired with Borchers, Marshall would make the U.S. tough on set pieces on both ends of the field. CAPS: 11

Right Back - Robbie Rogers - LA Galaxy - Rogers is better on the left than on the right, but he's shown this year after Ashley Cole took the left back spot that he can play on either side of the field. With his attacking background, Rogers is always dangerous moving forward and would give the U.S. an effective attack out of the back. CAPS: 18

Defensive Midfield - Wil Trapp - Columbus Crew - One of many young players looking to be the heir apparent to Kyle Beckerman, Trapp helped the Crew reach the MLS Cup in 2015, and has started every game for them in 2016. CAPS: 2

Defensive Midfield - Dax McCarty - New York Red Bulls - Full disclosure, I would have liked to put Matt Polster in this spot alongside Trapp, but Polster's banged up, so instead we'll go with the veteran. McCarty was a huge reason for the Red Bulls' success in 2015, and after a slow start he's playing better of late. CAPS: 5

Left Wing - Brek Shea - Orlando City SC - He's been playing more left back than left wing, but he's got the athleticism and the attacking skillset to allow him to slot in here without a huge drop in play. CAPS: 34

Attacking Midfield - Benny Feilhaber - Sporting Kansas City - Klinsmann may not like Feilhaber, but I do. He's a playmaker, and has a great engine, and while he may not be Michael Bradley, he could certainly run this offense. CAPS: 41

Right Wing - Mike Grella - New York Red Bulls - An exciting winger, Grella burst onto the scene in 2015 after spending 2014 in the NASL and delivered 9 goals and 7 assists for the Supporters Shield Winners. And to show it wasn't a fluke, Grella is off to a fast start in 2016 with three goals already. CAPS: 0

Striker - C.J. Sapong - Philadelphia Union - One of the more notable snubs, Sapong is really coming into his own with the Union and is a big reason they've turned their fortunes around. CAPS: 2.


BENCH

Goalkeeper - Clint Irwin - Toronto FC - CAPS: 0
Goalkeeper - Tim Melia - Sporting Kansas City - CAPS: 0
Left Back - Jonathan Bornstein - Querétaro FC - CAPS: 38
Center Back - Michael Parkhurst - Columbus Crew - CAPS: 25
Center Back - Marvell Wynne - San Jose Earthquakes - CAPS: 5
Right Back - Jonathan Spector - Birmingham City - CAPS: 36
Defensive Midfield - Scott Caldwell - New England Revolution - CAPS: 0
Attack Midfield - Sacha Kljestan - New York Red Bulls - CAPS: 46
Left Wing - Chris Rolfe - DC United - CAPS: 10
Right Wing - Chris Pontius - Philadelphia Union - CAPS: 0
Striker - Juan Agudelo - New England Revolution - CAPS: 20
Striker - Jack McInerney - Portland Timbers - CAPS: 0

Week 10 Rookie Watch

Draftees

9. Tsubasa Endoh (Toronto FC) - Started vs FC Dallas, 89 mins, 4 shots, 1 goal
11. Julian Buescher (DC United) - Sub vs NYCFC, 8 mins, yellow card
19. Rodrigo Saravia (Columbus) - Sub vs Montreal, 1 min
24. Michael Salazar (Montreal) - Sub vs Columbus, 7 mins, 1 shot
51. Femi Hollinger-Janzen (New England) - Sub vs LA Galaxy - 30 mins, 1 shot, 1 assist

Homegrowns

Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs San Jose, 90 mins, 4 shots, 1 goal, 1 assist
Alex Muyl (NYRB) - Sub vs Orlando City, 1 min

Jordan Morris scored in his fourth straight match and Toronto's Tsubasa Endoh scored his first MLS goal as the rookie class turned in a solid Week 10. In addition to goals by Morris and Endoh, New England's Femi Hollinger-Janzen earned a late assist against the Galaxy and Montreal's Michael Salazar made his MLS debut in the Impact's wild 4-4 draw with the Columbus Crew.

Week 8-9 Rookie Watch

Week 8

Draftees

2. Joshua Yaro (Philadelphia) - Started vs NYCFC, 90 mins
3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs NYCFC, 90 mins, 1 shot
19. Rodrigo Saravia (Columbus) - Sub vs Houston, 16 mins
37. Dennis Castillo (Colorado) - Sub vs Seattle, 30 mins, 1 assist

Homegrowns

Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs Colorado, 90 mins, 2 shots, 1 goal
Alex Muyl (NYRB) - Sub vs Orlando City, 4 mins, 1 shot

Week 9

Draftees

2. Joshua Yaro (Philadelphia) - Started vs San Jose, 90 mins
3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs San Jose, 90 mins
6. Fabian Herbers (Philadelphia) - Sub vs San Jose, 4 mins
9. Tsubasa Endoh (Toronto FC) - Started vs Portland, 78 mins
11. Julian Buescher (DC United) - Sub vs Chicago, 18 mins, 1 shot
12. Jonathan Campbell (Chicago) - Started vs DC United, 90 mins, 2 shots, 1 goal
19. Rodrigo Saravia (Columbus) - Sub vs Seattle, 13 mins
51. Femi Hollinger-Janzen (New England) - Sub vs Portland - 20 mins, 2 shots
51. Femi Hollinger-Janzen (New England) - Started vs Orlando City - 70 mins, 1 shot

Homegrowns

Justin Bilyeu (NYRB) - Sub vs FC Dallas, 10 mins
Joey Calistri (Chicago) - Sub vs DC United, 37 mins
Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs Columbus, 90 mins, 3 shots, 1 goal
Alex Muyl (NYRB) - Sub vs FC Dallas, 18 mins, 1 assist

Jordan Morris stayed hot for Seattle now having scored in three straight matches for the Sounders while Chicago's Jonathan Campbell knocked home his first MLS goal. Elsewhere, DC United's Julian Buescher and Toronto's Tsubasa Endoh returned to action, New York's Alex Muyl and Colorado's Dennis Castillo each earned assists, while the Philadelphia duo of Josh Yaro and Keegan Rosenberry continued to hold down the backline for the Union.

Week 7 Rookie Watch

Draftees

2. Joshua Yaro (Philadelphia) - Started vs Seattle, 90 mins
3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs Seattle, 90 mins
6. Fabian Herbers (Philadelphia) - Sub vs Seattle, 15 mins
12. Jonathan Campbell (Chicago) - Started vs Montreal, 90 mins, 1 shot
19. Rodrigo Saravia (Columbus) - Sub vs NYCFC, 1 min
22. Alex Morrell (Chicago) - Sub vs Montreal, 32 mins, 2 shots
49. Kip Colvey (San Jose) - Started vs Portland, 90 mins

Homegrowns

Tyler Adams (NYRB) - Started vs San Jose, 45 mins
Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs Philadelphia, 82 mins, 3 shots, 1 goal
Alex Muyl (NYRB) - Started vs Colorado, 90 mins, 2 shots

Second overall pick Josh Yaro, Guatemalan international Rodrigo Saravia, and 17 year-old Tyler Adams all made their MLS debuts this week, but the real story this week was the long awaited first MLS goal by Jordan Morris. Morris's goal would end up being the game winner in Seattle's 2-1 win over Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Week 6 Rookie Watch

Draftees

3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs Orlando City, 90 mins
6. Fabian Herbers (Philadelphia) - Sub vs Orlando City, 27 mins, 1 shot
12. Jonathan Campbell (Chicago) - Started vs NYCFC, 90 mins, 1 shot
22. Alex Morrell (Chicago) - Sub vs NYCFC, 6 mins
51. Femi Hollinger-Janzen (New England) - Sub vs Toronto, 1 min

Homegrowns

Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs Houston, 79 mins
Alex Muyl (NYRB) - Sub vs Sporting KC, 5 mins

Chicago's Alex Morrell and New York's Alex Muyl each made their MLS debuts this weekend in another quiet week for the 2016 rookie class. Regulars Keegan Rosenberry, Jonathan Campbell and Jordan Morris each all started for their respective clubs, but preseason Rookie of the Year favorite Morris has still yet to tally a goal or an assist in his professional career.

U.S. - Guatemala, Part 2 Reaction

Where was this on Friday? I couldn't help but watch this match, which was NEVER in doubt, and wonder how in the world did we lose to this team just days ago? And not just lose, but lose BADLY. For all the criticism that Jurgen Klinsmann has received about inconsistent/questionable lineups and formations, he deserves the credit for getting this one right in a must-win contest. Opting to go with an attack-minded lineup put the pressure on Guatemala early and often, and resulted in a resounding blowout win. The question now is where does the U.S. go from here? Do we continue to play attack-minded soccer (the thing Klinsmann promised us when he took the U.S. job) or will the master tinkerer shift tactics yet again? Here's the changes/"improvements" I'd make going forward:

Left Back - I thought Edgar Castillo was passable against the Guatemalans, but I still like Jorge Villafaña and I think he deserves a shot. If nothing else, I'd at least like to see Villafaña get an invite to camp so we have more than one left back on the roster. I think that putting ourselves in a position where Fabian Johnson is our left back - or even our backup left back - is doing ourselves a disservice.

Center Back - If John Brooks is playing as well as everyone says he is, then he should probably supplant Steve Birnbaum in the Starting XI. I don't have any issues with Birnbaum's performance, and I love what he brings on set pieces, but we need to find a way to get our best players on the field. One thing that came up during the broadcast, and that I actually agree with is that we should probably consider moving Geoff Cameron into the role currently filled by Kyle Beckerman. Beckerman isn't going to be around forever, and with no clear replacement in the pipeline, it's probably worth giving Cameron, a player who can play and has played that position, a look. This way you could also potentially start Brooks and Birnbaum together with Cameron in front of them.

Right Wing - Gyasi Zardes got his name on the scoresheet last night, but he's likely the odd man out in this formation with the return of Jozy Altidore and Fabian Johnson. The question becomes whether Dempsey, who played an inspired match last night, gets the nod over Bobby Wood moving forward. Personally, I don't see Dempsey sticking around for another World Cup, so I think there's value in starting Altidore up top with Wood on the right wing and Fabian Johnson over on the left, just to see if the group has good chemistry together. As so many analysts and soccer pundits have said in recent days, it's all about building effective partnerships.

Attacking Midfielder - Graham Zusi was terrific in the attacking midfield role alongside Michael Bradley, so I think you have to figure he's in the mix moving forward. The question is, who would you start alongside him with Bradley suspended for the next qualifier due to yellow card accumulation? Fortunately the U.S. has options in Darlington Nagbe, Mix Diskerud and Lee Nguyen, so I'd expect Klinsmann to ride the hot hand.

Some quick final thoughts:

1) It was nice to see Christian Pulisic make his USMNT at the age of 17. Still, I think he's got some room to grow physically before becoming a regular member of the squad. It's not to say that he looked out of place, but he wasn't winning any physical challenges, something he'd be expected to do in the tough CONCACAF region.

2) I'm a little surprised that we opted to bring on Jozy Altidore in a 3-0 game when his fitness is questionable. Yes, he scored which was great, but I don't know what the benefit of making that move was in a blowout, especially when we had other options. Bringing on Ethan Finlay made sense because the game was at his home stadium. Bringing on the aforementioned Pulisic made sense because it CAP-ties him to the U.S. But why Altidore instead of, say, Darlington Nagbe? Or Lee Nguyen? Or Mix Diskerud? It just seemed like a risky move to me.

3) Poor Ethan Finlay. He scores his first international goal in front of his home crowd and has it called back (wrongfully) due to an offsides call. On a positive note, Finlay, once again appears well suited to that substitute sparkplug role on the wing. This is two matches in a row for him where he's had an immediate impact.

4) Brad Guzan should be the U.S. keeper moving forward. Tim Howard has had a legendary career, but until he starts coming up big in MLS with the Rapids this summer, he isn't earning his spot on the field in the world of what have you done for me lately.

5) Pretty solid effort by the U.S.'s MLS contingent despite not being in midseason form. Clint Dempsey (Seattle), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Graham Zusi (Sporting KC), and Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) combined for 3 goals and all 4 assists. And really Ethan Finlay (Columbus) would have added another goal on an assist from Altidore had the officiating been a little cleaner. Nice job, boys! Way to represent!

Week 3 Rookie Watch

Draftees

3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs New England, 90 mins
4. Brandon Vincent (Chicago) - Started vs Columbus, 90 mins
6. Fabian Herbers (Philadelphia) - Sub vs New England, 1 min, 2 shots
9. Tsubasa Endoh (Toronto FC) - Started vs Sporting KC, 77 mins, 1 shot
12. Jonathan Campbell (Chicago) - Started vs Columbus, 90 mins
49. Kip Colvey (San Jose) - Started vs LA Galaxy, 90 mins
51. Femi Hollinger-Janzen (New England) - Sub vs Philadelphia, 15 mins

Homegrowns

Joey Calistri (Chicago) - Sub vs Columbus, 1 min
Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs Vancouver, 71 mins, 2 shots

The Chicago Fire continue to set the pace for rookies in 2016 with Brandon Vincent, Jonathan Campbell and Joey Calistri all seeing action for the third straight week. Elsewhere, New England's Femi Hollinger-Janzen made his MLS debut as a substitute in New England's blowout loss to the Union. Meanwhile the winless Sounders continue to struggle in Jordan Morris's debut season losing a third straight to start the campaign.

USMNT Roster Thoughts

So, rather than comment on the USMNT rosters for the Guatemala World Cup Qualifiers and the U-23 showdown with Colombia, I thought it would be interesting to see if I could put together a roster of players not selected for either group that could, on paper, give Guatemala a run for their money. I didn't consider injured/suspended players (Benny Feilhaber, Brad Evans, Bill Hamid, Jermaine Jones, etc), but here's what I came up with:


For the purpose of argument, we'll line up in a traditional 4-4-2, but I think our roster offers enough flexibility to be able to run a 4-3-3/4-5-1 as well if need be:


Goalkeeper - Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake - The veteran netminder was a part of the U.S.'s World Cup roster in 2014, and he's been an MLS All-Star each of the last three seasons. CAPS: 21


Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - Villafaña is fresh off an MLS Cup win with the Portland Timbers, and has started all three of Santos's CONCACAF Champions League knockout round matches where they have yet to concede a single goal. A member of the ill-fated U-23s in 2012, Villafaña hasn't received any attention for Jurgen Klinsmann, and with left back such a question mark, you'd think the 26 year Villafaña would at least be due a look. CAPS: 0


Center Back - Nat Borchers - Portland Timbers - Borchers has been a key contributor on multiple MLS Cup winning sides and the 6'2" mountain man would bring a toughness that the U.S. teams often lack when visiting Central America. Borchers is 34, and his best days are probably behind him, but I think you could get two matches out of him. CAPS: 3


Center Back - Chad Marshall - Seattle Sounders - A three-time MLS Defender of the Year, most recently in 2014, the 6'3" Marshall would be big (figuratively) on set pieces. Always a threat to score on corners, Marshall's head could be the difference in a close game. CAPS: 11


Right Back - Eric Lichaj - Nottingham Forest - Lichaj's been a regular in the English League Championship for Nottingham Forest and at 27, is at that right age for a breakout. Lichaj hasn't appeared for the U.S. since 2013, but he's really seen his playing time increase overseas since we last saw him in the red, white and blue. CAPS: 10

Week 2 Rookie Watch

Draftees

3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs Columbus, 90 mins
4. Brandon Vincent (Chicago) - Started vs Orlando City, 90 mins
6. Fabian Herbers (Philadelphia) - Sub vs Columbus, 4 mins
9. Tsubasa Endoh (Toronto FC) - Started vs NYCFC, 59 mins
11. Julian Buescher (DC United) - Sub vs New England, 19 mins
12. Jonathan Campbell (Chicago) - Started vs Orlando City, 90 mins, 1 shot
13. Hadji Barry (Orlando City) - Sub vs Chicago, 17 mins
49. Kip Colvey (San Jose) - Started vs Portland, 90 mins, 1 assist

Homegrowns

Joey Calistri (Chicago) - Sub vs Orlando City, 6 mins
Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs RSL, 76 mins

The same 10 rookies who debuted in Week 1 were all in action again in Week 2. Chicago's Jonathan Campbell and San Jose's Kip Colvey each made their first MLS starts while Colvey added his first career assist. Seattle's Jordan Morris was shutout for the second straight match as Seattle fell to 0-2-0.

Proposed USMNT Lineup vs Guatemala

Still a couple weeks to go, but here's the Starting XI I'd like to see us go with against Guatemala:


GK - Brad Guzan - I know there were talks about alternating between Guzan and Tim Howard, but with Howard riding the bench at Everton and Guzan having regained his starting job at Aston Villa, I think Guzan gets the edge here.


Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - After winning a championship with the Portland Timbers, Villafaña has won a starting job in Mexico and recently contributed to Santos Laguna's back-to-back shutouts of the LA Galaxy while advancing to the CCL Semifinals. While Villafaña doesn't have a CAP with the USMNT, his high level of play should be rewarded, plus it allows Fabian Johnson to push into the attack.


Center Back - Matt Besler - Apologies to John Brooks, but the edge goes to the veteran Besler here even if he's not in midseason form. Plus, it makes sense for Brooks to head to Colombia to try and help the U-23s qualify for the Olympics.


Center Back - Omar Gonzalez - Gonzalez has done well since heading south of the border already becoming a valuable contributor with Pachuca. While the U.S. has lots of options at central defense, I feel like Gonzalez deserves the nod here.


Right Back - Geoff Cameron - The versatile Cameron has played well for the U.S. lately and by playing out right, instead of centrally, allows DeAndre Yedlin to join the U-23s in Colombia.


Left Midfield - Fabian Johnson - Arguably playing as good as any American in the world right now, I feel like Johnson is far more valuable in the attack than he is on defense. At a time when the U.S. has struggled to score goals, we need his attacking skills now more than ever.


Defensive Midfield - Michael Bradley - This probably is a reach since it dramatically changes the structure of the U.S. team, but Bradley played deeper in Toronto's opener against the Red Bulls and it worked out just fine. Plus, the U.S. has creative attackers that can fill that #10 role (Nguyen, Nagbe, etc) which allows the U.S. to put a more offensive-minded team on the field.


Attacking Midfield - Lee Nguyen - I love Darlington Nagbe, but Nguyen has been better for the U.S. lately, and his experience probably gets him the nod here. No doubt Nagbe makes the team, but the high-energy Nguyen should get the start.


Right Midfield - Alejandro Bedoya - Gyasi Zardes has been getting a lot of looks with the U.S., but Bedoya's in midseason form thanks to the European schedule so I think it's fair to say he's ahead of Zardes right now.


Striker - Jozy Altidore/Clint Dempsey/Chris Wondolowski - This one's tricky. Jozy is the clear cut starter when healthy, but he's not (hamstring again) and may not be ready when these games role around. Additionally, there are rumors that Dempsey is staying out of the National Team picture until this summer which means he might not be available either. If both of those two are out, I'll probably get flak for this, but I give the nod to Wondo. The veteran striker has a knack for scoring goals against weaker opponents (which Guatemala is) and he's already gotten on the board in MLS this season. We need goals, Wondo scores goals, so he's my third option.


Striker - Bobby Wood - Wood has been taking the 2.Bundesliga by storm ranking third in the league with 12 goals. Wood's red hot league play, coupled with his solid play for the U.S. gets him a start, no questions asked.


Subs - Tim Howard (GK), Mix Diskerud (MF), Gyasi Zardes (MID/FWD), Darlington Nagbe (MF), Jonathan Bornstein (DEF), Michael Orozco (DEF), Chris Wondolowski (FWD)*, Danny Williams (MID)**


*If Jozy or Dempsey Starts
**If Wondo Starts

MLS Players on Loan for 2016

Bernardo Añor - Sporting Kansas City - Loaned to Minnesota United FC (NASL) - Minnesota United features several former MLSers including Danny Cruz, Ben Speas, Kristian Nicht (the keeper Montreal brought in for last year's Champions League Final) and their captain Aaron Pitchkolan. They are famous for recently developing USMNT midfielder Miguel Ibarra and also boast the 2014 NASL player of the year in striker Christian Ramirez. Añor started his MLS career in 2011 and had a career year in 2014 with the Columbus Crew when he scored six goals. He logged just 483 minutes with Sporting Kansas City in 2015.

Erik Palmer-Brown - Sporting Kansas City - Loaned to FC Porto (Portugal) - Just 18 years old, Palmer-Brown has already been around a while having signed his first professional contract in 2013. Palmer-Brown played in a career high 7 matches with Sporting KC in 2015. He has yet to appear in a match for Porto.

Jimmy Ockford - Seattle Sounders - Loaned to New York Cosmos (NASL) - A second round pick in 2014, Ockford, now 23, has appeared in just one regular season match for the Sounders (a start against Philadelphia last June) in his brief career. He returns to the Cosmos where he also spent the 2014 season to play alongside the likes of Jairo Arrieta, Adam Moffat, Hunter Freeman, Danny Szetela and Carlos Mendes.

Leandro Barrera - San Jose Earthquakes - Loaned to Club Atlético San Martín (Argentina) - San Martín finished 17th out of 30 teams in the Primera División in 2015. Barrera, 24, appeared in only six matches (1 start) for San Jose in 2015. He spent his first MLS season (2014) with Chivas USA for whom he made 24 starts scoring a goal and adding two assists.

Sebastian Saucedo - Real Salt Lake - Loaned to Veracruz (Liga MX) - The 19 year-old Saucedo has appeared for both the U.S. and Mexico's youth international squads and was loaned to Veracruz in January. To date, Saucedo has appeared twice as a substitute, once against América and once against Puebla. Saucedo made nine appearances during his debut season in MLS, logging 168 total minutes.

Michael Lahoud - Philadelphia Union - Loaned to New York Cosmos (NASL) - Lahoud will join Seattle's Jimmy Ockford on the Cosmos after spending the seven seasons in MLS with Chivas USA and most recently, the Philadelphia Union. The 29 year-old Sierra Leonean made 14 starts for the Union in 2015 and has two goals and eight assists in 122 career MLS appearances.

Romario Williams - Montreal Impact - Loaned to Charleston Battery (USL) - Williams, the third overall pick in the 2015 SuperDraft, made just two appearances for the Impact during the 2015 regular season. He joins the Battery who were winners of the 2015 Southern Derby, but whose last true hardware came when they won the USL League Championship in 2012.

Juan Ramírez - Colorado Rapids - Loaned to Almería (Spain) - Signed to a young designated player contract in 2015, Ramírez scored a goal and added three assists during his debut season with the Rapids. He will play on loan in Spain's second division with Almería for a period of six months. According to Almería's Wikipedia page, Ramírez has currently logged four appearances during the regular season. The club currently sits in 19th place.

Week 1 Rookie Watch

Draftees

3. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia) - Started vs FCD, 90 mins
4. Brandon Vincent (Chicago) - Started vs NYCFC, 90 mins
6. Fabian Herbers (Philadelphia) - Sub vs FCD, 7 mins, 1 shot
9. Tsubasa Endoh (Toronto FC) - Started vs NYRB, 84 mins, 2 shots
11. Julian Buescher (DC United) - Sub vs LA, 15 mins
12. Jonathan Campbell (Chicago) - Sub vs NYCFC, 45 mins, 1 shot
13. Hadji Barry (Orlando City) - Sub vs Real Salt Lake, 13 mins, 1 shot, 1 assist
49. Kip Colvey (San Jose) - Sub vs Colorado, 45 mins

Homegrowns

Joey Calistri (Chicago) - Sub vs NYCFC, 9 mins
Jordan Morris (Seattle) - Started vs Sporting KC, 83 mins, 1 shot


10 rookies were in action yesterday as the 2016 MLS campaign kicked off with a bang. Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia), Brandon Vincent (Chicago), Tsubasa Endoh (Toronto) and Jordan Morris (Seattle) all made the Starting Eleven for their respective clubs, but only Orlando City's Hadji Barry made the scoresheet with a stoppage time assist in Orlando City's wild 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake.

CCL Update - Final MLS Thoughts

In a word, I'm disappointed. Four chances (eight if you count both legs) for an MLS club to beat a Liga MX side and we went winless with four draws and were shut out in four of eight matches. And so, once again, the CONCACAF Champions League title will be raised by a club from Liga MX and the MLS drought continues. Here are my final thoughts for each of the four clubs:

LA Galaxy - Failed to score in either leg against Santos Laguna despite a "star-studded" roster which turned in an unremarkable performance. We knew there would be chemistry issues in LA with all of the new faces, but I think we thought the tandem of Gio dos Santos and Robbie Keane would be more effective. Same can be said of the central midfield duo of Steven Gerrard and Nigel de Jong.

Seattle Sounders - Seattle actually led on aggregate goals three times in their series with América, but couldn't sustain a lead at all. When they took a 1-0 lead on the road in the second leg, they conceded the equalizer a minute later and the go ahead goal just moments after that. Their three goals scored were by far the most by any of the four MLS sides and Seattle also managed to be the only MLS team not to get shut out in the quarterfinals, but their inability to hold a lead/play well with a lead is what ultimately doomed them.

DC United - For the second year in a row, Bill Hamid was unavailable to United in the knockout round of the CCL. Not to say he would've done any better than Andrew Dykstra, but from a confidence standpoint, DC United likely would have headed into the series on a higher note had he been there. If there's a bright spot for United, it was rookie Julian Buescher who scored a laser-beam long range strike in just his second professional match.

Real Salt Lake - Perhaps the most unlikely of MLS teams to succeed, RSL was a missed penalty kick away from overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Tigres. The addition of Yura Movsisyan looks to be a great one, and Juan Manuel Martinez and Joao Plata will provide additional support on offense for a team that lacked in that a year ago. Still, in big games you have to make big kicks and missing a penalty when down one is a back breaker no matter how you look at it, especially when it's missed by arguably one of the league's best on set pieces in Javier Morales.

Anyhow, despite the MLS's early exit, there is still reason for U.S. fans to follow the rest of the tournament. A pair of American left backs started both quarterfinal matches for their respective Mexican clubs and combined to pitch three shutouts in the quarterfinals with the one goal conceded being Julian Buescher's long range golazo for DC United. With left back a perennial question mark for the U.S., the 26 year old Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna) and 31 year old Jonathan Bornstein (Querétaro) could present some intriguing options for Jurgen Klinsmann moving forward. Villafaña has youth national team experience but has never been CAP'd with the senior team while Bornstein was CAP'd 38 teams between 2007 and 2011 and even scored a pair of goals including one during World Cup Qualifying back in 2009. Here's a look at how all of the American Exports performed in CCL action this week:

José Francisco Torres - Tigres UANL - Started vs RSL, 76 mins, 1 shot
Ventura Alvarado - América - Dressed but did not play vs Seattle
Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - Started vs LA Galaxy - 90 mins
Jonathan Bornstein - Querétaro - Started vs DC United - 90 mins, 2 shots

The semifinals will kick off in two weeks with Santos Laguna taking on América and Tigres UANL taking on Querétaro. Regardless of what happens, an American will raise the CCL Trophy this April.

CCL Rookie Watch

Julian Buescher got his rookie campaign off to a strong start with a brilliant goal off the bench in D.C. United's second leg draw with Querétaro. Buescher was the only member of the 2016 SuperDraft Class to dress for the CCL Quarterfinal matches. Here's a rundown of all the rookie action:

Leg 1

11. Julian Buescher - DC United - Sub vs Querétaro, 14 mins
HGP - Jordan Morris - Seattle - Started vs América, 85 mins, 2 shots

Leg 2

11. Julian Buescher - DC United - Sub vs Querétaro, 16 mins, 1 shot, 1 goal
HGP - Jordan Morris - Seattle - Started vs América, 70 mins

2015-16 CCL Goal Scorers by Nationality - Quarterfinal Leg 2 Update

Argentina (14)

Emanuel Villa - Querétaro F.C. - 6
Martín Bravo - Santos Laguna - 2
Jonathan Hansen - Herediano - 2
Diego González - Santos Laguna - 1
Carlos Izquierdoz - Santos Laguna - 1
Juan Manuel Martínez - Real Salt Lake - 1
Rubens Sambueza - Club América - 1

Belize (2)

Deon McCaulay - Verdes FC - 2

Brazil (3)

Danilinho - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Ricardinho Paraiba - Santa Tecla - 1
Israel Silva - Motagua - 1

Canada (1)

Kianz Froese - Vancouver Whitecaps - 1

Cape Verde (4)

Djaniny - Santos Laguna - 4

Chile (1)

Bryan Rabello - Santos Laguna - 1

Colombia (9)

Carlos Quintero - Club América - 4
Andrés Andrade - Club América - 1
Yerson Candelo - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Olmes García - Real Salt Lake - 1
Jámison Olave - Real Salt Lake - 1
Andrés Rentería - Santos Laguna - 1

Costa Rica (12)

Johnny Woodly - Municipal - 2
Marvin Angulo - Saprissa - 1
Jairo Arrieta - DC United - 1
Randall Azofeifa - Herediano - 1
Daniel Colindres - Saprissa - 1
Kenny Cunningham - Herediano - 1
Mynor Escoe - Saprissa - 1
Dylan Flores - Saprissa - 1
David Guzmán - Saprissa - 1
David Ramírez - Saprissa - 1
Deyver Vega - Saprissa - 1

Ecuador (5)

Michael Arroyo - Club América - 3
Joao Plata - Real Salt Lake - 2

El Salvador (6)

Tony Rugamas - Isidro Metapán - 2
Josué Flores - Isidro Metapán - 1
Irvin Herrera - Santa Tecla - 1
Otonel Salinas - Isidro Metapán - 1
Giovanni Zavaleta - Santa Tecla - 1

Finland (1)

Mika Väyrynen - LA Galaxy - 1

France (1)

André-Pierre Gignac - Tigres UANL - 1

Germany (1)

Julian Büscher - DC United - 1

Ghana (2)

Kofi Opare - DC United - 2

Guatemala (2)

Wilson Lalín - Comunicaciones - 1
Carlos Ruiz - Municipal - 1

Honduras (7)

Erick Andino - Motagua - 2
Alberth Elis - Olimpia - 2
Wilmer Crisanto - Motagua - 1
Eddie Hernández - Motagua - 1
Néstor Martínez - Olimpia - 1

Ireland (2)

Robbie Keane - LA Galaxy - 2

Jamaica (4)

Dino Williams - Montego Bay FC - 2
Allan Ottey - Montego Bay FC - 1
Jermaine Woozencroft - Montego Bay FC - 1

Mexico (23)

Oribe Peralta - Club América - 3
Miguel Aguilar - DC United - 2
Alonso Escoboza - Santos Laguna - 2
Luis Ángel Mendoza - Santos Laguna - 2
Sinha - Querétaro F.C. - 2
Alonso Zamora - Tigres UANL - 2
Antonio Briseño - Tigers UANL - 1
Jürgen Damm - Tigres UANL - 1
Ulises Dávila - Santos Laguna - 1
Kevin Gutiérrez - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Raúl Mendiola - LA Galaxy - 1
Víctor Milke - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Javier Orozco - Santos Laguna - 1
José Rivas - Tigres UANL - 1
Giovani dos Santos - LA Galaxy - 1
Ángel Sepúlveda - Querétaro F.C. - 1

Nicaragua (1)

Raúl Leguías - Walter Ferretti - 1

Nigeria (1)

Ikechukwu Uche - Tigres UANL - 1

Panama (17)

Jhonny Ruiz - San Francisco - 3
Ervin Zorilla - San Francisco - 2
Renán Addles - Árabe Unido - 1
Abdiel Arroyo - Árabe Unido - 1
Rolando Blackburn - Comunicaciones - 1
Moisés Gil - San Francisco - 1
Martín Gómez - San Francisco - 1
José González - Árabe Unido - 1
Eduardo Jiménez - San Francisco - 1
Daniel Morán - San Francisco - 1
Jonathan Pinilla - San Francisco - 1
Armando Polo - Árabe Unido - 1
Richard Rodriguez - San Francisco - 1
Enrico Small - Árabe Unido - 1

Paraguay (2)

Pablo Aguilar - Club América - 1
Édgar Benítez - Querétaro F.C. - 1

Saint Lucia (1)

Kurt Frederick - W Connection FC - 1

Spain (1)

Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - 1

Sweden (1)

Erik Friberg - Seattle Sounders - 1

Trinidad and Tobago (4)

Ataullah Guerra - Central FC - 2
Alvin Jones - W Connection FC - 1
Willis Plaza - Central FC - 1

Uruguay (1)

Bernardo Laureiro - Walter Ferretti - 1

USA (20)

Alan Gordon - LA Galaxy - 5
Lamar Neagle - Seattle Sounders - 3
Clint Dempsey - Seattle Sounders - 2
Conor Doyle - DC United - 2
Ventura Alvarado - Club América - 1
Chad Barrett - Seattle Sounders - 1
Brad Evans - Seattle Sounders - 1
Michael Farfan - DC United - 1
Jared Jeffrey - DC United - 1
Tim Parker - Vancouver Whitecaps - 1
José Francisco Torres - Tigres UANL - 1
Gyasi Zardes - LA Galaxy - 1

Advantage Mexico - CCL Update

It was a rough week in the CCL for MLS clubs as none of the league's four remaining teams managed to knock off their Mexican opponents in the first leg of the quarterfinals. In total, the four MLS teams managed just two goals (both by Clint Dempsey) en route to two 2-0 losses and two home draws. Now, with backs to the wall, all four teams essentially face must-win games this week if any MLS club is to reach the semifinals. Here's a quick look at each team's needs ahead of their second leg match:

LA Galaxy - Arguably in the best shape of any of the four MLS teams, the Galaxy did not concede an away goal in their 0-0 home draw with Santos Laguna which means they can advance with a 1-1 draw or better.

Seattle Sounders - Seattle blew a pair of leads against América at home and because they conceded two away goals, likely will need a win when they travel to Estadio Azteca. A high scoring draw (2-2 or better) could also be enough to send the Sounders through.

DC United - United held Querétaro scoreless for 70 minutes before conceding twice late in the match. United forced keeper Tiago Volpi into making nine saves, but couldn't get on the scoresheet, and now need a shutout win of 2-0 or better, or they need to win by at least three goals.

Real Salt Lake - Like DC United, RSL went nearly 70 minutes without conceding, and allowed an 86th minute insurance goal to put them in a 2-0 hole against Tigres as they head home. RSL will also need a shutout win of 2-0 or better, or they need to win by at least three goals.

USA vs Iceland Thoughts

1. First and foremost, it was good to see the U.S. start 2016 with a win. After what can only be classified as a disappointing finish to 2015, it's important for the U.S. to turn the page and start fresh. The 3-2 win, during which we twice came from behind, was far from perfect, but a win just the same.

 

2. The U.S. certainly outplayed their European opponents dominating in virtually every statistical category (Corners 8-2, Shots 16-6, Possession 62-38), but despite not having the bulk of the chances, Iceland was still very dangerous. If not for some poor finishing, Iceland could have easily walked away with a 5-3 win. I'd like to point fingers at the defense for sloppy play, but I'll temper that noting that the defense also scored the tying and winning goals. Still, the first Iceland goal - while a result of a lucky deflection - was also a result of ball-watching. And the second goal came as a result of a heady play by Iceland in generating a quick re-start, but also showed a lack of communication and organization along the U.S. backline (it also involved a brilliant finish by Aron Sigurdson). Granted, this was a group that hasn't played together before and it's the January camp when not everyone's at their fittest, but I still didn't think it was great performance from a defensive standpoint.

2015-16 Champions League Roster Moves

We're just over a month away from the start of the CCL Quarterfinals with four MLS clubs getting set to take the field against their Mexican counterparts. Let's take a look at the offseason moves for each of the four to see how they're setting themselves up for a deep tournament run:

Seattle Sounders - Seattle has parted ways with a number of veterans this offseason losing Chad Barrett, Leonardo González, Troy Perkins, Gonzalo Pineda, Andy Rose, Lamar Neagle, Michael Azira and Marco Pappa. That said, they return the glut of their core contributors including last season's midseason additions Erik Friberg, Andreas Ivanschitz, Nelson Valdez and Román Torres. A solid 2015 Draft Class that includes Cristian Roldan, Oniel Fisher, Andy Craven and goalkeepers Tyler Miller and Charlie Lyon will help the transition phase, as will the addition of the versatile Joevin Jones from Chicago.

D.C. United - Bill Hamid is out for several months with a knee injury, so for the second year in a row, United will enter the CCL Quarterfinals without their starting netminder. While United has added some veterans into the mix in Lamar Neagle and Patrick Nyarko this offseason, Neagle won't be a help in the CCL as he's cup-tied to the Sounders. Additionally, United has yet to make any moves that will offset the loss of midfield stalwart Perry Kitchen.

Real Salt Lake - RSL will be bringing back striker Yura Movsisyan who helped them win an MLS Cup title in 2009 in an effort to bolster their attack. That aside, they've been relatively quiet this offseason, and still have to make up for the losses of Elías Vásquez, Chris Schuler, Luis Gil, Luis Silva and Sebastian Saucedo.

LA Galaxy - By far the busiest club of the four Champions League hopefuls, the Galaxy have added a new starting keeper in Dan Kennedy, veterans in Jeff Larentowicz and Mike Magee from the Chicago Fire, and a young stud in Ghanaian Emmanuel Boateng. They've also been linked to Europeans Ashley Cole, Jelle van Damme and Nigel de Jong. With their only significant offseason departures being Omar Gonzalez and Juninho, the Galaxy look to be pretty good shape.

Making Moves

Here's a look at three more moves in what has already been a busy MLS offseason:

1) Marco Pappa traded to Colorado. Pappa's two year stint with the Sounders has drawn to a close as the Guatemalan midfielder was shipped to Colorado for cash earlier this month. It comes as a bit of a surprise that Seattle would cut ties with the useful midfielder, but in addition to Pappa, the Sounders will also be heading into 2016 without Lamar Neagle (DC United), Michael Azira (Colorado) and Andy Rose (Coventry City) in addition to having Chad Barrett, Leonardo Gonzalez, Troy Perkins, Gonzalo Pineda and Zach Scott all not under contract. Pappa should provide an immediate boost to the Rapids' league-worst attack and adds a veteran presence to their midfield. The MVP of the 2014 Copa Centroamericana has 35 goals and 27 assists in 161 regular season matches for Seattle and Chicago, and has also notched three assists in ten postseason appearances. He also scored this gem against the U.S. during World Cup Qualifying in 2012.