The MLS might be turning a corner. The addition of Wayne Rooney’s brother John may just be the thing that gives the league credibility. If John Terry’s homewrecking brother, Paul comes to play for Toronto FC, we’re talking world dominance.

Maybe we’re overstating their importance a bit (understatement of the year). On the other hand, hometown love from ?uestlove goes a long way in establishing cred. Perhaps Jay-Z and LeBron should do the same and spread some of that soccer love here at home as well as abroad. Imagine the increased interest in the MLS if Jay got with the Cosmos or LeBron invested in the Crew (maybe he should pick a team outside of Ohio). Hell, simply attending matches would do wonders especially in urban areas where kids have yet to embrace the game as they do in the suburbs and more affluent areas. We’d get some better chants at the least.

H/T to Kicking and Screening

I’m not generally much for the soccer or futbol or football or footy or whatever you wanna call it. I usually leave that up to Mustafa to cover up here on the Deuce. A funny thing did happen while watching USA actually compete and ultimately lose to Brazil 3-2 in the championship game of the Confederation Cup however…I watched.

And i didnt just watch when we got into the 2nd round and beyond, I actually watched us lose the first couple games. Not sure why either. Maybe i was just bored, working from home and in desperate need of something interesting on the television. Well, i did indeed find interesting television, great drama even, and it made me keep watching, even when USA was losing. I watched and for the first time saw what the rest of the world sees when it watches soccer…that it is actually a pretty enjoyable sport to watch.

No offense to the MLS, but, it just isnt as interesting. The players arent as good, plain and simple. Brazil and Spain were all-star teams, USA as well to a much lesser degree, but they competed and showed that USA soccer might just be beginning to turn a curve in international soccer. USA can now show up with the best of the world and, at the very least, compete for 90 minutes…and sometimes even win.

This is what USA Soccer needs to do if it wants people like me, the non soccer fan, to watch their games. I didnt grow up playing soccer, it wasn’t on tv when I was a kid, we had crappy indoor scocer as our local “pro” teams that came and left quicker than swine flu, so it has taken me quite a bit to warm up to thinking that soccer is a real sport that I would think about watching. 2 things were needed for me to really care about the game: 1) Have a team to care about; and 2) have that team be interesting to watch.

Sure, I could watch the DC United play, they would be my local team by default, but the quality of play in the MLS is so much lesser than, say, the Premiership, that it’s like watching the XFL…and we all remember how much that stunk. I could watch Premiership soccer like Mustafa, but I’ve never been to England and could give 2 shits about what is going on in that country’s soccer leagues. In reality, I just want to watch good, American soccer, because I am a gigantic homer. Now, I actually can…sorta…at least in international play. I cannot wait until the World Cup games.

So, congratulations to the USA Soccer team. They did more than just not embarrass themselves and they bought themselves many new fans of soccer. Its ok that they didn’t win, they were interesting. They competed and they did so with energy and passion. For that, I thank them. They were a joy to watch.

(AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Drew Carey got a taste of some real soccer fandom when a Toronto FC supporter threw a beer at him after the Seattle Sounders beat Toronto 2-0. Carey is a part-owner of the Sounders who are playing their first season and doing much better than expected. Luckily for him, a reporter got most of the beer. The thrower would have been better off throwing weighted Plinko chips at him.

Goldenballs starts talking about moving to AC Milan on loan and challengers are going to make their move. First up, Freddie Ljungberg.

The Swedish midfielder is bringing his sexy to the MLS so even if Beckham leaves, you’ll have a replacement for your heart, loins as well as the pink and brown. Ljungberg is rumored to have signed a two year deal with the expansion Seattle Sounders. The Sounder will hold a press conference today to announce a “new star player”. I’m holding out for an overweight, drunk Diego Maradona but it’s probably a Swede.

This should be a good pickup for the Sounders. The former Arsenal star brings some cache along with Kasey Keller although not on the level of a Beckham. His skills, although diminished, should help the young team.

Signing players in the twilight of their career may be the way of the MLS for a while until the skill level as a whole improves and more importantly, players are paid obscene wages like the big leagues.

That’s right, MLS. Expand to the city with possibly the worst sports fans in the country. It didn’t work last time so it has to work this time.