Major Link Soccer - Now With 20% More Links

Welcome back one and all to Major Link Soccer. The weekend was relatively quiet with most MLS teams focusing on preseason training. The Sounders continue the preseason training in Arizona this week. Outside of the team going to Arizona the big news of the weekend was SAH hitting 1 million page views. More links from around the league after the jump.

Montero Looking Good - The Seattle PI has photos up of the Sports Star of the Year awards. Montero looks very dashing on the red carpet with girlfriend Alexis Imming despite losing out to Apolo Ohno for the top honor. There's also a great candid photo Hope Solo. Meanwhile, fellow Colombian Jhon Kennedy Hurtado looks good in a recent interview as he talks about coming back from a knee injury that ended his season prematurely 8 months ago.

Frank Yallop Is the Highest Profile Canadian Coach - And 86 Forever thinks that's a big problem for Canada. While the MLS may be re-instituting a quota for Canadian players north of the border there seems to be little supporting the development of young Canadian coaches. Young, and talented, Canadian coach Nick Dasovic has parted ways with Toronto FC after the club tried to offer him a significantly inferior role with the club. Not a great reward for a young coach who did well enough to manage a team who has lost the respect of fans and whose star player has been in open revolt against the front office. Good luck to new coach Aron Winter in sorting out the mess in Toronto.

Minor Changes in Houston - Houston was sent to the Eastern Conference this week. This comes on the heels of disappointing news that the new Dynamo Stadium groundbreaking was delayed. The movement was widely expected with both the Timbers and the Whitecaps joining MLS this year. All this would matter more if the MLS wasn't playing a balanced scheduled and Houston wasn't rebuilding. My magic 8-ball indicates another year of Western Conference dominance. Jeremiah Oshan has a recap of the roster rule changes for the 2011 campaign that were also released by MLS this week.  

Cunningham is Back - Columbus Crew's all-time co-leader in goals returns to his first MLS club after more than a month of haggling. The 34-year-old Jamaican forward needs only one goal this year to equal the MLS record set by DCU legend Jaime Moreno. Over in L.A. the Galaxy have freed up an international roster spot by getting fellow Jamaican Donovan Ricketts his green-card and subsequently used it to bring in 22-year-old midfielder Miguel Lopez on loan from Argentina Primera Division side Quilmes.

Freddy Adu on the Move - Freddy's lengthy wanderings in the wilderness continue as he embarks on another loan deal to a club in the Turkish 2nd division. It's a shame that he hasn't been able to stick anywhere for long. I remember watching him live in RFK stadium back when I lived in D.C.

DCU Midfield Looking Good - Ben Olsen looks like he made the midfield steals of the year with Dax McCarty and Perry Kitchen. Perry Kitchen received a warm welcome at training cap when a rogue soccer ball gave him a bloody nose as part of an intense opening week to the DCU off-season. Meanwhile Dax was making waves with the US National Team with some good play including an absolutely sweet bicycle kick. Oh, and DCU unveiled a nice looking red 3rd kit this weekend. Things are looking up for the worst team in the league last year.