Argentina faces Brazil in must-win qualifier

On the eve of what could be the Los Angeles Galaxy's first MLS Cup title since 2005, the man who led LA to its last championship looks ready to return to MLS.

Steve Sampson is on the verge of being hired by Chivas USA as head coach, sources have told SBI. Sampson would replace Preki, who took over as Toronto FC head coach.

While Sampson is the favorite to be hired, sources have told SBI that Chivas USA is still conducting interviews with several coaches with MLS experience. A final decision is expected in the next week or two.

Sampson last coached in MLS in 2006, when he was fired as Galaxy head coach just a half season after guiding the team to an MLS Cup title. Sampson has strong ties to Chivas USA management, which includes the team's vice-president of soccer operations, Stephen Hamilton. It was Hamilton's older brother, the late Doug Hamilton, who hired Sampson as Galaxy head coach. Sampson was fired by LA just three months after the death of Doug Hamilton, who was president and general manager of the Galaxy at the time of his passing.

Sampson coached the U.S. national team during its awful 1998 World Cup appearance, but also remains the only U.S. head coach to earn a result in Mexico (a draw in 1997). His outgoing personality and ability to speak fluent Spanish would make him a very different kind of coach than Chivas USA had during the past three years in Preki.

Sampson's potential hiring is just one of the tidbits to surface during MLS Cup weekend in Seattle. Here are some more notes involving the Columbus Crew, MLS Draft targets and the latest on the MLS coaching carousel:

Crew shakeup looming

The Columbus Crew stands poised two lose two of its most important players, but those imminent losses aren't being driven by the salary cap.

2008 MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto and U.S. national team midfielder Robbie Rogers are highly unlikely to return to Columbus, and sources tell SBI that Crew head coach Robert Warzycha had a major falling out with both players, sparking the process that will likely lead to both their departures.

Warzycha endured serious criticism for his decisions not to play Schelotto in the Crew's first-round playoff opener against Real Salt Lake, and his decision to bench Robbie Rogers in game two of the RSL series. Columbus lost both matches.

Reports have blamed Schelotto's impending move out of Columbus on his salary demands, and the Crew's reluctance to keep him as a Designated Player, but that is looking more and more like the story Columbus is shaping to soften the back-lash the Crew is likely to face for letting Schelotto go. Don't be surprised to see Schelotto traded and play for less than Designated Player money with his new club.

As for Rogers, he is a free agent who could make a move to Europe, but sources tell SBI that Rogers is open to staying in MLS, just not with the Crew. A reunion with Philadelphia head coach Peter Nowak, who coached Rogers on the Olympic and national team, is a possibility.

Coaching Carousel Update

While Sampson looks set to take over at Chivas USA, two remaining coaching opening and a potential opening remain mysteries.

New York and D.C. United are still working toward hiring coaches and based on the information making the rounds, it is looking less like Richie Williams will be hired by the Red Bulls. He could be retained as an assistant coach, but with D.C. United showing serious interest in Williams as a head coach, we could see a Richie Williams-Ben Olsen coaching staff leading D.C. into the new decade.

Who will the Red Bulls turn to then? Erik Soler has already been chosen as the team's general manager (though it hasn't been formally announced yet) and it is anybody's guess what Soler will want in a head coach. Former Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo was in the mix for Soler's job and is available. Former Bayern Munich, Chivas USA and LA assistant coach Martin Vasquez could be in the mix as well, though there are concerns about Vasquez's current knowledge of MLS. That deficiency could have cost him the Chivas USA job, but New York may not be as picky (the Re Bulls have already shown that knowledge of MLS isn't a pre-requisite for employment). At this point I would put money on the Red Bulls hiring someone with international name recognition rather than one of the handful of available coaches who actually has experience in MLS.

One coach who is looking more and more like he will be available is current Fire hea coach Denis Hamlett. Fire owner Andrew Hauptman is ready to go in another direction, and his strained (more like non-existent) relationship with Hamlett has set the stage for a departure after two seasons in charge. Don't be surprised to see former D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn resurface in Chicago. He played for the Fire on the 1998 MLS Cup-winning team, and was teammates with current Chicago technical director Frank Klopas. Soehn has also been linked to a move to join Bob Bradley's staff on the U.S. national team.

MLS pushing to sign U.S. Under-17 stars

Major League Soccer has made significant offers to U.S. Under-17 national team stars Jack McInerney and Luis Giland both are close to signing and could be a part of the 2010 MLS Draft if they do sign.

McInerney and Gil are two of the most highly-coveted youth players in the U.S. youth system, and both have been the subject of interest from top European clubs.

If McInerney and Gil do sign, they would join U.S. Under-20 midfielder Dilly Duka as young prospects available in a 2010 MLS Draft expected to be a strong one (though probably not as strong as the 2009 draft.

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That's all for now. What do you think of these developments? Surprised to see Sampson landing with Chivas USA? Shocked to think that the Crew will lose Schelotto and Rogers? Praying the Red Bulls get a clue and hire a head coach with MLS experience?

Share your thoughts below.

Tim Howard faces off against former club Manchester United today in one of the day's marquee match-ups.

The morning EPL matches are already underway, but Everton's showdown against the champions will highlight the afternoon slate of matches.

If you will be watching today's action, or if you watched the early morning action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Today's TV schedule is after the jump):

Today's Soccer on TV

• 10am- Setanta Sports- Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
• 10am- FSC, FSE- Sunderland vs. Arsenal
• 10am- ESPN360.com- Barnsley vs. Cardiff City
• 12pm- ESPN360.com- Deportivo La Coruna vs. Atletico Madrid
• 12pm- GolTV- CD Tenerife vs. Sevilla
• 12pm- ESPN360.com- Bologna vs. Inter Milan
• 12:20pm- Setanta Sports- Ipswich Town vs. Sheffield Wednesday
• 12:30pm- FSC, FSE- Manchester United vs. Everton
• 2pm- ESPN360.com- Real Madrid vs. Racing Santander
• 2:30pm- FSE- Inter Milan vs. Bologna (Delayed)
• 3pm- Setanta Sports- Auxerre vs. Monaco
• 4pm- GolTV- Atletico Bilbao vs. Barcelona
• 4:30pm- FSE- Fiorentina vs. Parma FC
• 5pm- Setanta Sports- Burnley vs. Aston Villa
• 5pm- FSC- Inter Milan vs. Bologna (Delayed)
• 7pm- FSC- Hull City vs. West Ham United
• 8pm- GolTV- Pereira vs. Medellin
• 8:30pm- Setanta Sports- Birmingham City vs. Fulham (Delayed)
• 10:15pm- Setanta Sports- Burnley vs. Aston Villa (Delayed)

The 2009 MLS Cup will serve as the marquee match of a busy weekend of soccer on TV.

The LA Galaxy takes on Real Salt Lake on Sunday night in a match that should offer plenty of intrigue and attacking soccer. Before we get to that championship match, soccer fans will be treated with quality tilts from England to Italy, as well as from Mexico, where the playoffs are about to begin.

Here are SBI's Top 10 Matches to Watch this weekend, as well as this weekend's schedule of matches on TV:

SBI's Top 10  Matches to Watch

1. Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake. The MLS  Cup Final is a classic story, the big favorite against the underdog. Can Donovan and Beckham lift the cup, or will RSL's Cinderella story continue?

2. Liverpool vs. Manchester City. Two big teams in desperate need of a win square off. Will a loss push Rafa Benitez closer to the door? Will City settle for another draw?

3. Manchester United vs. Everton. Tim Howard faces his former club for the first time since his FA Cup heroics last season.

4. Hull City vs. West Ham United. Could we see Jozy Altidore and Jonathan Spector doing battle? Altidore needs to start getting more minutes, and this could be the match he gets going.

5. Juventus vs. Udinese. Can Juve close any ground on Inter? Udinese is a dangerous club that could pull the upset.

6. San Luis vs. Toluca. Michael Orozco and San Luis will try to pull the upset in the Mexican League playoffs.

7. Schalke 04 vs. Hannover 96. Steve Cherundolo and Hannover play their first match since Robert Enke's death.

8. Fiorentina vs. Parma. Another quality Serie A match-up as the Viola look to secure a Champions League spot in the standings against one of the surprises of the season.

9. Rubin Kazan vs. Zenit St. Petersburg. Okay, so it's really early in the morning, but Zenit has the talent to potentially halt the Rubin Kazan freight train.

10. Sunderland vs. Arsenal. Can the Gunners keep rolling without Robin Van Persie? Can Darren Bent recover from his English national team disappointment?

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

SATURDAY

• 5:45am- Setanta Sports- Rubin Kazan vs. Zenit St. Petersburg
• 7:45am- ESPN2- Liverpool vs. Manchester City
• 9:30am- GolTV- Schalke 04 vs. Hannover 96
• 10am- Setanta Sports- Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
• 10am- FSC, FSE- Sunderland vs. Arsenal
• 10am- ESPN360.com- Barnsley vs. Cardiff City
• 12pm- ESPN360.com- Deportivo La Coruna vs. Atletico Madrid
• 12pm- GolTV- CD Tenerife vs. Sevilla
• 12pm- ESPN360.com- Bologna vs. Inter Milan
• 12:20pm- Setanta Sports- Ipswich Town vs. Sheffield Wednesday
• 12:30pm- FSC, FSE- Manchester United vs. Everton
• 2pm- ESPN360.com- Real Madrid vs. Racing Santander
• 2:30pm- FSE- Inter Milan vs. Bologna (Delayed)
• 3pm- Setanta Sports- Auxerre vs. Monaco
• 4pm- GolTV- Atletico Bilbao vs. Barcelona
• 4:30pm- FSE- Fiorentina vs. Parma FC
• 5pm- Setanta Sports- Burnley vs. Aston Villa
• 5pm- FSC- Inter Milan vs. Bologna (Delayed)
• 7pm- FSC- Hull City vs. West Ham United
• 8pm- GolTV- Pereira vs. Medellin
• 8:30pm- Setanta Sports- Birmingham City vs. Fulham (Delayed)
• 10:15pm- Setanta Sports- Burnley vs. Aston Villa (Delayed)

SUNDAY

• 3am- FSC- Perth Glory vs. Sydney FC
• 8:30am- Setanta Sports- Bolton Wanderers vs. Blackburn Rovers
• 8:30am- ESPN360.com- Ajax vs. Heerenveen
• 9am- ESPN360.com- AS Roma vs. AS Bari
• 9am- FSC- AC Milan vs. Cagliari
• 10am- FSE- Tottenham Hotspur vs. Wigan Athletic
• 10:30am- ESPN360.com- PSV vs. Heracles
• 11am- FSC- Stoke City vs. Portsmouth
• 11am- Setanta Sports- Saint-Etienne vs. Lorient
• 11:30am- GolTV- Hamburg SV vs. Vfl Bochum
• 12pm- FSE- Stoke City vs. Portsmouth (Delayed)
• 1pm- ESPN360.com- Malaga vs. Real Zaragoza
• 1pm- Setanta Sports-Bolton Wanderers vs. Blackburn Rovers
• 1pm- Univision- San Luis vs. CD Toluca
• 2pm- GolTV- Botafogo vs. Sao Paulo FC
• 2:30pm- FSC, FSE- Juventus vs. Udinese
• 2:45pm- Setanta Sports- Montpelier vs. Lille
• 3pm- GolTV- Osasuna vs. Valencia
• 5pm- FSE- AC Milan vs. Cagliari (Delayed)
• 5pm- FSC- Tottenham Hotspur vs. Wigan Athletic
• 6pm- Galavision, Telefutura- Santos Laguna vs. Morelia
• 7pm- FSE- Juventus vs. Udinese (Delayed)
• 8:30pm- ESPN, ESPN360.com, ESPN Deportes, Galavision, Telefutura- Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake (MLS Cup)
• 10pm- Setanta Sports- Manchester United vs. Everton (Delayed)

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Which matches will you be watching? Share your thoughts below.
 

The U.S. men's national team had plenty of bright spots and highlights in 2009, but the final game of the year had few moments worth remembering.

With most of the team's top stars unavailable, Bob Bradley handed opportunities to several players to show that they deserve more playing time. Not many stepped up to that challenge. Instead, what we were treated to on Wednesday was a reminder of just how shallow the U.S. national team pool really is.

The result itself didn't matter, and never was going to matter. What mattered was how the players responded to facing a tough opponent. Most didn't respond, turning the match into a forgettable finale to a memorable 2009.

What were some of the more forgettable developments?

Frankie Hejduk's meltdown. Anyone who watched Hejduk's awful performance in the Columbus Crew's series-losing match against Real Salt Lake probably knew that things wouldn't go well as soon as Hejduk was announced as the starting right back on Wednesday. Hejduk was just lost, reacting late to plays and putting his defense into tough spots repeatedly.

The decision to start Hejduk was predictable, but Bob Bradley should have considered that Crew-RSL match, and realized he was about to play a player who isn't on form. Bradley was put in a tough spot coming into this match, what with three of the national team's top four centerbacks all injured, and with Steve Cherundolo needing to leave early to attend the funeral for, and recover from the death of club teammate Robert Enke. All that said, Bradley decided to have a second look at Jonathan Spector at centerback rather than playing him at right back and starting Jimmy Conrad. That decision gave U.S. fans the treat of watching Hejduk deliver one of his worst national team performances ever.

Now I'm not going to write Hejduk off completely as a national team option. He's battled back far too many times for me to ever totally write him off, but he shouldn't have started against Denmark.

The Clark-Bradley tandem struggled. Remember when Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark played so well together in helping the Americans shut down mighty Spain? That performance was miles away from the tandem's showing against Denmark. Clark and Bradley never found a good rhythm and lost the possession battle to the Danes. Bradley's passing was below his usual standard and Clark spent more time chasing than breaking up attacks. The reality is that this combo hasn't had a solid game in a while together, leaving us to wonder what combination Bob Bradley will wind up turning to down the road. One thing is clear. Jermaine Jones should step in and provide an upgrade once he is healthy.

Altidore and Johnson were just plain flat. The midfield didn't provide much service to the forwards, but Jeff Cunningham's effort and quickness magnified the poor efforts of Altidore and Johnson, who played more like poster children for what a lack of playing time will do to your form. Altidore has the talent to be the team's top striker, but he needs to find more consistency or the U.S. team can't rely on him to be a starter.

Castillo didn't get to do much. Edgar Castillo came in as a second-half sub and played on the left wing. He didn't have much of a chance to make an impact since it was already 3-1 Denmark and the U.S. team had pretty much stopped playing effectively. As much as I would have liked to see him play more, it was probably unrealistic to think Castillo would start when he had just been in his first U.S. camp for a few days. You can see the quickness and the touch, but we're going to have to wait until early next year to get a chance to see what he can really do.

BRIGHT SPOTS

Jeff Cunningham deserves more looks. Yes, he was a bit fortunate to have the Danish defense slip up, but Cunningham created the play that led to a turnover, and finished a great shot. He showed speed and certainly played well enough to leave you wondering how he would do playing alongside Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey.

Benny Feilhaber is a good option on the left. Feilhaber was one of the few bright spots for the U.S. team, and particularly in midfield. If he can develop into a viable option on the left flank, it could free up Landon Donovan to start up top, which may be necessary if the current crop of American forwards doesn't step up.

SOME OTHER THOUGHTS

Jonathan Spector didn't have as good a second game at centerback as he had in the first game, but he still showed some promise. The first goal wasn't his fault, and the second goal came courtesy of his clearance attempt that appeared to hit a Danish player's arm. Having a shaky Hejduk alongside him was a major handicap, but Spector still looks capable of being a good centerback option.

Bob Bradley didn't make subs until after the score was 3-1, but I'm not about to get on him for the timing. This was a friendly and Bradley clearly came into the match intending to give his first unit 60 minutes of playing time together. I still think he could have yanked Hejduk at halftime, but it looks like he wanted to see more of Spector in central defense, which meant keeping Hejduk on the field. Unfortunately for Bradley, Hejduk's poor play wound up affecting Spector's play in central defense

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What did you think of Wednesday's match? What were you most frustrated with? What were you happy about, if anything?

Share your thoughts below.

The voting for the 2010 National Soccer Hall of Fame closed on Thursday evening, and while I was able to squeeze my ballot in just under the deadline, it was far from an easy decision to make.

There were 24 names on the ballot. Twenty four stars, standouts and leaders in the American game of soccer. There were Americans and foreigners, men and women. World Cup heroes and MLS pioneers.

Who did I vote for? I'll leave that for the end. For now, it's your turn to cast your vote.

The task is simple. Select all of the nominees you think deserve to be elected into the Hall of Fame (yes, you can select one, or all 24, but keep in mind that the more names you put on a ballot the more it diminishes the impact of your vote). Under the current Hall of Fame guidelines, all nominees who appear on 66.7 percent of the ballots are inducted. Keep that in mind when you put your list together, or if you only want to vote for one nominee.

Cast your vote after the jump:

So who did I vote for? These were the names on my ballot:

Earnie Stewart

Marco Etcheverry

Preki

Peter Vermes

Cindy Parlow

Who did you vote for? Why did you pick the candidates you picked?

Share your thoughts below.

Landon Donovan was named the 2009 MLS Most Valuable Player on Thursday, and while it is tough to argue against awarding the U.S. national team star for his performance this season, the MVP results still raised a glaring question.

What about Shalrie Joseph?

It isn't a question so much about choosing between Joseph and Donovan, which is a subjective debate that has supporters on both sides. The question is how can a player who so clearly carried his team to the playoffs and who enjoyed a career year winds up a distant third in the voting.

In case you missed the voting breakdown (votes are taken from players, coaches, general managers and media), Donovan finished with a weighted score of 39, while Jeff Cunningham wound up with a 25.3. And Joseph? He finished with a 17.6 total.

Those totals make no sense and are an insult to a season by Joseph that deserved far more respect.

With all due respect to Cunningham, he was invisible for half the season before going off on a goal-scoring tear in the second half. He became a goal machine, but also benefited from the stellar play of FC Dallas midfielders David Ferreira, Dave Van Den Bergh and Dax McCarty.

Joseph didn't take half the year off. He was a force from beginning of the season until the end, helping the team as a forward when the Revs were desperate for help up top, while also playing his usual dominant central midfield role the rest of the time. He took a Revs team that lost leading scorer Taylor Twellman for the season, and Steve Ralston for the stretch run, and dragged it into the playoffs.

So how in the world did Joseph finish a distant third in the voting? One possibility is the league's flawed voting process, which has all voters except for players providing a top three on their ballots, while players simply select one player. In fact, MLS players often ignore voting for post-season honors (voting isn't mandatory), which winds up hurting a player like Joseph, who is easily one of the most respected players in the league.

In the end, it is tough to argue against Donovan, who had somehow gone this long without winning an MVP award. He did enough this year to be an MVP winner, but he didn't just win. He ran away with the award in voting that should have been much closer than it wound up. Joseph deserved a better finish, and as far as I'm concerned, he deserved the MVP Award.

WHERE WILL SCHELOTTO GO?

With all signs pointing to Guillermo Barros Schelotto's days in Columbus being numbered, it is time to start thinking about what may be next for the 2008 MLS MVP.

Sources tell SBI that Schelotto is already looking into potential destinations within MLS, and Columbus may have no choice but to deal the Argentine star if it can't reach an agreement on a new contract. A deal seems unlikely given the Crew's lowball offer.

Schelotto could take a payday in Argentina, but he has enjoyed life here and appears intent on staying in MLS. Where might he wind up? If the Crew look for a trade that lands them the type of package D.C. United scored from Colorado for Christian Gomez then a trade may never happen, but

Who might be able to land Schelotto? The New York Red Bulls could use a player with Schelotto's playmaking ability (An Angel-Schelotto tandem would be outstanding), as could Chivas USA. One club that could use his attacking spark is Toronto FC, a club whose fans have come to despite Schelotto for his theatrics in past meetings with Toronto. Something tells me TFC fans would embrace Schelotto if he showed up wearing red (something also tells me that Crew fans might go crazy if their hero signed with their most hated rival).

There is no guarantee Schelotto will even return to MLS, but if he wants to stay in North America, there are too many teams in need of a player like him for a deal not to be made.

WHAT NOW AMADO?

Preki didn't waste much time making an impression on his team in Toronto. He has already let it be known that he will run a disciplined ship and will waste no time unloading players who don't make the grade. One player who seems destined to depart is Amado Guevara, but not just because of Preki's arrival.

Toronto FC has too many midfielders and needs money to sign a forward capable of addressing the team's most pressing need, a reliable goal scorer. With Julian DeGuzman and Sam Cronin looking set to run the central midfield, Guevara is expendable and will have plenty of teams interested in his services.

Who would be in the market for Guevara? The list would be similar to the list that would want Schelotto, but Guevara would probably be the cheaper of the two alternatives. Red Bulls fans would welcome Guevara with open arms, while the Honduran midfielder would probably be more inclined to return to Chivas USA with Preki out of the picture.

It will be interesting how much the interest in Guevara is diminished by the fact that he will likely miss between six weeks and two months of the 2010 season to play in the World Cup (yes, MLS is taking a break during the World Cup, but Guevara would miss time for the pre-World Cup camp, he'd miss time if Honduras reached the second round, and would likely miss a match or two as he recovers from the tournament). Teams in dire need of a playmaker might overlook that and consider what he could give the team the rest of the season.

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What did you think of the MVP voting? Think Joseph got a raw deal? Could you picture Schelotto playing for another MLS team? Where do you see Guevara winding up?

Share your thoughts below.

Looks like the RPI called it right by labeling the Big East as a weak conference. Of the three schools involved in the first round out of the conference, two fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday.

UConn traveled to Monmouth in a match-up of two top 25 teams who failed to earn a seeding in the tournament. The game was even throughout, with Monmouth more than holding their own against an experienced UConn program. Neither side could breach the net, and when the game went into penalties, a sensational save in the last round by Hawks keeper Bryan Meredith allowed his side to clinch their first ever NCAA Tournament win. Monmouth travels next to Harvard on Sunday for the second round.

The other Big East team to go down was Louisville. The Cardinals had no easy task, traveling on the road to take on Indiana. And it was Louisville native Darren Yeagle coming up big against his hometown school, scoring a brace in a 2-0 win for the Hoosiers.

Here's a complete list of first round results:

• Maryland 2, Loyola 1

• Boston College 2, Dartmouth 1

• South Florida 2, Stetson 1

• Notre Dame 2, Green Bay 1

• Stanford 3, St. Mary's 0

• St. Louis 2, Missouri St. 1

• Brown 1, Stony Brook 0

• Drake 2, Western Illinois 1

• UNC Wilmington 1, Charlotte 1 (UNC-W wins on PKs)

• Duke 3, Winthrop 2

• UCSB 1, Wofford 0

• Sacramento St. 2, Loyola Marymount 1

• Portland 2, New Mexico 1

• Bucknell 1, Princeton 0

What did you think of the first round? What results surprised you?

Share your thoughts below.

by FRANCO PANIZO

World Cup qualifying is in the rear-view mirror, and for the Americans Abroad that means it is time to get back into club soccer.

After missing international duty due to an ankle injury, Tim Howard should be healthy enough to start for Everton in possibly the most intriguing match of the weekend when the Toffees host Manchester United, Howard's former club.

The last time these two teams met Howard was hailed a hero, as he saved a pair of penalty kicks in Everton's FA Cup semifinal victory last season. But Everton has looked like a shell of its former self this season, and the club has only managed to win one game in its past five.

Another American to keep an eye on is Clint Dempsey, who has netted in three consecutive games. With Fulham playing Birmingham this weekend, there is a strong possibility Dempsey could stretch that scoring streak to four.

Looking for a battle of Americans? Look no further than the West Ham United-Hull City clash, which could pit Jonathan Spector against Jozy Altidore for the first time in their careers.

Here is a rundown of who the Americans Abroad will be playing this weekend:

Thierry Henry has backed calls for a replay of the Ireland-France World Cup playoff he helped decide with his now infamous handball, even though FIFA has already rejected a request for a replay.

"Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa," said Henry. "Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control.''

FIFA already rejected the calls for a replay, citing the Laws of the Game, which clearly state that all decisions made by match officials are final.

Here are some other stories to get your Friday going:

BECKHAM BATTLES ANKLE INJURY AHEAD OF MLS CUP

LA Galaxy star David Beckham looks set to play in Sunday's MLS Cup final, but he'll battle through pain to do so.

Beckham took part in his first practice of the week on Thursday as he battles an ankle injury suffered in the Galaxy's Western Conference final victory against Houston.

Beckham and the Galaxy arrived in Seattle on Thursday night ahead of Sunday's MLS Cup Final vs. Real Salt Lake.

BARCELONA DUO HIT WITH SWINE FLU

French defender Eric Abidal and Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure have been diagnosed with swine flu. Abidal was already sidelined by a thigh injury, but now he and Toure are battling illness as Barcelona prepares to face Athletic Bilbao a week before the highly-anticipated showdown vs. Real Madrid.

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What do you think of these story? Buying Henry's calls for a replay? Think the Galaxy can win MLS Cup with a hobbled Beckham? Hoping Henry is the next Barcelona player to catch swine flu?

Share your thoughts below.