Major League Soccer

MLS Playoffs: MLS Cup Notebook: Calm Before The Storm

Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake traveled to Seattle as the preparations swung into gear for Sunday's MLS Cup clash. Kyle McCarthy is in the Pacific Northwest and runs down all of the news of the day in his MLS Cup notebook.

Nov 19, 2009 8:23:41 PM

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By Kyle McCarthy

SEATTLE – All of the trappings for Sunday's MLS Cup final are falling into place.

Rain coated the streets today in a harbinger of an expected wet weekend. Workers busily prepared the Space Needle in festive, MLS Cup-related imagery. The Philip F. Anschutz trophy arrived by ferry on yesterday afternoon. The dignitaries and the not-quite-as-distinguished press members started to filter during the day in as well.

The only missing piece? The participants.

Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake boarded charter flights this afternoon as they completed their home-based preparations for MLS Cup 2009. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena put his side through a light training session this morning before boarding a plane for the relatively short flight up the Pacific Coast. RSL coach Jason Kreis opted to rest his players today before RealBlue, a JetBlue plane decked out with the RSL logo and colors, carried RSL up to the Pacific Northwest.

Both sides will train at Qwest Field on Friday and Saturday in the buildup to Sunday's game with the majority of the session closed to the media.

Donovan named MVP

Los Angeles midfielder Landon Donovan finally picked up his first MLS MVP award this afternoon. Donovan, 27, earned the award after lifting the Galaxy out of its doldrums and collecting 12 goals and six assists in 25 games this season.

“Last year was for me my best year from a statistical standpoint but when the team doesn't do well, it doesn't matter a whole lot,” Donovan told the assembled throng after training. “But I can look for myself in the mirror this year and say 'I really worked hard and earned this.'”

Donovan earned top spot in all three categories – media, coaches/general managers and players – used in the weighted system to determine the winner. FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunnngham finished second, while New England midfielder Shalrie Joseph ended up in third spot. The voting system is complicated enough to make the raw numbers almost moot, but the data did show that Donovan emerged as the winner by a comfortable margin.

The biggest surprise from the vote? Joseph's third place finish. Most expected Joseph (the MVP pick of this writer) to run Donovan close, but he instead lagged behind Cunningham in all categories and struggled to muster significant support among his fellow players.

Preki named new boss at TFC

Toronto FC revealed Preki as its new head coach in a press conference this morning, ending a week of speculation linking the former Chivas USA head man with the gig.

Preki will hope to lift TFC to its first postseason berth after Coach of the Year honors in 2007 and three consecutive playoff seasons with the Red-and-White. In order to take TFC to the playoffs, the former American international will have to mold a cohesive unit out of a side that hasn't shown much, if any, defensive proficiency and little ability to attack in the wide areas.

“It's not going to be about one guy or two guys,” Preki said. “It's going to be about the team and who can fit into that group. We can't have seven players that want to just play with the ball and not defend, or 11 guys who can defend but can't go forward. We've got to find the right balance to fit the system. The player who can't fit in the system won't be here. It's all about the system, it's all about them playing as one.”

Those words should certainly interest Dwayne De Rosario, who flourished when handed a free role in San Jose, Houston and Toronto and complained earlier this season when asked to play in a more constrained role out wide. Preki's ability to manage his veterans and maintain a settled squad – like former Wizards teammate and TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston, Preki has shown a tendency to shuttle players in and out of his side – will be crucial in his quest to take the Reds to greater heights.

Around the League

- While Preki has found his new gig, Chivas USA is continuing its search for a new boss. The Red-and-White, unlike a few other teams around the league, is trying to keep its search hush-hush. Chivas USA CEO Shawn Hunter, vice president Stephen Hamilton and investor Antonio Cue are all involved in a process the club hopes to complete early in December. Despite the quiet nature of the search, two names have surfaced in the media as possible contenders: former Chivas USA and Bayern Munich assistant Martin Vasquez and former United States and Los Angeles coach Steve Sampson.

- Doubts are swirling around whether New England will be able to re-sign Jeff Larentowicz to a new deal. Larentowicz, 26, has reached the end of the standard four-year MLS contract and rejected the opportunity to sign an extension prior to the 2009 campaign. Joseph and Revolution coach Steve Nicol are among those who have made clear that they would like to see Larentowicz remain with the team, but there are significant questions as to whether the Revolution will stump up the necessary funds to keep him in the fold. “As everyone knows, he's out of contract,” Revolution vice president of player personnel Michael Burns said. “He's a player we'd like to bring back, but it still remains to be seen whether or not we're able to get something done.”

- Far more certain is the future of on-loan Revolution central defender Emmanuel Osei. New England holds a five-figure option to make the deal permanent, according to an external source familiar with the situation, and the Revs are expected to exercise it to keep the Ghanaian defender in the fold.

- MLS released the rules for next Wednesday's ten-round Expansion Draft yesterday. Teams may protect 11 players (including a limited number of international players equaling the total on the roster minus three) and can lose only one to Philadelphia. Generation adidas players are exempted from the draft, though some protected players from this season will graduate from the program prior to the draft and will have to be protected. The lists must be submitted to the MLS office by 3:00p.m. on Monday.

Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

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