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MLS Newsstand - December 15, 2016

December 15, 2016 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


1. Celebration of champion Sounders becomes family affair

By Evan Bush Seattle Times - December 15, 2016

"Nelson, hold my kid," yelled David Chernicoff, before pushing baby Dylan into the unassuming hands of the Sounders FC forward as he left the rally honoring the team after its MLS Cup win.

If he was surprised, Valdez didn't miss a beat. He propelled the 1-year-old into the sky with the same enthusiasm as he had on Saturday, when he thrust the Anschutz Trophy into Toronto's Arctic air.

Dylan smiled from atop the crowd, a high point for the little Sounders fan, whose dad took him to his first game just eight days into life.

His dad, a teacher in Federal Way, had taken a half day off from school to revel in our hometown team's win.

Chernicoff wasn't alone.

"It is the most amazing thing to be part of a great team," says Sounders fan Aimee Kitajo.

The march and rally were a family affair as kids and families marched shoulder-to-shoulder through the streets of Seattle, celebrating the team's MLS Cup victory.

"We're playing hooky today," said Avery Slinning, a Shoreline teacher, who brought her children, Bjorn and Layla, to watch the jubilation.

In a sea of blue and green, a few lucky kids enjoyed the best seat in the house - their parents' shoulders.

"She's kind of like my scarf," said Christian Ramirez, whose daughter, Camila, looked toasty inside a pink onesie complete with animal ears.

The march and rally became a distinctly Seattle spectacle.

The Emerald City Trolley buses that carried Sounders players and officials from Westlake Park to Seattle Center served as a rolling autograph machine.

Twelve-year-old Sophie Fahling said she somehow managed to hand a poster up to Sounders star Jordan Morris. His signature left the Kirkland teen perhaps a bit star-struck.

"I was like five feet away from him," Fahling said. "I wish I was closer."

Cyclist Willie Stump pedaled after the procession of trolley buses on Fifth Avenue with a Sounders flag strung between two telescoping ski poles with Velcro.

And at Seattle Center, an Ameraucana hen sat on Fred Pracht's shoulders while he watched the rally. Her name is Yedlin (after the former Sounder), he told onlookers, and she lays blue eggs.

Naturally.

The day's events even included cheers for politicians.

"It hasn't been a good year, but this game was hope," said Jim McDermott, the outgoing U.S. congressman.

"Last place to championship, it's unbelievable," said King County Executive Dow Constantine. "This is nice to have something overtly apolitical ... in this environment."

Fans said eight years of playoff pain was worth the wait to see the boys in blue and green reach the zenith of North American soccer.

"We were so happy for them," said Shauna Cortes, a season-ticket holder who was pushing two 3-year-olds in a double stroller. "Who knows when we'll be there again -

They wouldn't miss this for the world.

Well - all except little Landon, who was sound asleep. His head drooped over the side of the stroller.

"Too much excitement," Cortes said.

2. Philadelphia Union doc 'Sons of Ben' now streaming on Netflix

By Nick Vadala Philadelphia Inquirer - December 14, 2016

Philadelphia Union fans recently got a little love from Netflix. The streaming service added Sons of Ben: The Movie, a documentary that tells the story of the Union's faithful fan club, also called the Sons of Ben. The doc begins with the fan group that started even before the team's first season in 2010 and continues through to how the group's efforts have affected Chester.

Directed by Delaware Valley native Jeffrey C. Bell, the film initially premiered at the Trocadero and Ritz East here in Philadelphia in June 2015. It also made stops at several international film festivals, including Brazil's Cinefoot, the Tokyo International Football Film Festival, and the Thinking Football Film Festival in Spain.

"We made the movie we wanted to make," Bell told the Delco Times last year.

Via the Sons of Ben doc's website:

"Major League Soccer debuted in 1996 and though Philadelphia is a top five market with storied sports franchises, it didn't get a team.

Ten years later it still didn't have a team, so a band of die-hard Philly soccer fans did something crazy: they formed a supporters club for a team that didn't exist. Naming their group after famous Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin, they called themselves the SONS OF BEN.

They had one goal - bring professional soccer to Philadelphia. Hoping to expand to 100 members by the end of the year, they soon had 1,500 drum-banging, song-singing followers. Together these Sons of Ben started a movement that brought into existence the Philadelphia Union, changing the Philadelphia soccer landscape forever and helping to revive a struggling community abandoned by government, business, and its neighbors."

In addition to Netflix, Sons of Ben is available to stream on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Google Play.

3. Orlando City promotes Niki Budalic to general manager

By Alicia DelGallo Orlando Sentinel - December 14, 2016

After more than a year without a general manager, Orlando City officially promoted Niki Budalic to the position Wednesday.

Budalic served as assistant general manager in conjunction with club president Phil Rawlins since he joined the team in January. Rawlins told the Orlando Sentinel in October the plan was to eventually promote Budalic rather than hire from outside the organization. His new title is general manager of soccer operations.

"I want to congratulate Niki on this well-deserved promotion," Rawlins said in a statement released by the club. "I've known Niki for many years, and I am confident in his work ethic, player scouting intelligence and negotiating experience as he leads soccer operations during an important year for us in our new home stadium."

Fomer GM Paul McDonough left last December after ownership brought in Armando Carneiro to assume many of McDonough's duties as chief soccer officer. McDonough's departure was described as a mutual agreement and he soon joined expansion side Atlanta FC as director of soccer operations. A month after Carneiro joined Orlando City, he too left for "personal reasons."

The turmoil raised concerns and questions surrounding who the club would name as its new GM.

Budalic, 38, is a former professional soccer player from Canada. He was hired by Orlando City in January to take over non-technical soccer operations, such as team administration and equipment managers. The club also leaned heavily on his experience in talent management throughout the 2016 season, and he has been leading player acquisitions and dealings.

Before joining the Lions, he was, among other things, director of football in North America for Beswicks Sports, a player management and consulting company based in the UK, and managed a champion side in the Premier Development League.

"I am thankful for this opportunity to work even closer with our technical teams on player development and general team management," Budalic said in the club's statement. "I've learned a lot from Phil this past year, and along with our coaches, I will continue working hard this offseason to prepare for a new campaign, a new stadium and a fresh start to 2017 for our three teams."

4. Former Chicago Fire goalkeeper Johnson happy to move on

By Orrin Schwarz Chicago Daily Herald - December 14, 2016

To leave the only professional soccer club you've ever known can be hard, but the time was right for goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

The Chicago Fire traded Johnson on Sunday morning to Atlanta United FC, which then traded him to New York City FC, starting a hectic few days for the seven-year veteran.

"For me this is the perfect opportunity for me to branch out and try something different," Johnson said, adding he and Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez discussed the possibility of a trade after the season ended.

Johnson, 27, became the Fire's starter his rookie season, experience that helped him earn five caps with the U.S. national team. But he lost his starting job with the Fire for the first nine games of the 2016 season under first-year coach Veljko Paunovic, regaining it in May. That started speculation that he would be traded, with Atlanta the expected destination.

That he winds up at NYCFC instead of expansion side Atlanta United is OK by the Georgia native.

"I'm very pleased to be at an organization that really wants me there," Johnson said of NYCFC, adding he had spent the past few days meeting club staff and getting acquainted with his new club. "They definitely made me feel welcome. So I'm excited to start the next chapter of my career with a new club that expressed interest in having me."

The trade represents a move up the MLS Eastern Conference standings for Johnson. NYCFC placed third in 2016 and is expected to be a contender in 2017; the Fire was mired in last place for a second straight season and is trying to rebuild.

It was a difficult seven seasons in Chicago for the club's 2010 fourth-round draft choice out of Central Florida.

Johnson played in only one playoff game during his time in Chicago, a loss to Houston in 2012.

"Tough is an understatement," Johnson said. "As a player you want to win games, win championships, you want to go far. To have early exits is not something that goes down easily and that I take lightly."

Still, Johnson said he enjoyed his time in Chicago.

"That is my home. That's my second home," Johnson said. "I'm proud to call it home and I hope that everything goes well for the Fire."

And there were good experiences with the Fire.

"Draft day. Very special for me, very special moment, the start of my professional career," he said.

There was also his relationship with Fire goalkeeper coach Aron Hyde, his coach for six seasons.

"I don't think I'd be where I was without him. Every coach along the way I learned something from. Obviously, some years were better than others," he said.

And then there was the support of the Fire fans for the player they knew as "the Milkman."

"It was great," he said. "That for me was a major bright spot and never changed. Talk about having support, unwavering support from those guys that come out when it's cold, when it's hot, when the team is doing well and when it's not doing well. That's one of my favorite memories of my time in Chicago."

5. Former Dynamo forward Giles Barnes hopes to leave 2016 behind

By Corey Roepken Houston Chronicle - December 14, 2016

Back in Houston after playing the final four months of his fifth MLS season in Vancouver, former Dynamo forward Giles Barnes is trying to move on from a year many expected and hoped would be significantly more productive.

In his first 10 appearances of the 2016 season with Houston, Barnes scored four goals. On May 23 he left Houston to join Jamaica in advance of Copa America.

He could not have guessed that when he returned to the Dynamo three weeks later that everything would be different - and also that it would only be the beginning of a downward spiral he hopes to leave far behind.

"Some things in football you never quite understand," Barnes said. "That is the nature of the game. You try to take it in stride and not think about it too much. The offseason gives you a chance to put everything together and move on as best you can."

While Barnes was away, the Dynamo parted ways with coach Owen Coyle, who had named him captain at the start of the season. When Barnes returned, interim coach Wade Barrett had passed the captain's arm band to DaMarcus Beasley.

That move appeared to hurt Barnes emotionally and at the time he did not want to discuss it.

"When I took over, Beasley took the armband right away and I've been really impressed with what he's done so I'm going to keep him in the armband," Barrett said after Barnes' first game back. "I had a good talk with Giles about it. I want Giles to focus on playing and doing the things he can do because he's a very talented player. I've switched the armband to Beas."

Over the next eight games, including two in the U.S. Open Cup against MLS clubs, Barnes played five times. One of those appearances was a 10-minute run off the bench.

Barnes said this week he never understood why he didn't play more.

"That was a tough one to swallow," he said.

On July 30 - late on a Saturday night - the Dynamo traded Barnes to Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Hopeful for a fresh start in a new environment, Barnes struggled to produce.

He said it took him a while to regain match fitness in Vancouver. He appeared in 10 games with the Whitecaps and did not score until his brace on the final day of the regular season.

Since the end of the season he has returned to Houston where he said he regularly works out with current Dynamo players Will Bruin and Tyler Deric; former Dynamo players Sheanon Williams, Sebastian Ibeagha and Jason Johnson and free agent David Horst.

Barnes, 28, has one guaranteed year and one option year left on his contract that according to the MLS Players Union includes a salary of $700,000 per year. He said he has heard that a couple of overseas clubs have been in contact with Vancouver about a possible transfer.

No matter where he ends up, though, he just wants to perform as well as he knows he can and put the 2016 season behind him.

"I just want to play at the highest level possible until my body gives up," Barnes said. "I am happy to be in MLS."

6. U.S. national team coach interested in multiple Sporting KC players

By Sam McDowell Kansas City Star - December 14, 2016

The United States men's national team coaching change will undoubtedly entail a series of ripple effects, and it seems more and more likely that Sporting Kansas City will among the clubs most impacted.

How so? Player call-ups.

In his opening few weeks on the job, new national team boss Bruce Arena has already spoken with Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes "a couple of times." The topic of those conversations has centered on the prospective player pool.

"I think there's a chance a lot of our guys could be selected," Vermes said. "I think at the end of the day, he'll whittle his numbers down. But he's interested in a lot of guys on our team."

While Arena has insisted the player pool won't feature drastic changes, there will definitely be some, he says. He has repeatedly hinted that Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber will get his first shot since early 2014 after falling out of previous coach Jurgen Klinsmann's spotlight.

Vermes declined to offer names he has discussed with Arena but nodded when asked if it included multiple players who were not part of the picture under Klinsmann.

Arena has acknowledged plans to hold a January camp and is still hopeful to schedule a couple of friendlies before the resumption of the World Cup qualifying schedule in March.

Defender Matt Besler and Graham Zusi were mainstays on the United States roster under Klinsmann and figure to at least get a shot to keep their spots under Arena, even though Besler recently had surgery to clean up bone spurs in his left ankle.

Feilhaber has been a primary talking point because, well, he talked often about his absence while Klinsmann was the man in charge.

But in an interview with The Star last month, after Klinsmann was fired, Feilhaber said, "Hopefully I can get an opportunity. If I do, I'll try to seize it. I've always said that playing on the national team is a huge privilege. Nobody is given that as a freebie. So it will have to be earned."

7. Atlanta United signs Larentowicz

By Doug Roberson Atlanta Journal-Constitution - December 14, 2016

Atlanta United has agreed to terms with free agent Jeff Larentowicz.

The 33-year-old midfielder has 324 regular season appearances in Major League Soccer, including 23 last season with Los Angeles. He has scored 38 goals with 19 assists in a career that includes stops at New England (2005-09), where he appeared in three consecutive MLS Cup finals, Colorado (2010-12), where the won the MLS Cup in 2010, Chicago (2013-15) and the Galaxy.

Terms weren't disclosed.

Larentowicz will bring needed depth and experience to a roster that features numerous players 25 years or younger. He also played for the U.S. men's national team four times. He played in college at Brown, which is also an alma mater of Atlanta United President Darren Eales.

"We're pleased that a player of Jeff's quality and experience chose to sign with our club through free agency," Eales said in a statement from the team. "It's important for us to find the proper balance between up-and-coming talent and experienced league players, and we feel Jeff will fill a valuable role for us."

Larentowicz has played in 22 playoff matches and won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2007).

"Jeff gives us another dimension because of his natural passing and possession abilities," Atlanta United Technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement from the team. "His experience and leadership will be invaluable for our younger players, and he's capable of making a big impact on the field. He's proven to be a winner throughout his entire career."

With the signing, Atlanta United has 19 players on its roster: two goalkeepers (Alex Tambakis and Alex Kann), four defenders (Michael Parkhurst, Zach Loyd, Mark Bloom and Mikey Ambrose), nine midfielders (Larentowicz, Hector Villalba, Miguel Almiron, Junior Burgos, Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, Chris McCann, Kevin Kratz and Harrison Heath), and four forwards (Kenwyne Jones, Brandon Vazquez, Romario Williams and Jeffrey Otoo).

The club reportedly is trying to sign U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Brad Guzan and also reportedly is on the verge of adding midfielder Oscar Romero as its third designated player. An Atlanta United spokesman declined to comment on either player.

MLS will hold its waiver draft Thursday. That draft is for less-experienced players who don't meet the criteria for free agency, or the re-entry draft, which starts Friday. The SuperDraft, for college players, will be held Jan. 13 in Los Angeles. Atlanta United has the Nos. 2 and 8 picks in the first round of a four-round draft.

8. What does Atlanta United need now?

By Doug Roberson Atlanta Journal-Constitution - December 14, 2016

At the most pessimistic, Atlanta United at least added depth with four trades completed Sunday, the four players it added in Tuesday's expansion draft and a free agent signed Wednesday.

At the most optimistic, the club added eight starters for its 2017 inaugural MLS season.

Those in charge of finding and signing those players are open to anything ahead of January's training camp, when the battles will begin.

"We don't have starters on the field," club technical director Carlos Bocanegra said Monday. "All 11 spots are open for competition."

On Wednesday, Atlanta United agreed to terms with free agent Jeff Larentowicz.

The 33-year-old midfielder has 324 regular-season appearances in MLS, including 23 last season with Los Angeles. He has scored 38 goals with 19 assists in a career that includes stops at New England (2005-09), where he appeared in three consecutive MLS Cup finals, Colorado (2010-12), where the won the MLS Cup in 2010, Chicago (2013-15) and the Galaxy.

After that signing, Atlanta United has 18 players on its roster: two goalkeepers (Alex Tambakis and Alex Kann), four defenders (Michael Parkhurst, Zach Loyd, Mark Bloom and Mikey Ambrose), eight midfielders (Hector Villalba, Miguel Almiron, Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, Chris McCann, Kevin Kratz, Harrison Heath and Larentowicz), and four forwards (Kenwyne Jones, Brandon Vazquez, Romario Williams and Jeffrey Otoo).

The team released midfielder Junior Burgos on Wednesday.

Atlanta United reportedly is trying to sign U.S. men's national-team goalkeeper Brad Guzan and also reportedly is on the verge of adding midfielder Oscar Romero as its third designated player. Neither Eales nor Bocanegra would discuss Guzan on Monday. An Atlanta United spokesman declined to comment on Romero.

The free-agency window opened in MLS on Tuesday afternoon. Atlanta United could sign another player to add league experience and leadership to a squad that features 10 players 25 years old or younger.

MLS will hold its waiver draft Thursday. That draft is for less-experienced players who don't meet the criteria for free agency, or the re-entry draft, which starts Friday. The SuperDraft, for college players, will be held Jan. 13 in Los Angeles. Atlanta United has the Nos. 2 and 8 picks in the first round of a four-round draft.

Based upon experience and results as professionals, without trying to predict who the team may yet sign, the starting lineup for the first game in March likely would include Kann in goal, Parkhurst, Loyd and Bloom in defense, Villalba, Almiron, McCann and Kratz in midfield, and Jones at forward. That leaves at least two starting jobs that need more competition. The wild cards are Ambrose and Heath, as well as the reported but not yet confirmed signings of Guzan and Romero. Both likely would start.

Because the team features several players who are younger than 20 (Carleton, Goslin, Otoo and Vazquez) and who seem likely to be loaned to a USL club to gain experience as pros, Atlanta United likely will use free agency to add a spot starter and the waiver, re-entry and SuperDraft to add depth at all positions for the short-, medium- and long-terms, a phrase and philosophy that club president Darren Eales ardently believes in.

"We will look at every mechanism to put a roster together," Eales said Tuesday.

9. United shifting focus to adding scorers such as Johan Venegas, Christian Ramirez

By David La Vaque Minneapolis Star Tribune - December 15, 2016

After starting its Major League Soccer roster with three defenders, Minnesota is shifting its focus to two scorers.

Johan Venegas joined the Loons in a trade following Tuesday's expansion draft while three-year Minnesota veteran Christian Ramirez is expected to sign by week's end. Venegas, an offensive-minded midfielder, impressed new Loons coach Adrian Heath with skills shown in international play. Ramirez, meanwhile, led the North American Soccer League in scoring in two of the past three seasons.

"We're very close, the next day or so," Heath said of inking Ramirez to a contract. "You don't like to lose somebody who scored 51 goals in three years at whatever the level."

Efforts to reach Ramirez for comment were unsuccessful.

"He worked himself into a successful position, so rightly so he's taken his time to look around," Heath said. "Our job is to convince him to stay."

Heath got his man when it came to Venegas. The club worked out a trade before the expansion draft, selecting New York Red Bulls defender Chris Duvall with the second pick overall and trading him for Venegas.

"This kid has huge upside," Heath said of Venegas. "His best days are ahead."

The move gave Minnesota more credibility from soccer observers who noted the club trailed fellow expansion club Atlanta by a wide margin in terms of acquiring players. But Heath ignored both the talk and the fast-approaching 2017 season opener in March, taking his time to add the desired pieces. Minnesota now has eight players with room for another 20 on its roster.

Venegas, 28, no relation to veteran Loons defender Kevin Venegas, struggled to get minutes with Montreal last season He appeared in 25 games and started seven as the Impact reached the Eastern Conference semifinals. He scored one goal and added two assists.

"Montreal really liked him, but they got on their run they had and he only played 10 minutes at a time," Heath said.

International play with his native Costa Rica allowed Venegas to showcase his skills. He tallied seven goals in 30 career national team appearances, including three goals in 10 appearances this year. He scored a goal in Costa Rica's 4-0 drubbing of the United States in November.

"I've always loved everything about his game," said Heath, who will fly to Costa Rico on Thursday to meet with Venegas.

His trip will include watching games between the U.S. U-20 men's national team and Costa Rica on Dec. 17 and 19. That means scouting forward Jeremy Ebobisse, the projected top pick in the SuperDraft on Jan. 13. Minnesota holds the first selection.

Ebobisse played two seasons at Duke before signing an MLS contract. The league loaned him to Charleston of the United Soccer League.

10. United nearing deal with striker Christian Ramirez; Heath to Costa Rica

By Andy Greder St. Paul Pioneer Press - December 14, 2016

Minnesota United has plans to soon announce a Major League Soccer contract for striker Christian Ramirez, a prolific goal-scorer for the Loons over the past three seasons in the North American Soccer League.

A wide gap on salary terms between United and Ramirez in November is now "very close" to being a done deal, United coach Adrian Heath told KFXN-FM on Wednesday. An announcement is expected sometime this month.

United already has signed two players from last year's roster in the second-tier NASL. Fullbacks Kevin Venegas and Justin Davis agreed to contracts in November that will play them about $100,000 each next season. A fourth player, center back Brent Kallman of Woodbury, seems a good bet to be the fourth player from last year's team to make the jump to MLS.

Ramirez, 25, has scored 51 goals in three seasons with the Loons. The Garden Grove, Calif., native led the NASL with 18 goals in 31 games in 2016 and was named to the NASL's Best XI all-star team. He had 13 goals in 2015 and a NASL-high 20 goals in 2014.

United added five players in the Major League Soccer expansion draft Tuesday, including midfielder Johan Venegas in a trade with the Montreal Impact. Venegas has played multiple attacking positions, from forward to winger, for Montreal and the Costa Rica national team.

Ramirez joined United in 2013 after playing for the Charlotte Eagles of the United Soccer League in 2013. He played college soccer at at Concordia University in Irvine, Calif.

HEATH TO COSTA RICA

Heath will soon fly to Costa Rica to meet with acquired playmaker Johan Venegas.

After being traded from Montreal to Minnesota in exchange for defender Chris Duvall, Venegas tweeted Tuesday: "You can count on my word that, minute after minute, I will give my best to be worthy of your trust."

Heath also plans to be in San Jose, Costa Rica, to watch the U.S. under-20 men's national team, featuring forward Jeremy Ebobisse. The U.S and Costa Rica will play Dec. 17 and 19.

Minnesota holds the first overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft on Jan. 13, and Ebobisse is projected to be the top selection.

Ebobisee, of Bethesda, Md., is a 6-foot, 175-pound forward who played at Duke before giving up his final two years of college eligibility to join MLS. He signed a contract with the league and was on loan with the Charleston Battery of USL beginning in August.

Ebobisse had nine goals and seven assists in two seasons with Duke. He had a hat trick in the U.S.'s 5-3 loss to the Netherlands on Oct. 7.

11. Onalfo appointment continues Galaxy plan of reloading in Arena's image

By Scott French FourFourTwo - December 14, 2016

CARSON, Calif. -- The LA Galaxy had a legend to replace, and the "exhaustive search" it made to do so led the club across the room.

Curt Onalfo might not be the sexiest choice to succeed Bruce Arena as head coach of MLS' flagstaff organization, but he's the smart pick for a club that's looking to stride into a new era as if the previous era hasn't ended.

All of [LA's management], in some sense, are Arena's children. Now they're on their own. Arena stepped down last month to take the reins of the U.S. men's national team, and his parting words were clear: Onalfo, who played for him in college and at D.C. United and had been part of his staff since 2011, was the man to follow.

It makes sense across a large spectrum. Onalfo knows the club and how it operates. He knows the talent and what's coming through developmental channels, and he's part of the family. That last part is meaningful.

The Galaxy has evolved into the closest thing to a "super" club that MLS possesses, and its power structure, especially among technical staff, is all former LA players who have helped build a culture that has led to three MLS Cups in the past six years. Hiring Onalfo, who since 2014 has been in charge of LA Galaxy II, the club's USL-based reserve team, serves to some extent as a continuation of the Arena years.

It's more than that. Onalfo has been a head coach in this league, posting a 31-43-26 mark, playoffs included, with Kansas City in 2008-09 and with D.C. United to start the 2010 campaign, and six seasons under Arena have had an impact.

Onalfo says he came to the Galaxy "to get into a situation where I could just get better at my trade, become better tactically, understand every aspect of the game better." Working alongside Arena is something like a master class, and it helped him "improve in every aspect as a coach." What it doesn't do is define him.

"I've learned a lot from Bruce, but I have my own way, and that's OK ...," Onalfo said during Tuesday's StubHub Center news conference to announce the move. "I'm not going to spend a lot of time worrying about [following a legend]. I know I'll hear it all the time: 'You're trying to fill Bruce's footsteps,' and I actually feel privileged to do that.

"We're going to continue with the excellence that the Galaxy has always had and that Bruce bought, but it's going to [be] a little bit of a different way. Why? Because I'm the head coach, and every head coach does things a little bit different."

Structurally, things will be quite different, of course. Arena, an iconic figure in American's men's soccer, was both head coach and general manager, and his track record -- at the University of Virginia, with D.C. United, during the national team's most successful eight-year stretch, and through eight-plus seasons in LA -- granted him a certain autonomy most MLS coaches could only dream.

Onalfo will collaborate with new GM Peter Vagenas, a former Galaxy captain and Academy director who in January was promoted to vice president of soccer operations. Jovan Kirovski, a former LA forward, is the club's technical director. And they all answer to club president Chris Klein, a former Galaxy midfielder who spearheaded the formation of Galaxy II.

Onalfo, like Vagenas and Kirovski and Klein, has a real stake here. He noted in his opening remarks Tuesday that his son, Christian, was part of the first graduating class from the Galaxy's high school.

"We're all invested in this," he said. "We love the club, and we bleed the club."

All of them, in some sense, are Arena's children. Now they're on their own. How does that change things? In some manner, it doesn't. The club's ideals don't change, nor does the club's way of going about its business.

Developing players in the Academy and pushing them toward the first team through Galaxy II remains a priority. Onalfo's time with Los Dos is valuable here, but the notion that hiring him is a message that this is vital misses the mark badly. The implication that this wasn't the case under Arena is farcical.

Onalfo's intimate involvement in the process certainly had much to do with his selection, and he admits as much. The change at the top is rather seamless, and it ensures the progress below the first team doesn't experience any serious hiccups.

His time with Los Dos also made him a far better coach than he was when left D.C. United.

"Coaching the LA Galaxy II was the best thing I ever did, because I took a risk," he said. "I went from basically being an assistant coach with the first team and took a lateral move, maybe a step-backward-type move, so that I could distinguish myself but I could do something that would improve me."

He and Vagenas have a lot of work to do in the next six weeks. Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard have departed, leaving LA two open Designated Player slots, with even more depth desired.

Some of that will come from Galaxy II, which has provided several first-team players -- Daniel Steres and Dave Romney foremost among them -- and has more on the cusp. Raul Mendiola saw his time grow with the first team in 2016, and Ariel Lassiter could contribute in 2017. Much is expected of Jack McBean, coming off a loan stint at Coventry City. Nobody knows what's lurking more so than Onalfo.

And LA, Klein and Vagenas emphasized, isn't changing its approach toward acquiring top foreign talent, either. The Galaxy has reached deep into its pockets for big-name DPs, and it brushed off suggestions this might diminish amid reports that owner AEG has demanded the club come closer to turning a profit. "We're going to continue to be who we say we are," Vagenas said, and who they are is a club that can "go out and attract some of the world's biggest stars."

12. MLS: adidas Combine invitations handed out to 53 players

By Paul Kennedy Soccer America - December 14, 2016

Major League Soccer invited 53 NCAA Division I players to the 2017 adidas MLS Player Combine that will be held at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. It will be held Jan. 8-12 and finish a day before the 2017 SuperDraft presented at the LA Convention Center in conjunction with the NSCAA Convention.

2017 adidas MLS Player Combine: PLAYER SCHOOL POS. CITIZENSHIP Lalas Abubakar Dayton D Ghana Michael Amick UCLA D Sunnyvale, CA Brandon Aubrey Notre Dame D Plano, TX Kwame Awuah UConn M Toronto, Ont. Nazeem Bartman USF F South Africa Kyle Bjornethun Seattle D Snohomish, WA Brandt Bronico Charlotte M High Point, NC Russell Cicerone Buffalo M/F Bloomfield Hills, MI Suliman Dainkeh Maryland D Reston, VA Michael DeGraffenreidt Louisville D Baltimore, MD Guillermo Delgado Delaware F Spain Nick DePuy UC Santa Barbara F Irvine, CA Francis de Vries Saint Francis (Pa.) D New Zealand Reagan Dunk Denver D Dallas, TX Jack Elliott West Virginia D/M England Wuilito Fernandes UMass-Lowell FW/MF Cape Verde Alec Ferrell Wake Forest GK Westlake, OH David Goldsmith Butler F Bristol, England Jorge Gomez Sanchez Temple F Spain Julian Gressel Providence M Germany Sam Hamilton Denver M Evergreen, CO Niko Hansen New Mexico F Sacramento, CAcoll Jacori Hayes Wake Forest M Bowie, MD Joe Holland Hofstra M England Walker Hume North Carolina D San Angelo, TX Daniel Johnson Louisville M Duluth, GA Aaron Jones Clemson D England Eric Klenofsky Monmouth GK Lincoln Park, NJ Austin Ledbetter SIUE D St. Charles, MO Zeiko Lewis Boston College M Bermuda Connor Maloney Penn State D Harrisburg, PA Napo Matsoso Kentucky M Lesotho Billy McConnell Indiana D Richboro, PA Jake McGuire Tulsa GK Chino Hills, CA Lindo Mfeka South Florida MF/FW South Africa Robert Moewes Duke GK Germany Brian Nana-Sinkam Stanford D Lititz, PA Chris Nanco Syracuse F Brampton, Ont. Jakob Nerwinski UConn D Lawrenceville, NJ Chris Odoi-Atsem Maryland D Mitchellville, MD Evan Panken Notre Dame M Edina, MN Danilo Radjen Akron D Broadview Heights, OH Robby Sagel Penn State D Las Vegas, NV Eddie Sanchez Portland MF/FW Canby, OR Auden Schilder Washington GK Bellingham, WA Justin Schmidt Washington D Albuquerque, NM Colton Storm North Carolinal D Mechanicsburg, PA Christian Thierjung California F Dove Canyon, CA Tanner Thompson Indiana M Loomis, CA Felix Vobejda UCLA MF/DF Germany Chris Wehan New Mexico M Laguna Niguel, CA Jordan Wilson Kentucky D Scotland Brian Wright Vermont F Ajax, Ont.

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