The most active transfer window in league history.
Two handfuls of the biggest names in MLS history changed addresses, including Clint Mathis, Jeff Cunningham, Brian McBride, Eddie Lewis, Pat Noonan, Cory Gibbs, Zach Thornton, Kasey Keller, Nate Jaqua and Maurice Edu. That's 10 current or former USA national team players - and that's just a start.
Off the field, Alexi Lalas, Ruud Gullit, Bruce Arena and Fernando Clavijo all have new addresses, too.
Throw out all the media guides - it's an all-new season.
Let's start here along the Wasatch Front.
Like that tornado that hit downtown a few years back, the unthinkable has happened. RSL signed Mathis again. Yes - that Clint Mathis.
The same guy I brought in to be the face of the franchise in January 2005 - and the same guy I couldn't ship to Colorado fast enough 10 months later - is back. What a distraction he was in '05, and how far he's fallen since his 2002 Sports Illustrated cover. Six years, six teams, zero titles. And in his 2008 RSL debut? It took just 6 minutes and 27 seconds before he earned his first yellow card. What a waste of talent!
Meantime, the player RSL acquired in that Mathis trade, Cunningham, was liberated from mouthy British coach John Carver in Toronto.
"How did he score 99 goals [in his career]?" Carver asked after one game.
Less than 35 minutes into his Dallas debut, Cunningham answered with the 100th goal of his career. Maybe it's the good karma of being reunited with John Ellinger.
Almost everyone in the West made moves involving USA national team players. Chivas USA, facing an injury crisis of epic proportions and the departure of England-bound Brad Guzan, acquired five-time All-Star Zach Thornton. Thornton's best days may be behind him, however - he surrendered 10 goals in his first four games, while making just three saves.
With David Beckham and Landon Donovan on the wrong end of the tight Western Conference race in L.A., the Galaxy canned their GM/coach tandem. That leaves Lalas, one of the most colorful and influential figures in American soccer for 15 years, looking for a job, and Gullit perhaps humbled as he takes his fancy Dutch pedigree back home.
The Galaxy hired former U.S. skipper Bruce Arena as their coach less than a week later - and within hours he shipped Carlos Ruiz (the fifth-leading scorer in MLS history) to Toronto. He then signed Lewis, a Southern California native who comes home after 250-plus appearances in Europe.
Colorado added defender Cory Gibbs. The defender has 19 caps for the USA men, but has been sidelined by injury for two years. He'll play for Gary Smith now, as the Rapids parted ways with Clavijo after a 40-49-25 record in four years.
Even Seattle, which doesn't even start play until 2009, announced a signing. Washington native Kasey Keller returns stateside after a 16-year career in Europe. Arguably America's greatest goalkeeper ever, he'll be the "face" of the Sounders before retiring to the front office.
Back East, Olympians McBride and Edu are headed in opposite directions. McBride returns from England to join Chicago, while Edu is Scotland-bound on one of the most lucrative transfer deals in MLS history.
Finally, even Columbus, traditionally a conservative team, opened its wallet. Noonan is an Indiana University grad who will be counted on to provide the Crew some experience and scoring punch down the stretch.
RSL's next test in the new-look MLS is tonight (5:30 p.m.) in Columbus. Houston has raced past RSL in the Western Conference standings, and just seven points separate nine teams competing for the last four playoff spots.
Summer has come and gone - let the real race begin.
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* Former RSL GM STEVE PASTORINO contributes regularly to The Tribune on soccer. He welcomes your comments at pastorino
soccer@
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