May 22, 2012
MLS INFORMER
News and notes from around the league

The Colorado Rapids have re-signed forward Omar Cummings to a new multiyear contract. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

Keeping Omar
The Colorado Rapids announced on Friday that the club has re-signed forward Omar Cummings, a member of the Jamaican National Team in his sixth season with the Rapids, to a multi-year contract.

Cummings, 29, has played 130 regular season games (101 starts) for the Rapids since joining the club out of the University of Cincinnati in 2007. He has a total of 36 goals and 26 assists, and has started every playoff match in his time with the Rapids. He led the team with 14 goals in 2010 en route to the MLS Cup, and was named an MLS All-Star in 2011. With the Jamaican National Team, Cummings has made 28 appearances and scored eight goals since his debut in June 2008.

Trading Frenzy
Chivas USA was the center of a bi-coastal trading frenzy on Thursday that made the stock exchange floor for Facebook’s IPO look quiet.

The Goats sent U.S. National Team defender Heath Pearce to the New York Red Bulls for little-used but promising forward Juan Agudelo. The Goats then picked up defender Danny Califf from the Philadelphia Union for midfielder Michael Lahoud.

While the Union dumped a very popular player while getting seemingly little in return, Chivas strengthened themselves up front, without losing much in the back. New York, meantime, picked up a veteran defender who will add even more stability to the team’s “kiddie corps.”

In sending Agudelo west, they lose very little, since he rarely played, and faced an even harder time breaking into the lineup with the hot Kenny Cooper leading the team in scoring.

Plus, when Chivas ultimately sells Agudelo to a European club, the Red Bulls will receive part of the proceeds.

The only losers in the three-way deal seemingly are Philadelphia Union fans, who again see one of their favorites shipped out for little in return.

Taking up the challenge
The World Football Challenge got a little bigger this week with the addition of Serie A champion Juventus FC, and D.C. United, joining the fray. Spain’s La Liga Champion Real Madrid, a previously- announced participant, alsohas added a fixture to the schedule and will face Juventus FC in Las Vegas.

Additional clubs confirmed to participate in the World Football Challenge include European powerhouses Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, and AC Milan, along with MLS sides LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC and Toronto FC, in the event taking place July 18 through August 11.

Juventus FC will visit Washington, D.C. to face D.C. United on Saturday, July 28 at RFK Stadium.

The Italian club also will travel to Las Vegas to face Real Madrid on Sunday, August 5 at Sam Boyd Stadium.


Player of the week
D.C. United midfielder Dwayne de Rosario was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week 11 of the 2012 MLS season. The reigning league MVP scored on Wednesday in a 2-0 victory over Colorado and added another two goals on Saturday against Toronto FC.

De Rosario’s first goal of the week opened the scoring for United at RFK Stadium in the 25th minute. On a counterattack, Rosario received a well-placed ball and finished calmly from the middle of the box.

It took the Canadian international less than one minute to find goal on Saturday, as he headed home a free kick to give D.C. the early lead over his former club in the 55th second of the game. His second came in the 43rd minute, a close-range shot from within the area off of Chris Korb’s pass. The performance brings his goal count to five this season and the two-goal performance was the 14th multi-goal game of his career.

With two more goals, De Rosario will become just the seventh player in MLS history with 100 career regular-season goals.

This week’s honor is De Rosario’s 10th career Player of the Week award, the second most of any player in MLS history. He trails only Jeff Cunningham (14).

Looking for a title
The Vancouver Whitecaps are looking for their first-ever Canadian Championship when they visit BMO to face Toronto FC on Wednesday. The Reds are three-time winner s of the Voyageurs Cup title.

TFC holds a slight edge after scoring an away goal in last week’s 1-1 tie at BC Place.

You can quote me
Toronto FC coach Aron Winter On Dwayne De Rosario:
“I think Dwayne is a good soccer player, but I think we shouldn’t have let him play the game. But that’s impossible, he does that every time.”