Quick Free Kicks

The L.A. Galaxy have hired former DC United head coach Curt Onolfo as an assistant coach.  Steven Goff reports that it is unclear whether Onalfo will continue to receive a paycheck from D.C. United, which fired Onalfo with two seasons remaining on his contract ($300,000 annually).  Well, I will tell you this--probably not, or at least not all of it.  The most Onolfo could get if he sued would be the difference between his LA salary and his DC salary.


In other MLS news, MLS' second all-time leading scorer, Jeff Cunningham has ditched his efforts to make a move to Europe and is now keen on signing with Columbus Crew.  Cunningham needs just one goal to tie and two to surpass the MLS all-time leader Jaime Moreno.




On February 9, the United States will play Egypt for a friendly in Cairo (assuming riots in that country don't postpone the game or force a venue change).  USMNT Coach Bob Bradley is probably looking to bring in his more established, European based players (it is an international break on the FIFA calendar) for the game.  Ridge Mahoney has some thoughts on what he thinks Bob Bradley will be thinking.  (ouch, my head hurts just writing that sentence).




From the "Dumb Things Footballers Do" comes the story of Stoke City's Jermaine Pennant and the Porsche he forgot he had---for six months.  

English Premier League star Jermaine Pennant — once Britain's most expensive teenage soccer player — forgot he owned a Porsche, leaving the luxury car at a train station for six months, it emerged Wednesday.

On the same day "Britain's brainiest footballer," Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle, announced he had been selected as a panelist on the BBC's "Question Time," Pennant helped re-install the image of the intellectually challenged sportsman with the extraordinary memory fail.

Pennant, who has a collection of sports cars, abandoned the Porsche in Spain when he left Spanish club Real Zaragoza for a loan spell at Stoke City last August. When authorities contacted him about the situation last week, he told them he had forgotten he owned the vehicle.

Oh, by the way, the keys to the car--on the front seat!  


Seriously, You can't make this stuff up, I swear.




Manchester United Goalkeeper, Edwin Van der Saar will retire at the end of this season.  Since transferring from Fulham in 2005 (Man I wish the Whites had kept him), Van Der Saar has won three Premier League trophies, the Champions League Trophy and looks on pace to go out on top this year.  Well done to Van der Saar.