It's been another busy week here at FSR and with TONS of little tidbits surfacing here and there, I may start updating this blog with smaller posts rather than accumulating for these monster ones.
Here's what's on my brain Friday as I work through a reporting shift:

Yes, Arsenal fans - it WAS a penalty!
A poster on one of my previous blogs seemed to take issue with the fact I called Kolo Toure's run up the back of Ryan Babel a CLEAR penalty while I did the hilites on the show Tuesday.  In fact, this might be the same viewer that took hours of their time to send us an email about how wrong I was to say such things and how bad we were not showing three minutes worth of complete hilites.  First off, I've seen the video over and over again.  I watched it when it was cut and I watched it when Arsenal fans started to email.  It's a penalty - no ifs ands or buts.  Toure makes contact with Babel in the area to take away a scoring chance.  He does not touch the ball, the move was clumsy and it was a good call by the official.  I don't see what Arsenal fans are crying over.  If you'd have done the job and scored the goals when they were presented (Adebayor, I'm looking at you!), you wouldn't have to blame the officiating.  As for showing more hilites - while we would LOVE to show 3-minutes worth of hilites accounting every major thing that happened, ESPN has the rights to the CL and we are restricted to only a few minutes per show - no matter how many games there are.  And if we show those hilites TWICE, it even further restricts us.

TFC Signs Amado Guevara
I make no secret of the fact I'm not too keen on what they're doing over there in Toronto.  From what I've seen so far and the discussions I've been involved with, they may not even be sure what they're doing.  The move for Guevara this week only confirms this.  However, I am willing to give Mo and Carver the benefit of the doubt and keep an open mind about what Guevara could add to the team.  I've seen blog after blog and article after article praising TFC for making this move but I think the praise is a little premature.  Remember, this is the same Guevara who REFUSED a trade to Toronto last season.  Now he wants to go there?  Perhaps he has learned a thing or two after his stint with Motagua but I'm not so sure.  Does he make Toronto a better team?  On paper - you bet.  We'll see if he actually does the job on the field.
Toronto also added Rohan Ricketts Friday after he was released from his contract with Barnsley.  Ricketts has been with the team for a couple of weeks and the TFC release announcing the signing had Mo saying "We've instantly added more quality depth for our team."  The club also announced they had released FW Collin Samuel due to personal reasons.  Curious to see Samuel go - obviously there is more to this than what TFC are saying.

Seattle Sounders FC
There's an old saying I heard bandied in the department this week - blue and green should never be seen unless together in a washing machine.  I dunno though - I like the new colors for Seattle and I also applaud the ownership group there for going with what the fans wanted.  The Sounders have a great tradition int he Pacific NW and naming an MLS franchise anything BUT Sounders would have been an injustice.  Can't wait to get me a Sounders cap & scarf!!

Steve Nicol Is Brilliant
I saw the salary numbers last week and I had to marvel at the astute financial wizardry of Steve Nicol and New England.  Signing Sainey Nyassi and Kenny Mansaaly for $50k US was a stroke of genius - and it likely has other teams (esp TFC - hello?  Was the U20 WC not in YOUR backyard??) going 'Damn it!"  With numerous teams seemingly having very little in the way of a plan to build for the future other than signing older players (LA, TFC), one of the league's best franchises is leading the way in showing what a little investment in time and travel can do.  There are numerous lessons to be taken here....

MLS Changes The Playoff Format - AGAIN!
Picked this one up off of Steve Goff over at the Washington Post (one of the best footie blogs out there!).  MLS has changed the playoff format to have THREE teams from each conference make the playoffs and then the next two with the best records regardless of conference get in.  The move could be called 'The Beckham Format' because it is OBVIOUSLY designed with the mindset that LA will finish 3rd in the West (behind Chivas and Houston) and thus deserve a playoff spot.  This could backfire though because I'm not so sure THIS LA team is better than FC Dallas.  I like Dallas as a surprise in the West so LA will need to hit their peak at the right time in order to finish third.  Otherwise, it's egg on the faces at league HQ come late October.

Louis Arroyave/Ives Galarcep Battle
Ok - this isn't exactly a battle but 'Soccer By Ives' provided a somewhat detailed account of the events that led upto JC Osorio making the move to New York from the Fire.  It didn't sit well with Fire fans and many have inundated Arroyave's 'Red Card' blog asking him to throw down and respond.  Now while I'm not a huge fan of Louis (posting the link to one of my most embarassing moments as a broadcaster doesn't curry my favour), I do really respect the fact that he posted a blog reply to Fire fans saying he is not a defender of the Fire but a beat reporter for the team.  He says it is not his place to defend the club - but if someone from the team wants to provide a rebuttal to Galarcep's account of things, he will gladly write an article with quotes from Fire folks should they decide to speak up.  Otherwise, it is none of his business and he is staying out of it.  Sorry folks - the rivalry won't extend to the club's best bloggers (yet).

For the record, both those bloggers - and Steve Goff - are the top guys to read if you follow MLS.  They are on top of what's happening with their teams and with the league and I make note to read them every day - a few times thanks to my Google Reader.

That's it folks!
Have a great weekend!
Here's hoping United v. Arsenal is as good as we hope!