Photo by ISIphotos.com

Good afternoon folks. We are making our way through another slow week in the soccer world and while we still have to wait two weeks for that dream United-Barcelona Champions League final, there are still plenty of other matters to discuss in both international and American soccer.

Here are some topics I wanted to touch on today:

Those wondering when and where the USA-Costa Rica World Cup qualifier would be shown, you should have your answer soon. Issues with the setting of a kickoff time for the match has kept ESPN from being able to settle on a channel to show the game on. What does seem certain is that the match will kickoff at either 8pm or 8:30pm on June 3rd.

Voting for the MLS All-Star Game starts today so we can prepare for the ballot stuffing to commence. Is there any way Seattle doesn't run away with the selections? Along with having one of the best teams early on, their home crowds dwarf almost all other MLS teams (save for Toronto). Look for a seperate post on this later this afternoon.

In news that didn't exactly surprise anybody, Freddy Adu is heading back to Benfica after this season. I know, shocking that Monaco wouldn't keep a player it never played. Will Adu actually stay at Benfica and get some playing time next season? I'm not so sure, but what I do wonder is how many U.S. national team events Benfica will let Adu take part in. He could theoretically be on the CONCACAF Gold Cup roster (assuming he doesn't make the Confederations Cup roster) AND he could still play for the U.S. Under-20 national team in the fall in the Under-20 World Cup. Here's hoping he can play in both those tournaments.

Since it wasn't mentioned earlier in the week I'll mention it today. Congratulations to U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard for notching his Everton club-record 16th shutout, breaking the mark set by the legendary Neville Southall. That record is made even more impressive by the fact that Everton had a very shaky start to the season. How shaky? Everton surrendered at least two goals in each of its first EIGHT league matches. Do the math for the rest of the season and with two matches to play, Howard has managed 16 shutouts in 28 games. Not bad at all.

More congrats are in order for the creators of The Soccer Project, the video project SBI profiled last month. The film's creators went on to win the contest they were in the running for, meaning they will be able to complete their fascinating soccer video project.

The new rumor making the rounds is that John Carver was fired by Toronto FC and didn't leave on his own. I'm not buying that one at all   Every shred of evidence points to Carver leaving on his own(one team source tells me Toronto FC has Carver's resignation letter on file). So where is Carver now? He's made his way back to England, Newcastle to be exact. No, he hasn't taken a job with Newcastle United (yet), but something tells me he won't be unemployed long.

The New York Red Bulls earned a rare mid-week off day today, probably a reward for finally putting together a strong game. The rest is also needed after the recent run of matches and travel. Will it help against a red-hot Houston team? We will see? Look for more on the Red Bulls this afternoon.

That's all for now. What do you think of these notes? What do you think really went down with John Carver's departure from Toronto FC? Who will be on your MLS All-Star ballot? What would you like to see Freddy Adu do next?

Share your thoughts below.