BY ADAM SERRANO
The Western Conference was best in 2010 with six of the eight playoff teams and four of the clubs in the Conference Finals.
In 2011, the West adds two new clubs, the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps while subtracting one, the Houston Dynamo. The Western Conference Notebook will be a weekly look at news for all nine clubs in the West.
Here is a rundown of some news and notes around the Western Conference:
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA added Argentine midfielder, Marcos Mondaini on loan from Uruguayan side C.A. Fenix. Mondaini spent last season with Colombian club Atletico Nacional and is a graduate of the Boca Juniors youth system. The Argentine played 45 minutes in Chivas USA's 2-0 loss to the Canada U-23s on Tuesday.
The Rojiblancos also announced that they had released forward Stern John from training camp. John, who was battling back from ACL surgery was ruled to be unfit for action, but head coach Robin Fraser did not close the door on John re-joining the club in the future.
COLORADO RAPIDS
The defending champion Colorado Rapids added a pair of players Mike Holody and Steven Emory. Holody, who was drafted by the Rapids in 2009 spent his rookie season with the club before being waived in 2010. Emory, a Colorado native, who spent time with in the Rapids youth system joins the team after a three day open try-out in January.
The Rapids are currently training in Oxnard, California and will be taking on the San Jose Earthquakes on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Friday.
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas dropped a friendly to the Montreal Impact 3-0 on Wednesday. FCD is currently training in Phoenix, Arizona and will play their next preseason match against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, March 7th.
Joining FCD for preseason camp in Arizona is Cristian Arrieta, formerly of the Philadelphia Union, who has joined the club on trial.
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
Club Tijuana defeated the LA Galaxy 4-3 on PKs after finishing the match 2-2 after 90 minutes. The match was the first one for David Beckham since his return from training alongside Tottenham Hotspur.
Following their match with Tijuana, the Galaxy expect to have U.S. U-17 forward and recent homegrown Jack McBean join the club for training on Thursday. It will be McBean's first training with the club after time with the U.S. U-17s at the CONCACAF Championship in Jamaica.
PORTLAND TIMBERS
Portland first round draft pick Darlington Nagbe undergoes surgery for a sports hernia on Friday that will keep Nagbe out for about two to four weeks.
The Timbers will take part in the Cascadia Cup against the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Seattle Sounders this weekend.
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake continue their preseason preperation after their triumphant 4-1 victory over the Columbus Crew in the CONCACAF Champions League. RSL continues their Champions League adventure on March 15 at home against the winner of the Olympia/Saprissa match up.
RSL has also parted aways with midfielder Pablo Campos, who was waived by the club and was not selected in the waiver draft
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The Earthquakes announced the signing of Anthony Amapipitakwong. The talented Akron alum has impressed in preseason playing in a central midfield role. Drafted in the second round, Amapipitakwong has quickly made an impression on the club and looks to be a match day staple for the Quakes in 2011.
San Jose is also looking to sign midfielder Simon Dawkins on loan from club partner Tottenham Hotspur. The English midfielder trained with the Earthquakes during the club's recent training camp and impressed enough to warrant a potential loan to San Jose.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
The Seattle Sounders announced the signings of Servando Carrasco and Lamar Neagle. Carrasco, a midfilder has impressed Seattle coaches after being drafted in the second round from the University of California, Berkeley. Neagle joins the Sounders after spending 2010 with the Charleston Battery in the U.S. Division 2.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
The Whitecaps are thin up top and Tom Sohen has headed to Europe to hunt for a forward for the Whitecaps. Sohen is currently in Switzerland, a country that is very familiar to Whitecaps fans with two recent additions, Davide Chiumiento and Alain Rochat hailing from the European nation. Vancouver has only two forwards on their signed roster, with Omar Salgado and Atiba Harris, as the only forwards on the roster.
On Wednesday, the club announced that U.S. International defender Jay DeMerit will be the Whitecaps captain for 2011.
This weekend is the Cascadia SUMMIT. The Cascadia CUP goes to the regular season series winner.
Sorry WK, that is not a tank, but a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Its kind of a cross between a tank an an armored personnel carrier (APC). Used partially as a scout vehicle.
The next round of CCL is the same night as MLS First Kick ?
Wow, did someone make a mistake there or just an unfortunately coincidence ?
Did Becks rock his beanie in the game or is that only in training sections?
You all might enjoy this–a cool photo gallery of the Quakes stadium site deconstruction party from today. Some Quakes players show up to stadium site demolition in a tank, and Wondo gets a crack at working the excavator!
http://www.sjearthquakes.com/content/demolition-day-0
The Galaxy losing to Tijuana? Embarrassing. Didn’t they get enough torture with Alan Gordon…Now they plan to start Chad Barrett?
So, maybe the ‘Caps are going to play the infamous 3-6-1? At least they aren’t mouthing cliches about playing an “attacking” football style.
New game:)
You finish the post
“It appears likely that Nagbe..”
Will return after his surgery?
will not file an amended return to his taxes??
In all seriousness, I am interested in what he will likely do 🙂
Adam, you really left us hanging 🙂
Glad to see Jay will be wearing the band
I find it weird not seeing Houston on the Western Conference list, I sarted looking for the Dynamo and then remembered they went East.
Where do you get news that he will be signed in the next few days?
Actually, the biggest news out of Seattle is trialist, Mauro Rosales, who will likely be signed in the next few days and add speed and quality in midfield.
Not sure why Soehn is just now going. It’s not like a lack of forwards crept up on them. Just two weeks before the start of the season and two forwards on the roster – Vancouver is in for a long season if they don’t find help asap.