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MLS Notes: Nguyen draws ire for tweet, Rapids eye playmaker and more

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Social media has been a revelation for players and fans to engage in talks, express themselves to each other and establish a stronger relationship. There's a downside to tweeting before thinking things through, however.

Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Lee Nguyen used a homophobic slur in a joke-toned tweet at teammate Brad Knighton Monday night, drawing immediate backlash. He promptly deleted the tweet, issued an apology and corresponded with the advocacy website Gay4Soccer, but the damage had been done. The Whitecaps issued a warning to both players but is not taking any further disciplinary action.

In a club statement, team president Bob Lenarduzzi wrote: "Earlier (Monday), two Whitecaps players engaged in an exchange on Twitter that the club considered unacceptable. The players involved acted swiftly to remove the tweets on their own accord. We believe that the involved players are both sincere in their regret, and in their apologies. The club has issued the players a formal warning."

Here are a few more items from around MLS:

RAPIDS EYE PLAYMAKER

The Colorado Rapids' makeover continues to take shape.

According to the Denver Post, the club is set to announce the acquisition of 22-year-old Argentine playmaker Martin Rivero, who is currently with Argentine club Rosario Central but is reportedly on the outs with the club after a winter dispute.

Rivero would be the second South American attacking midfielder brought into the club after the addition of Colombian Jaime Castrillon a few weeks ago. The duo would bring a sense of attacking flair to the Rapids midfield that has long been lacking as the club shifts its philosophy under new coach Oscar Pareja.

BROWN TO BE HONORED BY FIRE

Former Chicago Fire defender and captain C.J. Brown will be inducted into the club's Ring of Fire when Chicago hosts Real Salt Lake on May 9.

Brown, now an assistant coach for RSL, was a Fire original and spent his entire MLS playing career with the club. He is the Fire's all-time leader in appearances (372) and will join Peter Nowak, Lubos Kubik, Frank Klopas, Peter Wilt, Chris Armas and Bob Bradley among those enshrined in the Ring of Fire.

SOUNDERS DRAW ORLANDO CITY

Sammy Ochoa scored an equalizer to help the Seattle Sounders to a 1-1 draw with Orlando City SC in an exhibition in Bradenton, Fla., on Monday.

Orlando took the lead in the first period (the game was split into three 30-minute periods) through Dennis Chin before Ochoa tied the score in the 53rd minute, as he took a feed from Mike Seamon on the left side of the box and finished to the far post.

Seattle had a chance to win the game, but Servando Carrasco had his late penalty kick hit the crossbar after he had been taken down in the area.

GALAXY CUT THREE

The Los Angeles Galaxy cut three players on Monday, parting ways with Ryan Thomas, Dustin McCarty and Stephen Posa.

Posa is the most notable of the bunch if only because he was taken with the draft pick acquired by the Galaxy from Chivas USA in exchange for Juan Pablo Angel. Thomas appeared in just the regular season finale last season in his rookie campaign out of Stanford, while McCarty, the younger brother of New York Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty, did not make an appearance in 2011, his rookie season.

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What do you make of the Nguyen situation? Do you like the Rapids' new approach? Think Brown is a deserving inductee? Reading anything into the Sounders' preseason results so far?

Share your thoughts below.

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