Soccer Notes

Former U.S. MNT defender Greg Berhalter has been named the seventh head coach of the MLS Columbus Crew. Berhalter, 40, who played collegiate soccer at UNC Chapel Hill, had an 18-year career as a professional player in Holland, England and Germany, and played his final two seasons in MLS with the Los Angeles Galaxy where he was the vice-captain. He had 44 appearances with the U.S. Men’s National Team. In 2011 he became the first American to be named the first American club manager within a top-ranked European federation when he was hired Head Coach of Swedish side Hammarby IF…..Josh Wolff, who has been an assistant with D.C. United, will join Berhalter’s Columbus Crew staff as an assistant coach. Wolff, a Georgia native, is a 14-year MLS veteran. He is also a U.S. MNT veteran with 52 international caps….Former San Jose Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop, 49, has been hired as the new head coach and director of soccer for the Chicago Fire. He [show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’]replaces Frank Klopas who was fired after the Fire was eliminated from the MLS playoffs….U.S. forward Abby Wambach has been named one of three finalists for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award, joining goalkeeper Nadine Angerer of Germany and forward Marta of Brazil. Wambach, who was the 2012 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, led the USA in scoring in 2013 with 11 goals and broke Mia Hamm’s all-time international scoring record with a four-goal performance last June against the Korea Republic…..D.C. United’s Michael Seaton was rostered for Jamaica’s MNT for a pair of international friendlies against Trinidad & Tobago in November. Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, Seaton was the fifth Homegrown player to sign with DC United last January and played 15 games this past season on loan with the USL PRO Richmond Kickers where he scored five goals….Cindy Parlow-Cone (UNC/US WNT), who led the Portland Thorns to the championship in the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League season, has resigned, citing a desire to spend more time with her family…..The Seattle Sounders acquired rights to Kenny Cooper in a trade with FC Dallas. If he signs it will be his fourth new team in four years since returning to MLS in 2011 with the Sounders arch-rivals, the Portland Timbers…..Bobby Convey is headed to the New York Red Bulls after being traded from Toronto FC in exchange for the Red Bulls’ first round selection (#15) in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft…..It has been reported that former U.S. MNT coach Bob Bradley turned down the vacant head coaching position with the MLS Vancouver Whitecaps and is in discussion with Norwegian club Stabaek. Bradley recently completed a two-year contract as head coach of Egypt’s MNT. Plan B to replace Martin Rennie as the Whitecaps coach may now be to give the position to current assistant Carl Robinson….Alex Morgan, Tim Howard and Jurgen Klinsmann were named Female Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively, in the first-ever CONCACAF awards. Abby Wambach finished second for the FPOY. Mexico’s Oribe Peralta was the Male Player of the Year, followed by Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey…..Herta Berlin and U.S. National Team central defender John Anthony Brooks, 20, has suffered a knee injury, which has been described as “not serious”……Fabian Johnson, the German-American who is thought to be a prime candidate to make the U.S. World Cup roster, has been sidelined with lingering ankle injury in October and has struggled to regain form. He was called in for the U.S. National Team training in November, but withdrew citing continued problems with his ankle…..One more time! Houston Dynamo veteran Brian Ching ended his professional career as it began, with a multi-goal performance in front of home fans. Ching’s Orange Team defeated the White Team 6-4 in Major League Soccer’s first-ever testimonial match. Ching finished with four goals in the game that honored his retirement as a professional player. Former NC State midfielder Pablo Mastroeni has also retired from Major League Soccer.