Dynamo star Dwayne De Rosario is in Mali, Africa on behalf of the United Nations Foundation and Nothing But Nets, a charitable effort to provide netting to help stop the spread of Malaria.

Houston Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden is in China for friendly matches and training with the United States Under-23 national team. He is sending his thoughts and experiences back to you via houstondynamo.com.

The New York Red Bulls proudly announce that Yorktown Youth Soccer Club has become the third "Student of the Game" partner for the 2008 season.

The behavior of Premiership stars is set to come under further scrutiny after Manchester United youngster Jonny Evans was arrested on suspicion of rape.

 

The Sun reported that a 26-year-old woman had claimed she was attacked at the club's Christmas party.

 

Although the claims made against Evans have not been proven, the allegations provide more bad publicity for the game.

 

In England, many fans feel the gulf between them and the players on the field has never been greater due to spiralling salaries and controversial antics off the field.

 

The United party, arranged by Rio Ferdinand, featured a trip to a casino and a visit to a strip club before the players partied the night away with around 100 girls at an upmarket Manchester hotel.

 

Back in 2004, a group of Premiership players were accused of raping a teenage girl at a London hotel, but all charges were subsequently dropped.

 

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

 

"Juan will not be fired if we don't win the championship. As long as we can look our fans in the eyes and tell them our team left everything on the field, that is what we are looking for" – Marc De Grandpre, managing director, New York Red Bulls.

In two seasons in Major League Soccer, FC Dallas striker Dominic Oduro has come a long way. He went from scoring one goal in his rookie season to three goals and two assists in 2007, production that saw him gain promotion midseason from the club's developmental roster to the senior roster.

Former Chicago Fire chief Juan Carlos Osorio was officially introduced as the 11th head coach in the 13-year history of New York's Major League Soccer club on Tuesday afternoon at the Hotel Gansevoort in lower Manhattan.

Eleven is a funny number. Some weeks, I struggle to come up with a list that can go one past 10, other weeks, I have to cut three or four down to get there. And then, some weeks the number falls from the sky into my lap. This is one of those weeks.

A decade after he coached the MetroStars, South Africa national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira can't believe the MLS team he once directed still goes through coaches at a pace of nearly one per season.

Juan Carlos Osorio will be introduced as the New York Red Bulls' head coach on Tuesday.

 

Osorio, who walked out on the Chicago Fire a week ago, is already in New York and has met with the Red Bulls staff. He will take over immediately and begin his bid to turn the team into an MLS contender.

 

Osorio's appointment will excite NYRB fans, who can expect a more attractive brand of soccer than they saw under Bruce Arena.

 

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

 

"I said to Eboue that he should have got a red card because he did it on purpose" – Chelsea's Salomon Kalou after Emmanuel Eboue of Arsenal was involved in a clash that left John Terry with three broken bones in his foot.

The Los Angeles Galaxy's plans to increase their international exposure received a boost with the announcement that a new team called the Gold Coast Galaxy will join Australia's A-League.

 

The Major League Soccer team made a big impression when it travelled Down Under for a friendly against Sydney FC last month, with around 90,000 turning out to see David Beckham and his teammates. Gold Coast chiefs are determined to finalize a deal with their Los Angeles counterparts – the partnership ranging from something as simple as Galaxy shirts being sold in the Aussie team's shop to a more in-depth program that involves training visits and loaning players.

 

Soccer in Australia is starting to mount a real challenge in terms of popularity to the traditional sports like Australian Rules football and rugby. Brazilian legend Romario played for Adelaide last season and former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke spent a year at Sydney FC in 2005-06.

 

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

 

"I want to be called up but if not then I will cheer Italy on while I am on holiday" – Fiorentina's Christian Vieri on his chances of a return to the Italian national team.