Former University of Denver and Colorado Rapids defender and Colorado Soccer Now favorite Nat Borchers will be playing in MLS Cup 2009 today in Seattle as his Real Salt Lake squad takes on the Los Angeles Galaxy. Borchers was the only member of Real Salt Lake to start all 30 games this season, playing 2,679 of the team’s 2,700 minutes. He scored one goal and was named the team’s MVP. (photo courtesy of Major League Soccer)

Major League Soccer released the finalists for the league’s 2009 awards today, and Galaxy striker Landon Donovan certainly was among them. Inside, I list all the finalists and whom I voted for in the process. Donovan, left, was among the finalists for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, and I think he’s the likely winner. All of the award finalists earned the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media, including yours truly. Check out all of the finalists inside.
(photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Since the Confederations Cup, every time Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey has been in the U.S. men’s national team squad, his critics have been loud and harsh on the Internet. After Casey scored two goals against Honduras in the match that clinched the Americans’ berth in the 2010 World Cup, what are they saying now?

Conor Casey has been named part of the U.S. men’s national team roster of 22 players that will train in advance of World Cup qualifiers against Honduras on Oct. 10 and Costa Rica on Oct. 14.

We discuss Colorado College’s four-team tournament, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men’s and women’s honors, the possibilities for MVP of Major League Soccer, and the MLS playoff race. Read on, McDuff. …

CU’s Kara Linder and Nikki Marshall add to their growing list of accolades, the Nats call up Conor Casey for two qualifiers, the Rapids have a few new teams to worry about, the Buffs and Pioneers have busy weekends ahead of them, the Metro State women are aiming high, and more!

The Chivas USA coach gets fined; McManus scores (what else?); Hunter Freeman and Thiago Martins in Norway; the Bailiwick of Guernsey is reading ColoradoSoccerNow.com; and much more …

Random thoughts and ideas from the 2009 MLS All-Star Game, which finished tied 1-1 and saw Everton win on penalty kicks, thanks to Tim Howard. Read all about Conor Casey, John Spencer, the best hairdo since El Pibe, and more. …

I was going to pick out some interesting facts about the All-Star Game and make some lists (for example, the three Colombians on the MLS squad). But I thought it might be more valuable to readers just to have the rosters, especially Everton’s. So here they are. …

Salt Lake midfielder Will Johnson and Chicago defender Bakary Soumare have been added to the MLS All-Star roster as replacements for Houston forward Brian Ching and New England midfielder Shalrie Joseph.