The Daily Links- November 13, 2011 Edition

Besler's performance this season has been exceptional. He solidified the back line with Aurelien Collin and Julio Cesar. His ability on the back line wasn't the only contribution though. Besler added the long throw to his repertoire this year and it's been a huge advantage to the team. The long throw led to 5 goals this season for KC, a big weapon for KC.

Down the Byline: End of Season Awards

"He wants to win, and I understand that he wants to be on the field and play," Vermes said. "But at the time, that was the choice we made." Vermes said he spoke to Bravo — who is under contract for next season — briefly on Wednesday, and they plan to speak again next week. "It was a friendly conversation for about 5-to-10 minutes, we didn't talk about his playing time."

Sporting KC coach says no rift with Omar Bravo - KansasCity.com

For the supporters of DC United and the New England Revolution, they should be in an uproar right now because it looks like Garber has lost the plot. While it would be a major notch on the belt to actually build a soccer stadium from within the five boroughs of New York City, the fight to fix this issue for the game in the USA is not finished.

MLS’s Focus is Distracted

This year's wild-card games were a bust. I'm not necessarily talking about the games, which weren't great, because that isn't the fault of the league or its format but mere happenstance. I'm talking about attendance. Near-empty stands in Colorado and Dallas -- in spite of the postponement of a World Series game involving the latter's hometown Texas Rangers -- made for sad atmospheres and lame television viewing. This stood in sharp contrast to the conference semifinals and finals, which generated buzz, were played in front of packed stadiums, made front-page news and trended on Twitter, that great measure of modern relevance.

Major League Soccer -- How to fix the MLS playoffs -- soccer - ESPN

The problems for the US started with a midfield that was largely invisible in the first half and not much better in the second. Despite Jozy Altidore looking sharp and dangerous on the few occasions he could get the ball in useful spots, and even with Dempsey playing as a playmaker/second forward, the American attack just simply couldn’t threaten France because the midfield couldn’t do its job.

Galarcep: Attack still AWOL for Klinsmann's United States - News | FOX Sports on MSN

Then, yet another loss, this one to France, wouldn’t seem like such a damn downer. Then, the ongoing reliance of a central midfield with zero offensive punch (Kyle Beckerman and Maurice Edu) might be easier to stomach. The lack of anyone who can link in more efficient ways with Clint Dempsey would be easier to digest. It might be easier to see the long term benefit of playing Danny Williams out of position on the midfield flank. It would be easier to watch Michael Bradley languish, somewhat inexplicably, on the bench. (Where are all the ninnies now who always cried "nepotism" when it came to Bradley’s starting assignments handed out by his father, former coach Bob Bradley?)

Growing concern in Camp Klinsmann; why some results matter - Daily Soccer Fix

All that said, if Gonzalez is overlooked in January, then fans have reason to riot. There will be no excuses then. Until that time, we should enjoy watching Omar develop and appreciate his future for the potential it has. When a young defender stands out on a squad that boasts David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane you know you've got something special.

The MLS Reserves: Friday Free Kicks: Making the Case for Omar Gonzalez