Three major international soccer competitions are scheduled for next year, yet there won't be a shortage of foreign opposition for MLS teams.

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There will be more foreign players in MLS next season, as the league has increased the limit per team from seven to eight, and removed the limitations teams can field no more than four senior (25 and older) and three youth internationals. Age designations have been eliminated. With many good American players heading overseas each year instead of signing with MLS, league officials and many coaches fear a fairly rapid rate of expansion - 13 teams in 2007, 14 teams next season, perhaps 16 teams as soon as 2009 - could markedly deplete the talent pool, and degrade the quality …

Remember the item of a few months back referring to a "disgruntled Eastern Conference assistant coach?" He wasn't, as some suspected, working for Red Bull New York, at which confusion or miscommunication between former head coach Bruce Arena and his assistants filtered down to the players and helped trigger Arena's departure shortly after RBNY was eliminated in the playoffs.