Pleasing on the eye though it may be, one could argue that Brazilian football wouldn't have quite the same mythic status if the players had names like Joe Dokes or Harvey Schmedlapp or even Nicky Butt.

The one name thing definitely adds to the mystique, no? That '80s-era marauding left back Junior. Zico, the white Pele. Rivelino and Romario and Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Jairzinho. All too cool.

Ever wonder if you'd be any better if you only had a cool Brazilian name? Go here and get your own.

But don't come crying to us if you still can't hit it sweet on the half-volley.

Major League Soccer announced the addition of a Philadelphia franchise today. Here's the story from The Associated Press:

Philadelphia-area gets 16th MLS team

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) -- The Philadelphia suburb of Chester was awarded a Major League Soccer team on Thursday that will start play in 2010.

The unnamed team will play in an 18,500-seat stadium planned for the Delaware River waterfront. The stadium is part of a $414 million redevelopment plan for the city, which is southwest of Philadelphia.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Philadelphia provides a natural rivalry with several other East Coast teams.

Except for a brief interlude thanks to a women's pro team, outdoor pro soccer hasn't been played in the Philadelphia area since the Fury folded in 1980.

The Seattle Sounders announced today the re-signing of goalkeeper Chris Eylander.

The release from the team:

SOUNDERS MAKE IT OFFICIAL, RE-SIGN GOALKEEPER CHRIS EYLANDER

(Seattle, WA) - The Seattle Sounders have re-signed Chris Eylander, the starting goalkeeper from the 2007 USL First Division championship team. Eylander will be in his third year with the club.

“Chris had a phenomenal 2007 season which culminated with his dominance in the post-season,” said Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer. “We are thrilled to have him back this year and will look for him to continue to grow as a goalkeeper.”

Eylander, 23, a local product from Auburn Riverside High School and the University of Washington, may have had his best year as a professional last year. He led the USL-1 with 109 saves and 14 wins. Eylander's 13 shutouts was one away from the league lead; his 0.823 goals against average ranked third.

Standing 6-foot-1, Eylander was drafted by the Sounders in 2006 after a decorated career with the Huskies. Eylander's 18 shutouts rank third in school history; he is also fourth in saves (187) and fifth in goals against average (1.11).

In high school, Eylander won the Gatorade State Player of the Year award in 2002 as a senior with the Ravens.

For more about Eylander or ticket information, visit www.seattlesounders.com or call (206) 622-3415.

The Sounders begin preseason against the Vancouver Whitecaps at 7 p.m., March 22, at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. The regular season opener in April 19 in Charleston.

Philadelphia will apparently be in that boat too when MLS announces next week that it will put a franchise there, to start play the season after the Seattle team in 2010.

The team already has a supporters club, the Sons of Ben – SoBs, get it? – who have the coolest logo ever. They're already riling up the neighbors in D.C. and New York and merited a look from the Guardian in London (HT: Center Holds It)

On-the-money passage:

MLS fans already occupy a weird niche in the overwhelmingly docile and disconnected world of consumerist US sports fandom. Vibrant singing and chanting subcultures exist at many MLS clubs. And even - as in the case of the Portland Timbers - teams not even in the MLS. But even for these fans, the concept of a visiting crew who come to both abuse the locals and sing the merits of a team that doesn't yet exist has been something of a headfu(expletive deleted).

But anyway, what to call the side? Evidently the SOBs want the Liberty or the Independence.

What are the odds that MLS will want something (stupid) like "Hotspur" or "Juniors" or some other classic footy name that, in our context, would be a faux authentic ripoff?

Nah!

Meantime, if you care to burrow down into what the local fans want to call the Sounders, er, whatevers, there's the BigSoccer name board.

Congrats to the Blue Starz from the University Place Soccer Club and Sparta 94 from North Tacoma Soccer Club, winners of the Washington State Youth Soccer Association Commissioner's Cup.

The Blue Starz beat Crossfire, 2-1, to win the girls under 15 trophy, while Sparta beat Avalance FC by the same score for the girls under 13 title.

The state's youth championships continue this coming weekend with semifinals in the Challenge and Championship cups. All games are held Saturday and Sunday at the Starfire Soccer Complex in Tukwila.

There's lots of speculation among the beat writers that cover the LA Galaxy that defender Ty Harden intends to play with the Seattle franchise.

How else to explain, they figure, the UW Husky's decision this week to leave the Galaxy after a successful rookie season that saw him get as many minutes as any other player on the Galaxy roster save Landon Donovan?

Theory is that he doesn't have much leverage with the club, so the only way the Junction City, Ore., native could get back up here was to walk away from the Galaxy (and a chance to play a full season with Becks – WTF?) and leave the game entirely.

Don't know the player at all, so who knows? But would hate to completely ignore the possibility that he's sincere and really wants to go to work in charitable endeavors with his parents. Also stands to reason that the Seattle Whateverthey'recalleds will need some studs at the back.

I guess we'll see.

Good to see a decent crowd down at Doyle's Saturday morning to watch Manchester United demolish – and really, that's putting it mildly – Arsenal in the 5th Round of the FA Cup.

By halftime we reckon there were 40-50 footy fans in the house, many of whom didn't seem to let the 9 a.m. kickoff dissuade them from a pint or two. (The United supporters at the next table were on a pint-per-goal pace, which we're sure made for an interesting rest of the day.)

We've been in there to watch a Sunday morning match and had the place practically to ourselves. It will be cool if it can become a center of gravity for local footy fans.