There were flashbulbs and shiny white corporate grins and glistening company logos. The head of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment spoke confidently about dreams coming true, shaking the epicentre of North American soccer and sold-out stadiums. Famous US showbiz blogs began frantically digging around for semi-nude pictures of the MLS' newest star player modelling Calvin Klein boxer shorts. Click to continue reading...

This is live video brought to you courtesy of one of our MLSR correspondents and powered by Qik.com. You may leave comments or questions in the Chat on Qik.com. Click to continue reading...

Image courtesy of Daylife

It was all made official today. Seattle Sounders FC unveiled Swedish winger Freddie Ljungberg as their designated player for 2009.

With 18,000 season tickets sold and veteran American keeper Kasey Keller, Sounders FC is, on paper, having the best start than any expansion club to date. Click to continue reading...

So in my email today, I got an invite to the fan meet-up with Seattle Sounders FC's new Designated Player. And who is that new Designated Player? None other than Swedish international Freddie Ljungberg. Because Seattle truly needs more underwear models. "We looked far and wide for a designated player who would [. Click to continue reading...

Seattle Sounders FC has signed midfielder Freddie Ljungberg to a multi-year contract. Ljungberg played for Arsenal and West Ham during the last 10 seasons of the English Premier League. During his stint with Arsenal, Ljungberg was an integral part of the team that went unbeaten for a record 49 games. Click to continue reading...

(Summary is not available.) Click to continue reading...

Former Arsenal and Sweden midfielder Freddie Ljungberg has confirmed he is signing for new MLS club Seattle Sounders and will be unveiled to the public at Quest Field in Seattle today. Ljungberg is available as a free agent after his contract was cancelled by West Ham United in August after an injury-hit 12 months at Upton [. Click to continue reading...

It's official. We were just sent this by a Sounders season ticket holder who received it by email. As mentioned before we will have live video coverage of all the days events.

You are invited to meet the Sounders FC's Designated Player at the Wells Fargo Club Level at Qwest Field. Tuesday, October 28th at 5:00pm. Click to continue reading...

More on this story courtesy of GOALSeattle.com.


Join us here at MLSR where we will be providing live coverage of the league's newest Designated Player's official unveiling. Click to continue reading...

See here's the thing with signing Freddie Ljungberg. In addition to what he brings on the field, he brings a name and looks off the field. You can call me superficial if you like but I have to say that when Hollywood gossip sites as popular as Perez Hilton are reporting on still unconfirmed MLS transfer talk because you look better than me in a pair of underwear I ain't mad at you. Click to continue reading...

Reports out of Sweden have Seattle Sounders FC's Freddie Ljungberg making $2.5 million dollars per year.

Not a bad pile of coin.

This will move him into the position of the third best paid player in MLS. Coming in just below Cuauhtemoc Blanco's $2.7 million and just above Marcelo Gallardo's $1. Click to continue reading...

We received the following earlier today by email:

Hallo, I can tell you that Freddy Ljungberg is on his way to Seattle on KLM airways flight 6105, it is an Airbus A330 Seres 200. You may want to have someone there to take pictures of him when he arrives in the international terminal.

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The Seattle Times is reporting that Freddie Ljungberg will sign with new MLS franchise, Seattle Sounders FC.

Readers of this blog will know that we don't value Ljungberg highly. He fell apart after joining West Ham and last season earned a starting spot on our EPL Worst XI. He played rarely, didn't get on the ball when he did play and added neither goals nor assists for his team. Click to continue reading...

Earlier I covered the concern over Ljungberg's good lucks, and the legitimate concern over his health. As the rumors seem more and more likely to be true, it also seems equally likely that Freddie will be one of the team's Designated Players - yes I'm still hoping for another. The latest batch in the criticism [. Click to continue reading...

Reports out of Sweden have now picked up the story and are confirming the rumor that the Swede will be a Sounder and will be announced next week:

"Ljungberg would be a real superstar here"
Seattle Sounders screaming for a big star.
He may soon be called Fredrik Ljungberg.

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We have it on good authority that this deal will be announced next week and that Freddie Ljungberg will be Seattle's first Designated Player. There will be a special announcement made at 5pm, Tuesday October 28, at Qwest Field West Club Lounge as posted on a local soccer pub's events calendar. Click to continue reading...

Ljungberg, obviously is the heavy. With two separate sites and two separate sources. I've written much lately. Freddy Montero is another quality player rumored to be coming to the Rave Green kits next year. GoalSeattle had it on October 12th. Today we find out that via another Spanish language site that this [. Click to continue reading...

There is bound to be backlash at literally ANY Designated Players signing, but I'm a bit surprised at the amount that the possibilities of Freddie Ljungberg and the response around the net. This concern is both genuine and concerning. The genuine concern is over his health, because there are serious questions about it, questions that [. Click to continue reading...

Well, GoalSeattle's teaser about Freddie Ljungberg of Swedish National Team and Arsenal fame just blew up onto the net big time. Ives has a second source. So the talks are likely. Maybe the ability to transfer on a "free" is part of way Freddie hasn't played so far this year? Is it possible [...] Click to continue reading...

We can hardly keep up with all the news breaking today but we have hit the energy drinks (Not Red Bull) and will try. According to reports Seattle is looking for their own David Beckham in the form of the Swedish winger.

Thanks again to our friends at DynamoPlanet.com for providing us with this story which they received via the wire:

We were passed along a rumor recently that Sounders FC are looking into bringing Swedish National Team Player, former Arsenal great and male model Freddie Ljungberg to Seattle as a possible designated player.

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Have you ever known that the percentage of outlandish news and rumors seems to spike during international breaks? You know, stuff like finding Cesc & Sergio Ramos dotting Milan's lineup next year. Or seeing Juventus switch their interest from one Merseyside-based Spaniard (Xaba) to another (Rafa). Click to continue reading...

Following Alan Curbishley's departure from West Ham yesterday, his transfer policy at the club has come under increased scrutiny. Soccerlens has rounded up Curbishley's worst forays into the transfer market. 1. Freddie Ljungberg from Arsenal Curbishley should have known that sneaky Arsene Wenger only sells his stars when they are past it. Click to continue reading...

This blog has in the past been critical of Curbishley's reign at Upton Park and it would be fair for me to comment on the latest event in East London.

The reason for the firing appears to me to relate solely to the West Ham United transfer policy. This summer, the club cut Freddie Ljubgberg and sold Anton Ferdinand, while nobody of significance was brought into the club from outside. Click to continue reading...

So our thin squad got even thinner yesterday with the news that Philippe Senderos has joined AC Milan on loan for the season with an option for a permanent move.

While some people thought the signing of Silvestre (out injured until mid-September, you know! Hurrah!) added some depth and experience to the squad it turns out he was brought in to replace the big Swiss.

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He may have a head like something off Easter Island and he may have used that head as a battering ram on Freddie Ljungberg, but Mikael Silvestre is capable of providing the experience that Arsene Wenger has been alluding to all summer. The 31-year-old, capable of playing at left back or in central defence, was [. Click to continue reading...

I've been having some trouble sleeping the last few nights. I lie there almost wide awake then drift off into that sleep that doesn't seem like sleep at all.

I have these strange and weird dreams that make no kind of sense to me at all. Vivid motion picture dreams but at the same time I'm convinced that I'm not asleep.

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Freddie Ljungberg has been bought out of his contract at West Ham and released. The 31 year old was entering the second year of a four year contract paying him £4,100,000 per year.

In his first season, the aging and now crap Ljungberg put up numbers that earned him a place in the Soccer Statistics EPL Worst XI. Click to continue reading...

After being dumped by West Ham United, Freddie Ljungberg is testing the waters to see where he might end up. One place being rumored is a move to the Los Angeles Galaxy to play with David Beckham. I don't know... Click to continue reading...

Freddie Ljungberg is considering an offer to join David Beckham at LA Galaxy.
Ljungberg, 31, was released with a £4million pay-off as West Ham United cut their wage bill.
After talks with Galaxy bosses Freddie is considering his options, but he wants to listen to Premier League club offers too. Click to continue reading...

Something to read while you get a little too friendly with a park bench... End of the Mad Jens Mannschaft era (Germany WCB) Anthony Annan - Blackburn's Makelele? (101 Great Goals) Arsenal and Ajax serve up a five goal thriller (Calcio Plus) Petition to name a stand after Sir Bobby Robson (Newcastle United FC Blog) Wanted: Premiership Striker (Hull Offside) Brett [. Click to continue reading...

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has been blasted by the clubs owners for wasting millions on Freddie Ljungberg. The injury-hit 31-year-old parted company with the Hammers this week after agreeing to a huge pay-off deal which is reported to have cost the club an astonishing £6million. That would appear to cover the remaining two years of [. Click to continue reading...

West Ham have sacked dumped Freddie "The Pants" Ljungberg. Or to put it nicely, West Ham announced on Wednesday that they have released midfielder Freddie Ljungberg after an agreement was reached to terminate his contract. Who is the country's best player? Ljungberg, who captained Sweden at Euro 2008, moved to West Ham last July 2007 for approx £3m. Click to continue reading...

Mornin all. It's been very very quiet on the Arsenal front lately. Tomorrow we start the Amsterdam Tournament, which matches us up against Ajax and Sevilla. It should be the final preparation for our Champions League match next Wednesday against FC Twente. We'll be seeing what will most likely be our starting eleven out there Saturday or Sunday. Click to continue reading...

One of the most amusing things to take place over the past few days was the dismissal of former Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg by West Ham. Not amusing in any way toward the Swede, Hammers or Arsenal - but amusing... Click to continue reading...

Something to read while you wait for your church to inflate... Nice collection of off the line clearances (Soccer Training Info) Women's Olympic Soccer 2008: day one (From a Left Wing) Financial trouble at Man City? (Man City Offside) Another piece of the Comcast Olympic soccer puzzle (Sports NW) David Beckham's got the horn* (The Offside Rules) Amr Zaki profile (Egypt [. Click to continue reading...