It is the first MVP award for the 27-year-old U.S. International, who scored 12 goals and six assists in 25 games this season.

"He's grown on the field as a player. He's a more mature consistent player, but his role off the field with this team has been perhaps even better, remarkable," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said recently.

"We are very excited to make this announcement today," TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston said.

"Preki has everything we were looking for, and we feel he will be a perfect fit with our club. His resume with Chivas is impressive - having made it to the playoffs in every season he was there. His experience is what we need to take this club to the next level, and we can't wait to get started." The 46-year-old Yugoslavian-born American's contract with Chivas USA expired at the end of the season, and he and the Los Angeles-based club decided to part ways, ending his three-year tenure there. Preki posted a record of 40-29-21 with Chivas, guiding it to top spot in the Western Conference while winning Major League Soccer's Coach of the Year that season.

RSL was winless in its first 11 matches that season, leading to the switch to Kreis four matches into the streak. He immediately he waved the white flag, trading 2006 goal-scoring leader Jeff Cunningham - who led MLS in goals this year with FC Dallas - and four-time All-Star Chris Klein.

Obviously, Real wasn't winning with that veteran duo, so it couldn't get much worse without them. Kreis was focused on the bigger picture, and the dream of winning the MLS Cup final.

The Best XI recognizes the league's top 11 players at each position on the field - one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards.

Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton earned his third major award of this year and his second career Best XI nod.

So with his team's offense nonexistent throughout the game, RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando came up with three huge saves in the penalty kick shootout to help the Salt Lake City club advance to the MLS Cup Championship, 5-4 on PKs.

As a result, for the second straight year the last seed in the playoffs advances to the MLS Cup. New York, which was switched over to the Western bracket, topped RSL at Rio Tinto last season. This time RSL was switched to the Eastern bracket and will represent the East in the championship match.

The game, which had two separate 15-20 minute stoppages because of power outages on each side of the half, went to extra time after the two clubs battled to a scoreless draw through 90 minutes of regulation.

The Galaxy finally got on the board in the 103 minute when Gregg Berhalter pounced on a David Beckham free kick in the Houston penalty area after it deflected off defender Ricardo Clark.

The Fire are coming off a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the New England Revolution in the home-and-home, total goals semifinal.

The Fire are in their second-straight Eastern final after losing at Columbus last year and are looking forward to hosting the game this time around.

The game figures to come down offense, or lack thereof, as the two teams combined for just one goal in their two meetings this regular season.

"Their physicality is their number one thing," L.A. defender Todd Dunivant said.

Preki, whose contract with Chivas USA expires at the end of this year, will pursue other coaching opportunities, and Chivas USA will immediately begin its search for the club's next head coach.

"Preki has brought a great deal of success to this team, and is an important part of our history," Chivas USA Vice President of Soccer Operations Stephen Hamilton said.

The 21-year-old out of Maryland started and played all 30 of the Galaxy's regular season games, helping the club's defense improve drastically from 2008 to 2009.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound former NCAA All-American was one of only 14 players in the League to play in all 30 regular season games and ranked second among rookies with 2,672 minutes played, behind only Darrius Barnes of the New England Revolution.

Arena, now in his second season as Galaxy head coach, led Los Angeles to one of the most dramatic single season turnarounds in MLS history.

In 2008, the Galaxy finished at the bottom of the Western Conference with an 8-13-9 record while also giving up a league-high 62 goals.

Vermes assumed the role of interim head coach Aug. 4 and guided K.C. over the second half of the year. Vermes became the Wizards Technical Director in 2006, and will maintain that role while assuming head coaching duties.

"Over the past three years as the Wizards Technical Director, Peter has demonstrated strong work ethic, leadership and creative management of our team roster," Wizards President Robb Heineman said. "As the club's new manager, we believe Peter has the technical and tactical qualities, attention to detail, and determination necessary to bring championship soccer back to Kansas City." Vermes was a founding member of MLS and a standout for the U.S. After retiring in 2002, Vermes became the Technical Director of Blue Valley Soccer Club, and later served a

He led Chivas USA to a 13-11-6 record and posted a career best 12 shutouts and 0.87 goals against average. His 12 shutouts were one shy of the club record and his goals against average ranks second all-time.

Thornton led MLS in goals against average and shutouts, and ranked second in wins with 12. He led Chivas to its fourth consecutive postseason berth in his first full season as a starter since 2006.

Montero finished tied for third in goals (12) and match-winning goals (4) in MLS this season. He also scored the first goal in Seattle's 2-1 victory over D.C. United for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He also finished tied for second on the team and ninth in the league with seven assists.

"This is a great honor for Fredy because he faced some formidable competition for the award within our own team," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said. "He had a great first season in MLS, and we're very proud of his accomplishment." Montero came to Sounders FC from Deportivo Cali, where he led the Colombian First Division in scoring twice, including 2006-07 while on loan to Atletico Huila.

United defender Julius James had shoulder surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder and will be out three to four months.

The defender came to D.C. United on Aug. 14 via trade with the Houston Dynamo. During his first season in D.C., James played in nine MLS matches, including eight starts.

A Landon Donovan penalty kick in the 73rd minute proved to be the difference in the game.

The play was made possible by a great combination between Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, Donovan, and attacker Mike Magee. Beckham started the play by finding Donovan on the left side of the Chivas USA penalty area with a looping switch from the right side. Donovan then played a cross through the six-yard box to Magee, who deked around a defender before being taken down, earning the penalty kick call from referee Ricardo Salazar.

Brian Ching scored the home-and-home, total goals series' only goal in the first of two 15 minute extra-time periods after the team's battled to a scoreless draw after two games.

Ching's winner came after a Brian Mullen cross from the right side went over the head of Luis Angel Landin in the penalty area. Ching then ran onto the ball and overpowered a defender for possession before slotting it past Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

The game, which was played in front of a sellout crowd of 22,528 at Toyota Park, followed a first-leg match at New England this past weekend that was won by the Revs, 2-1.

The Fire got a first-half goal from John Thorrington and a second-half goal from Cuauhtemoc Blanco to advance to the Eastern Conference final, which they will host vs. Real Salt Lake next week.

The two L.A.-based teams are tied at two after battling to that score in the first leg of the home-and-home, total goals series last weekend. This marks the first time the Major League Soccer rivals they have met in the playoffs.

The first leg features defensive lapses by both side's, hence the 2-2 score line between the usually defensive clubs.

The two Major League Soccer clubs battled to a scoreless draw in the first leg last week, and will be aiming to get on the board on Sunday.

The Dynamo were in a similar position last year and ended up losing to the New York Red Bulls, 3-0, in the second leg to break their two-year reign as MLS Cup champions.

The Revs own a 2-1 advantage in the total goals, home-and-home series are will be aiming to knock off their Eastern rivals.

"The object was to win the game," New England coach Steve Nicol said after the first leg win. "We would have preferred it went 10-nil, but we know that's not happening. But we're ahead, which means they have to come out and come at us." "We went out with the mind set that we wanted to get a win, and obviously they're at home and they obviously wanted to get the win," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said.

RSL (2-0-0) headed into the match up one in the total goals, home-and-home series thanks to a late Robbie Findley tally in the first leg this past weekend, and closed it out on the road on Thursday night.

The Crew's Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored the game's first two goals inside 35 minutes to give the Supporters' Shield winners the advantage, but three unanswered goals by RSL ensured there would be a new MLS Cup champion in 2009.

Marshall started all 18 matches in which he played during the regular season, and is the second player in league history to win consecutive awards, joining U.S. national team captain Carlos Bocanegra, who won in 2002 and 2003 with the Chicago Fire.

Marshall anchored a Columbus defense that allowed only 31 goals in the regular season, which was third fewest in MLS and established a new club record.

Columbus, which is the top seed in the Major League Soccer playoffs after winning its second consecutive Supporters' Shield, is in a small hole, down 1-0 in the home-and-home, total goals series with last-seeded RSL thanks to an 88th-minute Robbie Findley goal in the first leg.

For the heavily-favored Crew to advance to the Eastern Final, they are going to have to score at least one or two on Thursday night.

Thornton, 36, had arguably the best season of his 13-year MLS career. He led Chivas USA to a 13-11-6 record and posted a career best 12 shutouts and 0.87 goals against average.

His 12 shutouts were one shy of the club record and his goals against average ranks second all-time behind Pat Onstad's 0.82 in 2007 for the Houston Dynamo. Thornton led the league in goals against average, shutouts and ranked second in wins with 12.