Musket Rounds: 4/19/2011

Welcome to today's Musket Rounds!

I don't know about you guys, but I've honestly already put Sunday's match behind me. I can't remember the last time I was this indifferent about an incorrect refereeing decision, but frankly, we didn't do enough to win that game and Houston probably did. Justice was served in the end. Plus, we were missing Pat Phelan and Shalrie Joseph, so a rough go of things was to be expected.

We have a pretty robust bunch of Rounds today covering a wide variety of topics. Benny Feilhaber's return to MLS is represented, as well as some New England Revolution academy news. There's some more commentary on officiating decisions, a pair of excellent pieces from the acclaimed Run of Play blog, and some further evidence that the Hicks & Gillett ownership group in Liverpool was a lot like an "inmates running the asylum" scenario.

So, without further ado, here are your Tuesday links.

The Revolution website has a full rundown of this weekend's results in academy action. Diego Fagundez was active in his appearances but the U18s and U16s combined to post just a 0-2-2 record for the round. [revolutionsoccer.net]

Benny Feilhaber has signed an MLS contract and the Revolution are third in the allocation order for his services. Chivas USA has been silent on the issue but the Philadelphia Union have already asserted that they will pass on him...so what are the Revs's odds? Matthew breaks it down. [The Shin Guardian]

Much more after the jump.

Benny is a USMNT veteran and has some serious creative talent, but he will come at a steep salary. Is he worth the money? Ray Curren gives the pros and cons in his MLS Week in Review column [World Soccer Reader]

USMNT midfielder and former Boston College standout Alejandro Bedoya is catching fire for Orebro in Sweden right now, having just scored second goal in as games this past weekend. [Soccer By Ives]

Chris Savino examined the relationship between social media and MLS and breaks down which teams are using it most effectively. The Revs aren't high on the list, but they are one of the most followed teams on Facebook. [Goal.com]

If you haven't heard, the Dallas Cup is going on in Frisco, TX right now. It's a massive youth tournament featuring top academy squads from all over the world, and MLS is well-represented. The FC Dalls U18s recently defeated Barcelona's youth squad 3-1. Yes, that Barcelona. [Soccer America]

It turns out that all the derision and whining from English soccer fans about the ownership regime of Tom Hicks and George Gillett in Liverpool was based on truth. A recent tell-all book reveals that Gillett actually thought Steve Gerrard was gay, and that the EPL had a draft. [Dirty Tackle]

In his most recent Formula XI post, Jason Kuenle breaks down officiating trends in MLS and the rest of the world over the last 3 seasons and postulates their effect on play in our league this year. [Match Fit USA]

Jose M. Romero was at JELD-WEN Field for the Portland Timbers inaugural MLS match. He recorded his experience from a fan's perspective. [Soccer By Ives]

For the first of today's Run Of Play links, Maxwell Kuhl examines the dichotomy of Barcelona's tiki-taka style. They play what is typically a patient, delicate possession game with all the force and brutality of a direct, hyper-attacking side, and therein lies that which makes them so dominant. [Run Of Play]

Meanwhile, Kári Tulinius discovered the brilliance of Raúl in Schalke's recent Champions' League victory over Inter. Is the legend merely a sidebar in the history of Real Madrid, or does he deserve to be remembered on his own merits? [Run Of Play]

Chris Nee finishes up his five-part series on Reviving the Cosmos by examining their star power in the 1970s. [Two-Footed Tackle]

With Feilhaber making his way to the USA and MLS, here is a quick look at some US national teamers abroad who should look into a move back Stateside. [US Soccer Daily]

Steve Davis weighs in on the MLS referee discussion in an attempt to add some perspective to the dramatic uptick in cards shown. Also, he links his SI piece, which is also recommended reading. [Daily Soccer Fix]

Finally, take a moment of your time and remember Nigerian international Olubayo Adefemi, who passed away in a car accident in Greece the other day. He was on his way home to make arrangements for his upcoming wedding. [Soccer America]