ProSoccerTalk’s daily soccer re-set

Soccer birthdays:

Longtime Porto man and Portuguese international Bruno Alves (pictured), who is now with Zenit St. Petersburg, turns 31.

Recently released New York Red Bulls midfielder Teemu Tainio, a former Finnish international, turns 33.

Big Important Stories of the Day:

It was actually the BISD from Monday, but MLS commissioner Don Garber’s State of the League address surely qualifies as a two-day story, right?

RASNoD (Random American Soccer Name of the Day:  Tracey Bates Leone

*Ahead on the blog today:

We’ll dig a little further into some of the news that came from MLS commissioner Garber and his annual State of the League conference call with national media on Monday afternoon.

We’ll take a harder look at Major League Soccer’s Best XI list, which dropped Monday. I noticed one name conspicuous by his absence.

Plus, the finalists for MLS Cup 2012 are training again after their short Thanksgiving breaks, so look for news to begin drifting out of those camps, injury related and otherwise.

Twitter daps:

What you should watch on TV today:

Another tough day; not much to tell you about. If you’re really jonesing for some soccer, try this video we posted Monday of all 30 MLS playoff goals.

We’ll leave you with this:

Not sure what to make of this habitual lack of fullbacks on MLS Best XI sides. On the five official Best XI selections since 2007, Todd Dunivant of the L.A. Galaxy (in 2011) is the only true outside back. Otherwise, it’s a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 set-up dominated by center backs in defense.

* Always subject to change; you know how it is