The news wrap rides again!

We’ve been doing some brainstorming for the upcoming year here at Center Line Soccer and I think I’ve come up with a winner of an idea for this column: Print it in tiny, tiny letters and call it “All the News That’s Fit to Squint.” No? OK, then — but as long as we’re on the topic, let us know if you have any requests, suggestions, or comments on what you’d like to see from us so we can better serve the CLS community using the form at the bottom of the page. Thanks!

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The big news today comes in Earthquakes blue, and in two varieties. The first is that the long-awaited signing of Eduardo, late of FC Basel (Switzerland), FC Toulouse (France), Charleroi (Belgium), and Vasco de Gama (his native Brazil), has been finalized, as new Center Line Soccer staffer Robert Jonas notes.

Here’s a highlight video of the latest Quake — note the strong finishing with either foot. I also like those cutbacks in the box — I haven’t seen anything like that in MLS since Preki played.

You may feel some pangs during the opening moments of that video, as the camera creeps over some of the stadiums that Eduardo has called home during his career. That golden someday when Earthquakes fans will have a stadium home to call their own is getting closer, too, and our second big news item of the day comes tonight when the final Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Earthquakes stadium complex goes before the San Jose Planning Commission. If given the thumbs-up, the San Jose City Council is expected to vote on the acceptance of the report on Tuesday, March 16. Soccer Silicon Valley is urging members to attend the meetings, although the Bay Area soccer booster group says if you can only attend one, go in March. (Full disclosure: Yours truly is one of the founders and still serves on the board of directors of SSV.)

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While we’re passing along video,  here’s a Youtube compilation of highlights of Marta, the latest FC Gold Pride signing and reigning four-time FIFA World Player of the Year. Just for comparison, please note that the last four winners of the men’s FIFA World Player of the Year award are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, and Fabio Cannivaro. My favorite bits of this video start at around 1:30, showing her control on the dribble. ¡Impresionante!

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Other news highlights:

- Quakes in international action: Today, forward Ryan Johnson joins his Jamaica teammates in facing Argentina in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The Jamaica Gleaner projects RJ as a starter for the underdog Reggae Boys, who can undoubtedly take solace in the words of fellow countryman Jimmy Cliff: “The harder they come, the harder they fall, one and all.” Johnson is the focus of another Jamaica Gleaner story.

Also on the international calendar are Ramón Sanchez and Arturo Alvarez, who have been called up to the  El Salvador national team for a match against the U.S. on Wednesday, February 24 (4:00 p.m., ESPN Classic). Next, Simon Elliott will be joining his New Zealand teammates on March 3 to play Mexico at the Rose Bowl. Previously, midfielder Antonio Ribeiro and Canada faced off against Johnson’s Jamaica on January 31, with Jamaica coming out on top 1-0. Ribeiro started for Canada while Johnson played the last 20 minutes of the match.

- First the L.A. Sol folds and now this: The Los Angeles branch of the David Beckham Academy has shuttered its doors. They were apparently losing money — maybe they should have cut back to the same July-to-November schedule Beckham keeps in LA?