SEATTLE -- Remember all those trade rumors last week? Well, sometimes you've got to be patient.

Later today, the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Colorado Rapids and D.C. United will comsumate a three-way trade. Tampa will send midfielder Carlos Valderrama, goalkeeper Scott Garlick and defender Ritchie Kotschau to Colorado for the Rapids first-round pick in the 2002 draft, goalkeeper Adin Brown and defender Scott Vermillion. The Mutiny will then send Vermillion to D.C. for defender Eric Denton.

Stay tuned. On Sunday, all MLS contracts become guaranteed so teams are looking to maneuver ...

Ready for the big time, just not MLS

I'm coming to you all today from the Emerald City -- home of the band formerly known as Mookie Blaylock, not to mention ('90s reference) Citizen Dick -- where I'm working on a major story on the Seattle Sounders Select team that knocked the Dallas Burn out of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night.

Psyche!

But, hey, there is a definite soccer vibe in this town. Really. For the past two days, on my way to Safeco Field, I've strolled past a construction site for a building they are calling Seattle's Football/Soccer Stadium. I'm telling you all right now, this place -- the future home of the NFL Seahawks -- looks more like a European soccer stadium than anything in the U.S. Really, most of the seats are covered by an immense roof that is suspended with steel girders. The pitch of the seats is super-steep. You can tell the place will rock.

I'll go out on a limb and say, the next time the U.S. has to go through World Cup qualifying -- for 2006, unless of course, we win the whole thing next summer -- Seattle will be a fine host stadium. That is, of course, unless Mike Holmgren gets his way and they install FieldTurf instead of natural grass. Yeah, I know FIFA has supposedly approved Field Turf, but I kind of doubt you're going to see a qually on it any time soon.

What about an MLS team? Well, I don't think Field Turf is the problem here. I think the stadium is the problem. Yeah, that's right, the stadium I just called the closest thing to a European soccer stadium in the U.S. is a problem for MLS.

They call this place Seattle's Football/Soccer stadium, in that order, for a reason. And if I'm calling the shots at MLS Headquarters, I don't let another team into my league that does not have plans to build its own small, soccer stadium. Another team -- joining New England and Kansas City -- that's signed on for eternity in an NFL stadium is exactly what MLS doesn't need at this stage of its development. Another stadium that binds MLS to a horrible schedule and lousy field conditions for half the season. Another stadium that will have three times as many empty seats as fans on a good night. I don't think so.

Sorry Seattle. Here's hoping you get natural grass and a lot of U.S. games. If you want an MLS team, I say you're going to need a soccer stadium that isn't quite this nice.

Pub talk

How's this for some hard-hitting reporting? Did you know that K.C. defender Nick Garcia eats three hot dogs before every home game? This guy's a future sports writer.

Speaking of the Connecticut Wolves, I imagine old friend Dave Vaudreuil enjoyed that match quite a bit. Vaud moved back into the world of A-League and indoor when MLS gave him a take-it-or-leave-it contract offer this winter. No, he's not the greatest player, but Vaud is one of my all-time favorite soccer survivors. This guy played for my brother at Princeton from 1984-87 and has put his Princeton degree to use as a soccer player ever since. That's 14 years. If that is not a love affair with the game, I don't know what is.

A year ago, I pledged my loyalty to the Charleston Battery. You can look it up, Metro fans. So, I'm not gloating about the 4-1 Open Cup victory here. I'm just saying if you are an American soccer fan and you can't find it in your heart to feel good for a franchise that built a beautiful little stadium -- check it out at CharlestonBattery.com -- with its own supporters pub, then you and I do not see eye to eye. Oh, to see every team in MLS some day have a place like Blackbaud Stadium.

And for all you MLS fans on suicide watch because a few teams got knocked out by the Little Guys, get over it. Happens all over the world in one-off competitions, why should the U.S. be any different?

The Chicago Tribune reported this week that the Fire are looking into building a modular stadium in the parking lots of the Arlington Park race track. All the Fire have told me -- see if you can follow this -- is they are still trying to find a location for a "temporary" stadium because the Soldier Field renovation is going to force them out next summer. But, because it will cost so much to construct a "temporary" stadium, that stadium will ultimately, through upgrades, become the Fire's "permanent" home. If you're having trouble understanding what a modular stadium is, think of what they do for big prize fights at Caesar's Palace or for, say, a PGA Tour stop.

Well, I've nailed the score of the last two U.S. qualifiers. I put the 0-0 at Jamaica prediction in the column and told the 2-0 over T & T to a co-worker (seriously) ... so here goes for this weekend in Mexico ... U.S. loses 1-0, putting a little heat back on the Yanks to get three points from Honduras at home, which is going to be a challenge.

One more thing

Man, you learn something new every day. I've seen Caddyshack and Animal House each over a hundred times and I never knew until this week that Sarah Holcomb, the actress who played Maggie O'Hooligan (Danny's girlfriend) in Caddyshack ALSO played the part of Clorette De Pasto (Larry "Pinto" Kroger's date) in Animal House. "For shame! Lawrence, I'm surprised at you!"

Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail jeff.bradley@espnmag.com.