Freddie Ljungberg has made his case for a second season in the Windy City.

Seattle Sounders FC has been better without Freddie Ljungberg. The 22 points accrued in the opening 18 matches of their season and the 26 obtained in the final 12 after the Swede was dealt on July 30 attests to their improvement.

Similarly, the fall of the Fire since Ljungberg’s acquisition has tarnished his reputation – fans discarding him into the receptacle labeled “DP busts”.

Despite this criticism, Ljungberg has quietly put together a productive 2010. Three goals and 10 assists – a trio tallied while in the Emerald City – leaves the 33-year-old tied for fifth in the league in helpers as the MLS regular season concludes.

Saturday night against Chivas USA, Ljungberg electrified the Home Depot Center, scoring on a left-footed finish and setting up the goals of Brian McBride and Calen Carr.

The majestic performance commenced in the 40th minute when Ljungberg assisted on McBride’s final career goal. Receiving a throw-in, Ljungberg turned on his defender, dashed to the byline, and softly nutmegged a pass through Ante Jazic’s legs. Charging to the near post, McBride deftly flicked behind his left leg to finish.

“Freddie just has this uncanny ability of finding people,” McBride said in Fox Soccer Channel’s post-game interview. “I made a run near post and he found me. Thankfully, I put it in.”

It would only take Ljungberg two minutes in the second half to find his own goal.

Constantly tip-toeing across the field, Ljungberg contributes – like all great playmakers – in ways that aren’t instantly apparent in a scoreline. Over the course of the year, 73 fouls, the third most in MLS, have been committed against Ljungberg. Discussion over his incessant complaints to MLS officials has overshadowed the grueling beating he has taken while in the U.S.

In a team that has lacked a central creator since Cuauhtémoc Blanco’s return to Mexico, Ljungberg has been the outlet through which most of Chicago’s attacks have started – a difficult request for someone arriving midseason. Since the inception of the DP mechanism, 12 of these stars have landed somewhere towards or past the middle of an MLS season: David Beckham, Julian de Guzman, Blaise Nkufo, Branko Boskovic, Mista, Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez, Nery Castillo, Alvaro Fernandez, Geovanni, Blanco, and Luis Angel Landin.

Reread that list. How many were outward successes in their first half-years with their clubs? Blanco, Nkufo, and Marquez, certainly. Henry, Geo, and Fernandez have all shown their quality, but also indicate the time needed to become acclimated with the rigors of MLS and gel with their teammates.

Now, Ljungberg is a unique case as he was already playing for a team within the league. He’s already become accustomed with the . . . let’s call them 'interesting' decisions of MLS officials. But that doesn’t solve the period that the Swede still requires to gel with his Chicago teammates. Thrown into a difficult situation where he was expected to deliver a playoff birth with a first-year MLS manager, Ljungberg has managed to adjust himself as best as could be expected.

A lot of turnover is expected this off-season in Chicago with McBride and C.J. Brown retiring and the less than certain futures of Nery Castillo, Wilman Conde, and manager Carlos de los Cobos. If Ljungberg remains in the Windy City, anticipate a season in which he builds upon his assist-every-two matches ratio.

Even if the Chicago front office wants Ljungberg to stay, it’s out of their hands as he holds a player option for 2011. And as the past off-season with Seattle illustrated, the wants of Ljungberg can be difficult to predict.

So, what's the consensus? Do you think Freddie will be with the Fire in the upcoming months?

Ljungberg Lights Up San Jose

Designated Player Freddie Ljungberg played wonderfully Wednesday night. The Swedish forward/midfielder dominated the match, scoring a beautiful goal – his first in a Fire uniform – and providing two assists in 90 minutes of action.

“I felt great,” Ljungberg told MLSsoccer.com after the match. “My teammates played really well, they made me look good, so I thank them. And, of course, I’m quite happy with my performance.”

Ljungberg’s goal was particularly well worked. Winger Patrick Nyarko fed the former Seattle player streaking just outside the 18 in the 72nd minute. The World Cup vet took a fabulous first touch, splitting two San Jose defenders to get into the left side of the area, then put an audacious left-footed chip past ‘keeper Jon Busch and inside the far post.

Performances like Wednesday night’s will have Fire fans clamoring for Ljungberg, a fan of head coach Carlos de los Cobos’ attacking style of play, to pick up his player option and return to Chicago in 2011.

Pepsi drops Ljungberg

Freddie Ljungberg may be happy about his move to Chicago Fire but Pepsi is not. The soft drink company has dropped the Swedish player as a result of his recent trade. His three year contract was effectively broken as a result of the Chicago Fire being sponsored by one of Pepsi's major competitors.

Currently, Chicago Fire's presenting partner is Best Buy. According to their site, other partners including American Airlines, Adidas, Bush's Baked Beans, Cardinal Fitness, Chicago Soccer, Embassy Suites, Fisher Nuts, Home Depot, Life Source, Safeway Insurance United Health Care, Van Kampen Investments, and Walgreens. So which one of those is a competitor of Pepsi?

Oddly, one MLS's major sponsors is Pepsi as well as two of its subsidiaries, Aquafina and Gatorade. With every MLS club apart of the Pepsi Refresh Project, why would you drop one of the league's most recognizable names from a contract which was about to expire anyway? The simple answer is Pepsi doesn't want to spend a lot of money on an MLS player.

When Pepsi first signed Ljungberg, he was playing in the English Premier League and the Captain of the Swedish National Team. Although the Swede still makes the papers back home, he is no longer a member of the Swedish National Team. When Sweden failed to qualify for the World Cup, there was no reason for Pepsi's Swedish division to place Ljungberg in a ad campaign. Therefore, the company faced an ultimatum place Ljungberg in an ad campaign or drop him. We all know Pepsi wouldn't place a European soccer player let alone an MLS player in a US ad campaign. Not only that, Pepsi just implemented the Pepsi Refresh Project. With that, the likelihood of any athlete getting an ad campaign is unlikely. So, Ljungberg was given the axe.

It's unfortunate because it's one of the few endorsement deals the Chicago Fire player has. Ljungberg and his management aren't taking full advantage of the designated player rule. While David Beckham is willing to endorse everything from Armani to Sharpie pens, the quiet Swede is content on just playing "soccer." He even told NBC that he is very picky about what he endorses. However, it's not the time to be picky. When your 33 years-old, you career is nearly over. You have to strike the iron when it's hot. If people want you to endorse something, endorse it!

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