By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

Topps and Major League Soccer announced an exclusive license agreement on Monday.

The license is for trading cards, player stickers, sticker albums and other collectibles.

“Exclusive is definitely something that is important for us,” said Topps brand manager Jeff Heckman. “We look to grow the category certainly. That is something that is important to us.”

MLS is considered a growth area with more and more fans embracing soccer in the United States. The MLS sits at 19 teams, but it’s not one of the premier leagues in the world just yet – a goal MLS commissioner Don Garber stated he is aiming for by 2022.

In an April survey done in by World Soccer, MLS ranked as the seventh best soccer league in the world. The survey was based on attendance, finances, goals, competitiveness, caliber of players, coaches, stadiums and success in continental matches. German Bundesliga was number one with the English Premier League ranking second.

However, many see a growth potential including Topps.

“I just think it’s a league that is really on the rise,” Heckman said. “Soccer is an interesting place for us right now. As far as professional leagues, it’s always a bit slower. But with fan support and adoption, I think you have seen it grow in the last five to 10 years.”

The license is for multiple years giving Topps time to build the brand.

Along with trading cards that will release this summer (see a preview here), Topps will also create collectibles in the market.

“We are exploring that right now,” Heckman said. “There is nothing we are ready to release. But you have seen some of the things we have done in baseball. We are looking at those types of products.”

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook and Twitter.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

As soccer grows in the United States, card companies are looking to tap into the market.

Topps has secured a licensed with Major League Soccer and will produce its first MLS cards this summer.

Each hobby box will have 24 packs with 10 cards in each pack. In addition, there will be two autographs and three relic cards in every box.

Autographs will include players from the MLS SuperDraft and top stars from the league on cards called MLS Maestros Autographs. Each autograph will feature four different parallels, including a Golazo parallel numbered 1-of-1.

Other autographs include Golden Boot Die-Cut Autographs with current and former goal scorers.

In addition, the set will include Extra Time Redemptions for transfers who make their debut during the 2013 season.

Some relic cards will also bear signatures with different levels of parallels.

Topps will also feature MLS Kit Relics and Official MLS Soccer Ball Redemption Cards.

The inserts will utilize action shots and unique designs.
- This Is Soccer: Action photos of players (autographs numbered to 25)
- 1978 Topps EPL Soccer: Top MLS players on the 1978 Topps English Premier League design
- Topps Mini
- MLS Rivalries

The base set will feature 200 cards including short-prints and variations. There will be Blue (numbered to 50), Gold (/25), Black (/10), Golazo (1-of-1) and Printing Plate parallels.

The set is scheduled to come out in mid-July.

Update: Topps announced today is has formed multi-year partnership with the MLS. Future products include trading cards, sticker, sticker albums and other MLS collectables.

“MLS is excited about this new partnership with Topps,” said Maribeth Towers, MLS senior vice president of consumer products. “We regularly hear from MLS supporters that they want a variety of cards and collectibles and this new relationship will allow us to super-serve our incredibly supportive fans.”

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook and Twitter.

2013 Topps MLS Checklist

BASE
Veterans and Rookies
Thierry Henry New York Red Bulls
Robbie Keane LA Galaxy
Tim Cahill New York Red Bulls
Chris Wondolowski San Jose Earthquakes
Graham Zusi Sporting Kansas City
Dwayne De Rosario D.C. United
Alessandro Nesta Montreal Impact
John Bostock Toronto FC
Osvaldo Alonso Seattle Sounders FC
Omar Gonzalez LA Galaxy
Chris Pontius D.C. United
Will Bruin Houston Dynamo
Eddie Johnson Seattle Sounders FC
Mike Magee LA Galaxy
Juninho LA Galaxy
Kyle Beckerman Real Salt Lake
Brad Davis Houston Dynamo
Austin Berry Chicago Fire
Jimmy Nielsen Sporting Kansas City
Aurelien Collin Sporting Kansas City
Matt Besler Sporting Kansas City
Victor Bernardez San Jose Earthquakes
Nick DeLeon D.C. United
Darlington Nagbe Portland Timbers
Tally Hall Houston Dynamo
Federico Higuain Columbus Crew
Alvaro Saborio Real Salt Lake
Brian Ching Houston Dynamo
Mauro Rosales Seattle Sounders FC
Jose Villarreal LA Galaxy
Juan Agudelo Chivas USA
Kenny Cooper FC Dallas
Nick Rimando Real Salt Lake
Chris Rolfe Chicago Fire
Sean Johnson Chicago Fire
Joel Lindpere Chicago Fire
Steve Zakuani Seattle Sounders FC
Ramiro Corrales San Jose EarthquakesDrew Moor Colorado Rapids
Jairo Arrieta Columbus Crew
Chad Marshall Columbus Crew
Justin Morrow San Jose Earthquakes
Zach Loyd FC Dallas
Carlo Cudicini LA Galaxy
Patrice Bernier Montreal Impact
Davy Arnaud Montreal Impact
Heath Pearce New York Red Bulls
Jeff Parke Philadelphia Union
Michael Gspurning Seattle Sounders FC
Darren Mattocks Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Michael Farfan Philadelphia Union
Ryan Johnson Portland Timbers
Fabian Espindola New York Red Bulls
Kevin Alston New England Revolution
Dan Kennedy Chivas USA
Robert Earnshaw Toronto FC
Claudio Bieler Sporting Kansas City
Jack McInerney Philadelphia Union
Sebastien Le Toux Philadelphia Union
David Ferreira FC Dallas
Diego Valeri Portland Timbers
Deshorn Brown Colorado Rapids
Edgar Mejia Chivas USA
Joaquin Velazquez Chivas USA
Mario de Luna Chivas USA
Bobby Burling Chivas USA
Eric Avila Chivas USA
Walter Vilchez Chivas USA
Laurent Courtois Chivas USA
Oswaldo Minda Chivas USA
Tristan Bowen Chivas USA
Dilly Duka Chicago Fire
Gonzalo Segares Chicago Fire
Jalil Anibaba Chicago Fire
Jeff Larentowicz Chicago Fire
Patrick Nyarko Chicago Fire
Sherjill MacDonald Chicago Fire
Atiba Harris Colorado Rapids
Brian Mullan Colorado RapidsDiego Calderon Colorado Rapids
Dillon Powers Colorado Rapids
Hendry Thomas Colorado Rapids
Marvell Wynne Colorado Rapids
Matt Pickens Colorado Rapids
Agustin Viana Columbus Crew
Andy Gruenebaum Columbus Crew
Danny O’Rourke Columbus Crew
Dominic Oduro Columbus Crew
Glauber Columbus Crew
Josh Williams Columbus Crew
Tyson Wahl Columbus Crew
Bill Hamid D.C. United
Brandon McDonald D.C. United
Chris Korb D.C. United
Dejan Jakovic D.C. United
Lionard Pajoy D.C. United
Perry Kitchen D.C. United
James Riley D.C. United
Andrew Jacobson FC Dallas
George John FC Dallas
Jackson FC Dallas
Matt Hedges FC Dallas
Raul Fernandez FC Dallas
Fabian Castillo FC Dallas
Michel FC Dallas
Bobby Boswell Houston Dynamo
Boniek Garcia Houston Dynamo
Corey Ashe Houston Dynamo
Jermaine Taylor Houston Dynamo
Kofi Sarkodie Houston Dynamo
Ricardo Clark Houston Dynamo
A.J. DeLaGarza LA Galaxy
Jack McBean LA Galaxy
Marcelo Sarvas LA Galaxy
Sean Franklin LA Galaxy
Todd Dunivant LA Galaxy
Andrea Pisanu Montreal Impact
Felipe Martins Montreal Impact
Hassoun Camara Montreal Impact
Jeb Brovsky Montreal ImpactMarco Di Vaio Montreal Impact
Matteo Ferrari Montreal Impact
Troy Perkins Montreal Impact
A.J. Soares New England Revolution
Andrew Farrell New England Revolution
Clyde Simms New England Revolution
Jerry Bengtson New England Revolution
Jose Goncalves New England Revolution
Juan Toja New England Revolution
Lee Nguyen New England Revolution
Matt Reis New England Revolution
Saer Sene New England Revolution
Dax McCarty New York Red Bulls
Jamison Olave New York Red Bulls
Luis Robles New York Red Bulls
Brandon Barklage New York Red Bulls
Eric Alexander New York Red Bulls
Juninho New York Red Bulls
Amobi Okugo Philadelphia Union
Brian Carroll Philadelphia Union
Keon Daniel Philadelphia Union
Raymon Gaddis Philadelphia Union
Sheanon Williams Philadelphia Union
Zac MacMath Philadelphia Union
Andrew Jean-Baptiste Portland Timbers
Diego Chara Portland Timbers
Donovan Ricketts Portland Timbers
Michael Harrington Portland Timbers
Mikael Silvestre Portland Timbers
Will Johnson Portland Timbers
Jack Jewsbury Portland Timbers
Chris Schuler Real Salt Lake
Khari Stephenson Real Salt Lake
Kwame Watson-Siriboe Real Salt Lake
Luis Gil Real Salt Lake
Robbie Findley Real Salt Lake
Sebastian Velasquez Real Salt Lake
Tony Beltran Real Salt Lake
Jason Hernandez San Jose Earthquakes
Jon Busch San Jose Earthquakes
Rafael Baca San Jose EarthquakesSam Cronin San Jose Earthquakes
Ty Harden San Jose Earthquakes
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado Seattle Sounders FC
DeAndre Yedlin Seattle Sounders FC
Mario Martinez Seattle Sounders FC
Andy Rose Seattle Sounders FC
Benny Feilhaber Sporting Kansas City
Oriol Rosell Sporting Kansas City
Paulo Nagamura Sporting Kansas City
Seth Sinovic Sporting Kansas City
C.J. Sapong Sporting Kansas City
Ashtone Morgan Toronto FC
Danny Califf Toronto FC
Darren O’Dea Toronto FC
Hogan Ephraim Toronto FC
Joseph Bendik Toronto FC
Reggie Lambe Toronto FC
Richard Eckersley Toronto FC
Terry Dunfield Toronto FC
Alain Rochat Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Andy O’Brien Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Daigo Kobayashi Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Gershon Koffie Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Joe Cannon Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Jun Marques Davidson Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Kenny Miller Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Young-Pyo Lee Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Jay DeMerit Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Edson Buddle Colorado Rapids
Danny Mwanga Colorado Rapids
Logan Pause Chicago Fire
Blas Perez FC Dallas
Steven Beitashour San Jose Earthquakes
Steven Lenhart San Jose Earthquakes
Teal Bunbury Sporting Kansas City
Danny Koevermans Toronto FC
Landon Donovan LA Galaxy
Obafemi Martins Seattle Sounders FC
Giles Barnes Houston Dynamo

INSERTS
This Is Soccer Insert
Dwayne De Rosario D.C. United
Victor Bernardez San Jose Earthquakes
Aurelien Collin Sporting Kansas City
Ramiro Corrales San Jose Earthquakes
Deshorn Brown Colorado Rapids
Obafemi Martins Seattle Sounders FC
Justin Morrow San Jose Earthquakes
Austin Berry Chicago Fire
Jose Villarreal LA Galaxy
Dan Kennedy Chivas USA
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado Seattle Sounders FC
Hassoun Camara Montreal Impact
Mario Martinez Seattle Sounders FC
Robert Earnshaw Toronto FC
Fabian Espindola New York Red Bulls
Brian Ching Houston Dynamo
Topps 1978 EPL Soccer Insert
Thierry Henry New York Red Bulls
Robbie Keane LA Galaxy
Tim Cahill New York Red Bulls
Chris Wondolowski San Jose Earthquakes
Graham Zusi Sporting Kansas City
Dwayne De Rosario D.C. United
Alessandro Nesta Montreal Impact
John Bostock Toronto FC
Osvaldo Alonso Seattle Sounders FC
Omar Gonzalez LA Galaxy
Chris Pontius D.C. United
Will Bruin Houston Dynamo
Eddie Johnson Seattle Sounders FC
Mike Magee LA Galaxy
Juninho LA Galaxy
Kyle Beckerman Real Salt Lake
Brad Davis Houston DynamoAustin Berry Chicago Fire
Jimmy Nielsen Sporting Kansas City
Aurelien Collin Sporting Kansas City
Matt Besler Sporting Kansas City
Victor Bernardez San Jose Earthquakes
Nick DeLeon D.C. United
Darlington Nagbe Portland Timbers
Tally Hall Houston Dynamo
Federico Higuain Columbus Crew
Alvaro Saborio Real Salt Lake
Brian Ching Houston Dynamo
Mauro Rosales Seattle Sounders FC
Jose Villarreal LA Galaxy
Juan Agudelo Chivas USA
Kenny Cooper FC Dallas
Nick Rimando Real Salt Lake
Chris Rolfe Chicago Fire
Sean Johnson Chicago Fire
Joel Lindpere Chicago Fire
Steve Zakuani Seattle Sounders FC
Ramiro Corrales San Jose Earthquakes
Drew Moor Colorado Rapids
Jairo Arrieta Columbus Crew
Chad Marshall Columbus Crew
Justin Morrow San Jose Earthquakes
Carlo Cudicini LA Galaxy
Patrice Bernier Montreal Impact
Davy Arnaud Montreal Impact
Heath Pearce New York Red Bulls
Jeff Parke Philadelphia Union
Michael Gspurning Seattle Sounders FC
Darren Mattocks Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Michael Farfan Philadelphia Union
Ryan Johnson Portland Timbers
Fabian Espindola New York Red Bulls
Kevin Alston New England Revolution
Dan Kennedy Chivas USA
Robert Earnshaw Toronto FC
Claudio Bieler Sporting Kansas City
Jack McInerney Philadelphia Union
Sebastien Le Toux Philadelphia UnionLandon Donovan LA Galaxy
Jay DeMerit Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Topps Minis
Thierry Henry New York Red Bulls
Robbie Keane LA Galaxy
Tim Cahill New York Red Bulls
Chris Wondolowski San Jose Earthquakes
Graham Zusi Sporting Kansas City
Dwayne De Rosario D.C. United
Alessandro Nesta Montreal Impact
John Bostock Toronto FC
Osvaldo Alonso Seattle Sounders FC
Omar Gonzalez LA Galaxy
Chris Pontius D.C. United
Will Bruin Houston Dynamo
Eddie Johnson Seattle Sounders FC
Kyle Beckerman Real Salt Lake
Landon Donovan LA Galaxy

MLS Rivalries
LA Galaxy Chivas USA
Seattle Sounders Portland Timbers
D.C. United New York Red Bulls
Colorado Rapids Real Salt Lake
Toronto FC Montreal Impact
New England Revolution New York Red Bulls
D.C. United Philaelphia Union
Houston Dynamo FC Dallas

AUTOS
SuperDraft Auto
Kyle Bekker Toronto FC
Emery Welshman Toronto FCRyan Finley Columbus Crew
Taylor Kemp D.C. United
Dillon Powers Colorado Rapids
Andrew Farrell New England Revolution
Carlos Alvarez Chivas USA
Mikey Lopez Sporting Kansas City

MLS Maestros
John Bostock Toronto FC
Danny Koevermans Toronto FC
Federico Higuain Columbus Crew
Danny Mwanga Colorado Rapids
Nick DeLeon D.C. United
Chris Pontius D.C. United
Drew Moor Colorado Rapids
Teal Bunbury Sporting Kansas City
Aurelien Collin Sporting Kansas City
Graham Zusi Sporting Kansas City
Matt Besler Sporting Kansas City
Jimmy Nielsen Sporting Kansas City
Michael Farfan Philadelphia Union

RELICS
MLS Kits
Osvaldo Alonso Seattle Sounders FC
Will Bruin Houston Dynamo
Brad Davis Houston Dynamo
Tim Cahill New York Red Bulls
Jimmy Nielsen Sporting Kansas City
Chris Pontius D.C. United
Jack Jewsbury Portland Timbers
Sean Johnson Chicago Fire
Michael Farfan Philadelphia Union
Nick Rimando Real Salt Lake
Matt Besler Sporting Kansas City
Steven Beitashour San Jose EarthquakesGraham Zusi Sporting Kansas City
Chris Wondolowski San Jose Earthquakes
Teal Bunbury Sporting Kansas City
Mauro Rosales Seattle Sounders FC
Blas Perez FC Dallas
Nick DeLeon D.C. United
Steven Lenhart San Jose Earthquakes
Alvaro Saborio Real Salt Lake
Zach Loyd FC Dallas
Heath Pearce New York Red Bulls
Kyle Beckerman Real Salt Lake
Drew Moor Colorado Rapids
Eddie Johnson Seattle Sounders FC
Chris Rolfe Chicago Fire
Brian Ching Houston Dynamo
Austin Berry Chicago Fire
Thierry Henry New York Red Bulls
Danny Koevermans Toronto FC
Dwayne De Rosario D.C. United
** CHECKLIST SUBJECT TO CHANGE **

Join Beckett Media’s soccer gurus Brian Fleischer and Dave Sliepka as they rip into a pair of 2011 SP Game-Used in this latest edition of Box Busters.

What will they find inside? Watch and find out … it’s worth the wait.

Oh, and if you want a chance to win a box — and more — watch the video.

By Brian Fleischer | Beckett Senior Market Analyst

Pressure Makes Us. Nike Soccer’s tag line for the United States Women’s National Team was on display on Sunday morning when the U.S. Women took the field in their Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match against mighty Brazil.

Down a man (or woman) and down 2-1, in the final minutes of extra time, Abby Wambach headed a pinpoint cross from Megan Rapinoe into the back of the net. The goal – and ensuing celebration – brought back memories of Landon Donovan’s miraculous goal against Algeria in last year’s World Cup. Goalkeeper Hope Solo came up huge in the subsequent penalty shootout, stopping Daiane’s shot, while the U.S. Women coolly put each of their five penalty kicks in the back of the net, setting up a semifinal match between the United States and France.

The U.S. women don’t appear on many trading cards, but thanks to some foresight by Donruss in 2008 and Upper Deck’s push to add cards from the Women’s Professional Soccer to its MLS products, they’ve got more than you might think. Buyer beware. There are several sellers on eBay selling unlicensed “custom” or “homemade” cards. While they may be nice collectibles, they’re not something that we would ever catalog or price in our database.

—

Abby Wambach – Sunday’s hero has appeared on 29 different cards, with her first being in the 2003 Sports Illustrated for Kids release. She’s got seven certified autographs, with her 2004 Leather and Lumber Fans of the Game Autographs ($50) and 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Autographs ($40) being the hottest on the secondary market. She’s got seven different memorabilia cards with her 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Memorabilia ($15) and 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Materials ($15) cards fast becoming collector favorites.

Hope Solo – The other key to Sunday’s dramatic victory, Solo has 46 different cards in our database, with her first cards hailing from the 2008 Donruss Sports Legends product. Her 2008 Donruss Sports Legends Collegiate Legends Patch Autographs card, limited to 244 copies, has been a strong seller in the $40-$80 range. She’s got 10 other certified autographs, with the 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Autographs selling strongly in $20-$50 range. Of her 15 memorabilia cards, her 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Materials ($30) and 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Memorabilia ($15) have been the biggest movers on the secondary market.

Nicole Barnhart – Barnhart appears on only seven cards in the Beckett.com database, with her key card being the 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks, which sells in the $20-$50 range.

Shannon Boxx – With only three cards in the database, her key card is the 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks autograph ($60).

Tobin Heath – With 10 cards in the database, her 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks ($100) is the one to get.

Amy LePeilbet – LePeilbet appears on three cards, with her key 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks card has been selling in $15-$40 range.

Lori Lindsey – Lindsey has five cards in the database, with the 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks ($60) being her best.

Carli Lloyd – Lloyd’s lone card in our database hails from the 2008 Sports Illustrated for Kids release and is currently unpriced, though a copy recently sold for $13.

Jillian Loyden – Loyden has three cards, with her key being the 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks ($80).

Heather Mitts – Mitts appears on 11 cards, including the 2010 Upper Deck World of Sports All-Sport Apparel Memorabilia ($30) and the 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks ($100).

Alex Morgan – Morgan, who many predict is the future of U.S. women’s soccer, has just two cards. Her 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Super Draft Exclusives Autographs card sells in the $30-$60 range.

Heather O’Reilly – With just six cards, her 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks ($50) stands out as her best.

Christie Rampone – Rampone has five cards in our database, and the 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks ($40) is the one to track down. She also appears on a 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Teammates Dual Materials card with Heather O’Reilly. Limited to just 50 copies, it sells in the $25-$60 range.

Amy Rodriguez – Professional sports’ other ARod appears on 19 cards in our database. Her 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks is a strong seller at $60, while her 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Materials card was recently raised to $20.

Not to be outdone, Brazil’s Marta – considered by most to be the best women’s soccer player in the world – appears on 14 different cards in our database. Her 2010 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks ($80) and 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks ($80) are all must-haves, while her 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Materials card is a more affordable $20.

Her coolest card? Her 2011 Upper Deck MLS WPS Marks Dual card is limited to just 10 copies, but features certified autographs of her and Abby Wambach. We’ve yet to track a sale on this card, but wouldn’t be surprised if it brought upwards of $500.

The U.S. Women have their work cut out for them in their semifinal match against France, but should they keep winning, expect interest – and prices – in their cardboard to continue to rise.

Brian Fleischer can be reached at bfleischer@beckett.com.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor

With soccer taking the forefront in the sports world right now with the Women’s World Cup underway and Major League Soccer’s All-Star game drawing near, Upper Deck is taking the opportunity to reward one lucky fan.

On the line: a trip to the 2011 MLS All-Star Game, which is hosted by the New York/New Jersey Red Bulls in the New York metropolitan area.

For those of you who have been collecting 2011 MLS cards since the 200-card exclusive Upper Deck set was released in April, this contest could be close at hand.

To win, collect all 20 MLS Materials game-used jersey insert cards. Then, contact Upper Deck at upperdeckmarketing@upperdeck.com to learn how and where to submit your entry.

See a full checklist after the jump.

The game-used jersey cards fall at about one to two per every hobby box.

The grand prize includes two tickets to the All-Star Game, one night hotel accommodations for two, a travel voucher to cover ground transportation and meals and a gift pack from Upper Deck.

“As the sole licensed manufacturer of MLS cards, it’s our pleasure to send two lucky fans to watch the best of the MLS compete,” said Jodi Wasserman, Upper Deck’s Director of Marketing. “Our ‘Collect the Set & Win’ concept takes a little effort to complete, so collectors will need to be on top of things in order to get their collections in on time.”

Here’s checklist of the cards you need:
#AN – Andy Najar
#BC Brian Ching
#CW Chris Wondolowski
#DB David Beckham
#DD Dwayne De Rosario
#DF David Ferreira
#DM Danny Mwanga
#DR Donovan Ricketts
#FM Fredy Montero
#KB Kyle Beckerman
#KK Kasey Keller
#LD Landon Donovan
#MP Marco Pappa
#NC Nery Castillo
#OC Omar Cummings
#PI Matt Pickens
#RM Rafael Marquez
#SL Sebastien La Toux
#SZ Steve Zakuani
#TH Thierry Henry

Susan Lulgjuraj is a contributing editor for Beckett Media. You can email Susan here. Follow her on Twitter here.

Join Beckett Media’s Dave Sliepka, Andrew Tolentino and Brian Fleischer as they rip into a pair of 2011 Upper Deck Soccer boxes in this latest edition of Box Busters.

What will they find inside?

Watch and find out …

One of the most widely known American soccer stars is coming to Upper Deck.

Landon Donovan has signed to be a spokesperson with the company. Donovan already has game-used memorabilia and autographs cards in soccer products, but his signature is coming to Upper Deck Authenticated.

And it looks like these pieces could be picked up in the very near future.

Donovan has already had his first signing session with Upper Deck, which include a number of autographed products such as posters, soccer balls and jerseys.

Donovan, a striker for the Los Angeles Galaxy, is the United States all-time leader in scoring, assists, and has appeared in more U.S. National games than any other player.

Donovan’s 2010 World Cup run catapulted his popularity in the country. He scored three goals in the World Cup and became the highest scoring American in the World Cup.

This seems like a good pick up for Upper Deck. Soccer is a growing sport in the United States.

Donovan’s first autograph and memorabilia cards appeared in 2004 Upper Deck MLS.

In a cardboard universe that’s soon to include video trading cards, the answer to this question is “definitely maybe.”

According to a recently-released ESPN.com news item and the following video from the foxsports YouTube channel, the loud-mouthed Bengals receiver started a four-day trial with Major League Soccer team Sporting Kansas City earlier this week. Obviously better known for the other foot-named game, Chad Ochocinco apparently played soccer during his youth — and this tryout could (but likely won’t) spark a new career.

In the case that he just happens to make the roster — and if he’s willing to take a massive salary cut — collectors might just be able to see a different kind of Ochocinco football cards.

Despite the fact that April Fool’s Day is one week from today, the  footage below is very, very real.

Click here to view the embedded video.