A new Upper Deck Retail Store opened today in Huntington Beach, which if not actual cause for excitement on a slow news day at least gives me an excuse to blog about the the company’s newest set of MLS cards. Issued after the end of the season (so we get a now-retired Eddie Pope in action, for instance on card 88), the cards have some (usually incomplete) stats, pallid text and reasonable photography.

The 200-plus set includes the David Beckham “rookie” card pictured below as well as the likes of Freddy Adu and the now-retired Chris Armas. There’s 10 cards a pack and they retail for around $2.

Upper Deck has periodically issued MLS cards over the years (the ones from 1996 serve mainly to remind one how damn ugly those first-year team jerseys were).

A sampling is below. Kevin Hartman is reportedly much sleeker now, by the way.

Becks’ “rookie” card	That’s the best they could do?

A tubby Kevin Hartman	Pasadena City College’s Yuri Movsisyan

The new Upper Deck store is in the Bella Terra Center, 7777 Edinger Ave., Suite D-150, just off the 405 Freeway at Beach Boulevard.

More info on the cards here.

And this this guy sounds like he knows more about the hobby than I do.