Reactions to Robbie Rogers Coming out as Gay and ‘Stepping Away’ from Soccer

At the age of 25, US international and former Columbus Crew star Robbie Rogers came out as gay on Friday in a blog post titled, "The Next Chapter...".Rogers, who made 18 appearances for the United States Men's National Team, was one of Major League Soccer's most promising players when he was with the Columbus Crew. After the 2011 season, he made the jump across the pond but struggled to get playing time with English side Leeds United. He was released by Leeds last month and has been without a club since.In his blog post, Rogers also announced that he is "stepping away" from the game. He wrote: Secrets can cause so much internal damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently.  I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined… I will always be thankful for my career. I will remember Beijing, The MLS ...

Who Is the Face of Major League Soccer?

Major League Soccer had its best season in 2012, and there is no doubt 2013 will be even bigger and better! The talent continues to get better, and the attendance is improving as well. That being said, the league will be forced to move on without the presence of David Beckham for the first time since his debut in 2007. Becks wasn't always the best player on the pitch, and he had plenty of ups-and-downs during his MLS career. Nonetheless, he finished with two consecutive MLS Cup titles with the Los Angeles Galaxy. And more importantly, he was the face of Major League Soccer. Beckham's contributions to the league have been well-documented, and the league wouldn't be where it is today without his presence.David Beckham has moved on to the next stage of his illustrious career, and it's time for someone else to step up and become the face of Major League Soccer. There are plenty of talented players, but who will be the face of the league moving forward? I've pondered this question for a while, and the answer isn't as clear as I thought it would be. As of right now, no single player is the face of MLS. Whether ...

Top 5 Forward Groups in MLS

MLS First Kick 2013 is less than three weeks away, and teams are training hard to get ready for the new season.  The offseason has been very busy for a number of teams with the coaching changes, SuperDraft, free agent signings, trades, etc.  FC Dallas was pretty quiet until a couple weeks ago when Brek Shea was transferred to Stoke City.  The team didn't waste any time using the allocation money, signing forwards Eric Hassli and long time fan favorite Kenny Cooper last week.  The two will pair with Blas Perez up top, and both will surely help the Hoops this season.  The signings got me thinking about the best forward groups in the MLS heading into the new season, and here is my list of the top five.Just Missed the Cut: New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo.Begin Slideshow

Chris Wondolowski Exclusive: MLS MVP Talks Playoffs, USMNT, Red Cards, More

Even when you're the reigning Major League Soccer MVP, you never forget the bad calls—no matter how long ago they happened.San Jose Earthquakes and United States national team striker Chris Wondolowski, who was named MLS MVP after a stellar 2012 season, spoke with B/R world football lead writer Michael Cummings by phone on Monday.As he continued preparations ahead of the 2013 regular season, which begins March 3 for San Jose, Wondolowski spoke about personal accolades (and there were many in 2012), the playoffs, his chances with the national team, turning 30 and one very bad call he remembers from his high school days.So what happened to make Wondo remember the incident more than a decade later? Read on to find out. Bleacher Report: 2012 was such a successful year for you. What, if anything, disappointed you about the season?Chris Wondolowski: How we ended the year. You always want to raise the MLS Cup championship and you play to win championships. All the personal accolades are very special and I take great honor in them, but to be honest I’d trade them all in for a championship. So that’s the big goal for this year. BR: I thought you might say something about ...

5 Current Stars Bound to Play in MLS Eventually

Whether it’s a big-name like Kaka or an up-and-comer like Alexander Lopez, MLS has increasingly become the desired destination for soccer stars. In the last five years, those stars have come in different shapes and sizes. For MLS cynics, there is the aging star looking to spend the twilight of his career in the United States. Somehow a handful of these transfers—Thierry Henry and David Beckham, for example—have defined MLS as a “retirement home.” For MLS purists, there is the hidden gem that develops in MLS and prospers in a top-tier league overseas. Just ask Sporting Kansas City/United States Men’s National Team fans the kind of player Wigan Athletic received in Roger Espinoza. Then there are the modest stars that are unheralded by the media, overlooked by the casual fan and essential for a championship run. The Houston Dynamo can attest to that after signing Oscar Boniek Garcia last year. All three construct the spectrum of MLS stars. Rather than fill an entire article with outlandish scenarios based on no credible traction, all three categories will be covered. There is no room for the “Cristiano Ronaldo to MLS in 2018” slide here. So from the big-name to the up-and-comer—and everything ...

Wondolowski Will Top the MLS Scoring Charts Again in 2013

As we prepare for MLS to open its 18th season, it's always fun to guess who's going to do what in the new year.Who's going to win the MLS Cup? The Supporter's Shield? MVP?The reigning MVP, Chris Wondolowski, set a league record with 27 goals in 2012. Of San Jose's 72 tallies, Wondolowski accounted for 37.5 percent of them. If you include his seven assists, he was responsible for 47.2 percent of the Earthquakes' offense.Will Wondolowski come back and break his own record in 2013? No, I don't think he will. Will he be atop the league's top scorer again? That depends.Whether or not Wondolowski tops the scoring charts again will depend on how much time he misses for national team duty. As it currently stands, I have him missing three games. I can see him missing home matches against Seattle (Mar. 23) and Vancouver (Sept. 14) and a road match against Colorado (June 15).This, obviously, assumes a couple things. One, that Wondolowski will get called in for all of the matches in the Hex. Two, that he won't get called in for the Gold Cup.Why do I think Wondolowski won't get called in for the Gold Cup, you ask? ...

Best, Worst Moves of the MLS Offseason

The MLS offseason encompassed a broad spectrum of transactions. Some masterful. Others perplexing—and that was just the New York Red Bulls. The Desert Friendlies have already provided MLS fans with a much needed fix of MLS soccer. The 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic and Desert Diamond Cup will make available the year’s first competitive environment.  But not a single meaningful match has been played, and the MLS Cup may have already been decided. A championship team may have already been built. Front offices across the league have done their due diligence throughout the offseason to tweak—or in New York’s case, completely overhaul—its 2012 roster in hopes of capturing the MLS Cup.  Unfortunately, some teams will find out that not all moves are created equal.  Not every move pans out. Not every move is heralded by the media. But every move conducted this offseason has either helped or thwarted teams from hoisting the 2013 MLS Cup. So from best to worst, here are the five moves that will help determine the 2013 season.The New York Red Bulls Part Ways With Rafa Márquez The Red Bulls were the “kings” of the offseason, so expect multiple appearances on this list. New York dominated ...

Grading Real Salt Lake’s Top Moves During January Transfer Window

Real Salt Lake, also known as RSL, has been one of the best teams in Major League Soccer over the past four years.  They've been one of the top teams in the Western Conference and have been one of the clubs that you can constantly count on seeing in the MLS playoffs. In an offseason full of monstrous roster moves, RSL is looking to regain the same spirit that they found in 2009; the year they won the MLS cup.Which moves will pay off for RSL?  Let's see which transactions will have the biggest impact in the 2013 season. Begin Slideshow