MLS Saturday Wrap: Goals, Recaps and Key Stats from MLS Weekend

Despite an international fixture weekend, Week 4 of MLS is in full swing with seven games on Saturday and one game on Sunday. There are many interesting matches to discuss.  Here are a few of the more notable contests.The Montreal Impact test their perfect campaign against a Red Bull side missing the services of Thierry Henry (injury) and Tim Cahill (international duty). Down in the nation's capital, D.C. United and their tight defense welcome the offensively gifted Columbus Crew. Out west, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Seattle Sounders.  Will Obafemi Martins get the start for Seattle after a week of training? Two-time reigning MLS Cup champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy look to get back on track after last week's draw with Chivas USA.  They face the Colorado Rapids. Colorado's head coach Oscar Pareja is looking for his first win of the season. Nearly a month into MLS, the results this weekend will help shed light regarding the most in-form sides.   However, it must also be noted that many of the league's best players will be missing due to commitments with national teams.First up: D.C. United vs. Columbus Crew. All data comes from MLSSoccer.com, powered by Opta. Begin Slideshow

MLS: Red Bulls Bring in Veteran Keeper Kevin Hartman to Add Depth

Amongst the plethora of international matches on Friday, the New York Red Bulls made a crucial move to add depth to their goalkeeping ranks. The Red Bulls announced on their website that they signed Kevin Hartman, a longtime veteran of MLS at 38 years old, as cover while Ryan Meara is still out injured.Before the signature of the former LA Galaxy, Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas keeper, the Red Bulls had Luis Robles and 17-year-old Santiago Castano as the only healthy keepers on their roster. Bringing in Hartman benefits all parties involved in the transaction. Hartman has been looking for a new team ever since his contract was not renewed by FC Dallas at the end of the 2012 season while the Red Bulls needed to bolster their depth at the position. The Red Bulls' first-choice keeper, Meara, has been out with a hip injury that he suffered last summer during the regular season.The Red Bulls do not want to rush the progress of their keeper of the future, especially if they have two valuable keepers on the roster that are capable of playing at the highest level (via Talk). Robles has started the first three games of the season for the ...

MLS Expansion: Why the MLS Should Put a Team in El Paso, Texas

Over the past few years, Major League Soccer has been growing rapidly, and there is talk of even further expansion.  The most likely target is Queens, New York (perhaps as a revival of Pele's Cosmos), but St. Louis, Atlanta, Phoenix, San Diego and Miami have also been mentioned as targets.  However, I'd like to add one other city to MLS' list: El Paso, Texas.El Paso is one of the largest cities in the country without any top-level sports teams, at 649,121. Only Austin has more people within its city limits.  804,123 people live in the El Paso metro region, not that much in comparison to other American metros with sports teams. However, if you combine the population of the El Paso metro area with Southern New Mexico and Ciudad Juarez across the Rio Grande, the population balloons to over two-and-a-quarter million.  That's bigger than the media markets of many one-team cities. And, mind you, there are people who cross international borders to regularly watch sporting events.  The Buffalo Sabres and Bills have substantial fanbases in Southern Ontario.  Furthermore, not only is El Paso-Juarez of sufficient size to support a pro team, it doesn't have any nearby competition.  The closest cities with ...

Has Landon Donovan Reached His Ceiling as a Player?

It has been a month since Landon Donovan emerged from his self-imposed "break" from soccer, and by all accounts, he is scheduled to rejoin the LA Galaxy next week. The 30-year-old midfielder is the all-time leader in goals and assists for the U.S. National Team and has racked up five MLS Cups throughout his career. But as Donovan begins to transition out of the prime of his career, there is a perception that he has not lived up to his full potential. The perception stems from his balking at playing in Europe (multiple times). The fact that Donovan has not spent more of his career in Europe leaves many American fans wondering if he has underachieved. In his recent de-facto press conference at the USC School of Journalism, Donovan admitted that he is burned out from the game, but also implied that he is burned out by the pressure of being an American star. By all accounts, Donovan is a thoughtful, articulate guy, so nobody can discount his comments, but at the same time the pressure he faces is minimal compared to that of his former teammate David Beckham, or New York Red Bull star Thierry Henry. Maybe it is naive ...

Tim Howard: Why Talented Keeper Should Consider Playing in MLS

Tim Howard should return stateside and sign with an MLS club. It not only is best for American soccer, but more importantly, it is what is best for him. Let's begin with its impact on American soccer. Howard is one of the most recognizable faces for the national team, and one of its most beloved players. Yet, the majority of fans stateside only get to see his mug in those few choice games. They do not actively hunt down Everton games just to watch Howard play. It would be a feather in the cap of the MLS to nab not only one of soccer's best keepers, but also one of the most popular American soccer stars. As the MLS continues to grow its fan base, it is important to grab every star available. The David Beckham and Thierry Henry signings illustrate this point well. In spite of these guys being past their prime, it was important that the MLS brought them over. It bolsters the image of the league. That, in turn, excites the youth to watch and pick up the game. It is a ripple effect that could lead to more American-bred soccer stars in the decades to come. ...

Where Would an MLS Best XI Finish in the Premier League?

It has become tradition each summer that the MLS All-Stars face a top club from Europe. This match is always an entertaining affair. Last season, the MLS outfit beat Chelsea, 3-2, in a simmering contest.   Considering the MLS side and their success against one of the best teams in Europe, it is always a fun debate to discuss how an MLS best 11 side might fare in the English Premier League. Although there is no way to know for sure, after examining who would be on the team and how they would play, it is possible that an MLS best 11 would finish in the top eight. First things first, the coach of the team would have to be the American coaching legend, Bruce Arena.  Arena’s tactics have always been clear. He is a master at utilizing the strength of his players. The most dangerous part of this side would be the front-runners.Apologies to Chris Wondolowski, but the strike partnership of Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane is too appetizing to pass up. The pair has had success in spades in the Premier League and they are both playing at a high level for their respective clubs. Imagine the movement and runs these ...

Best and Worst of the MLS Weekend

Week 3 of MLS featured the first ever “Rivalry Weekend,” a weekend filled with fixtures dedicated entirely to the rivalries sprinkled throughout the league.  Overall, MLS deserves credit for creating a unique way to thank and acknowledge the passionate fans and groups that make the league tick.   In total, 17 goals were scored.  Of the nine matches, 67 percent ended with a draw (six).  No one player was the most prolific goalscorer on the weekend, as there were no multiple-goal efforts.  Two games, New York vs. D.C and Kansas City vs. Chicago, ended without a goal.  The most wild match of the weekend came in Texas, as FC Dallas let a two-goal lead evaporate, only to have it salvaged by Kenny Cooper’s controversial late winner.  A few themes emerged.  Here some of the best and worst, starting with the best.The Best: Rookies Make an Impact:  Three rookies got the first ever goals of their respective MLS careers, Deshorn Brown of the Colorado Rapids, Andrew Driver of the Houston Dynamo and Carlos Alvarez of Chivas USA.  Brown’s was the result of an innate striker’s anticipation, stripping a poor touch off Chris Schuler of Real Salt Lake and burying his solo effort. Driver blasted a ...

MLS Power Rankings: Week 3

The third week of the Major League Soccer season was deemed as Rivalry Week by the league before the season started.With plenty of passion and hatred out on the pitches of the United States and Canada this weekend, MLS fans were treated to a very competitive slate of nine games.Six of the nine games resulted in draws with Philadelphia, Montreal and FC Dallas being the only victorious teams this weekend. The deadlock of results made it difficult for our voters to determine who should be ranked where this week.Here are the final results from out experts' voting after the third week of MLS play. Begin Slideshow

LA Galaxy vs. Chivas USA: Galaxy Score Then Concede Late in a Thrilling LA Derby

The Los Angeles Galaxy will be ruing the fact that they had to settle for a 1-1 draw with rivals Chivas USA in a heated LA derby at the Home Depot Center on Sunday.Bruce Arena's team enjoyed the lion's share of possession throughout the 90 minutes. Robbie Keane looked to be in the mood as well, which usually does not bode well for Galaxy opponents.Of the teams' 25 meetings throughout this rivalry, Chivas have secured a non-loss result just nine times.Further damning for new coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola was the fact that by the 40th minute his side was down to 10 men. Joaquin Oscar Velazquez was shown his second yellow card and given his marching orders for a clumsy challenge on Galaxy midfielder Colin Clark.Chivas, the visitors on the day, were able to hold their opponents at bay for the remainder of the half.In the second half, the Galaxy were sloppy and failed to convert any of the handful of chances that they were given. Numerous times the back post was left wide open, waiting for an attacker to get on the end of one of the many crosses fired in from the flanks.Chivas was doing an equally good ...

Bill Hamid, DC United Steal Point in Rivalry Game vs. New York Red Bulls

D.C. United spoiled the New York Red Bulls home opener on Saturday afternoon, earning a 0-0 draw largely through the spectacular efforts of their goalkeeper Bill Hamid. The matchup was the first game on tap for Major League Soccer’s rivalry week and, despite the scoreline, provided more than its fair share of excitement. New York clearly dominated the contest, out-possessing D.C. United 57 percent to 43 percent, respectively, and outshooting their rivals 24-4. However, D.C.’s defense held strong through most of the contest and was saved from danger when it did break down through several spectacular efforts from Hamid. Hamid’s remarkable effort had to be particularly satisfying for him after his bungled own-goal howler and sending off in last year’s D.C. United-New York playoff series nearly cost his team a chance at playing for the Eastern Conference championship. Hamid was busy right from the get go, parrying away a beautiful effort from Thierry Henry in only the eighth minute. Then, right before the half, Hamid had a nice punch on a long service into D.C. United’s box. In the second half, Hamid picked up right where he had left off. In the 67th minute, he impressively swatted away a chance ...