Bieler Scores Late, Sporting Kansas City Defeats DC United

Forward Claudio Bieler scored in the 89th minute and Sporting Kansas City defeated D.C. United 1-0 on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 18,988 at Sporting Park.The clean sheet was Jimmy Nielsen's league-leading fourth straight, and the club's shutout streak now stands at 429 minutes. It's the team's second-longest such streak since 2000.During the postgame press conference I attended, Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said there's only one really good thing about shutout streaks.Vermes said, "It's only good that we don't give up goals. That's the great thing. I care less about the streaks. It's great when you don't give up goals. I say it all the time, if you don't give up goals, you not only get results but I think you set yourself up as time goes on to be able to win the important games because you're not giving the easy chances away."If you were to describe the match in one word, disjointed would be a good choice. Neither team seemed to be linking up all that well from the back and there were very few chances to speak of for either team. The best line of the night from the press box came ...

Picking an MLS Best XI for March

The first month of the 2013 Major League Soccer season is in the books. It was an exciting month, with the league’s first ever “Rivalry Week” and with clubs like Chivas USA and the Montreal Impact exceeding expectations.  There were also some thought-to-be title contenders like the Seattle Sounders that got off to a rough start. Let’s take a look at who makes the league’s best XI for the first month of action.Begin Slideshow

How the Top 6 MLS Draftees Have Fared in the Early Season

The Major League Soccer season is well underway. Dreams have been made, hearts have been crushed and the Chicago Fire have yet to realize that scoring goals leads to points. A fantastic crop of youth talent has entered the league, and with it, teams have been able to capitalize on early results. The following is a look into how the top six MLS Superdraft picks have performed in the first five weeks of the season. Begin Slideshow

CONCACAF Champions League: The One That Got Away Spurns MLS Again in Semis

Most players who leave League Soccer for greener pastures, whether it be Europe, Mexico or South America, depart with plenty of praise from their previous team. That was not the case for Herculez Gomez, who at 30 years old is in the form of his life playing for Santos Laguna in Liga MX.Gomez and his Santos Laguna teammates made the venture up to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Sounders in the first leg of the CONCACAF on Tuesday night. In the game, Gomez did something he has done on a frequent basis in the competition—score against a MLS team. Gomez, who has earned 21 caps for the United States, struck home a powerful shot past Sounders keeper Marcus Hahnemann in the 54th minute to give the Mexican side a valuable away goal as they head back to Torreon for the second leg in a week's time. Before he was setting the pitches of Mexico on fire with his goal-scoring , Gomez struggled to find playing time and any type of form at home in MLS. Gomez's first full season with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2005 showed how much natural ability the forward possessed as he scored 18 goals in all ...

MLS Best and Worst of the Weekend

This was a Saturday in Major League Soccer to be remembered because Landon Donovan, the best player in league history, returned to the Los Angeles Galaxy.A lot more went on during the eight games that took place on Saturday.  Chivas USA continued to prove that it is indeed for real this season.  Thierry Henry notched his first goal of the season and subsequently ensured the New York Red Bulls’ first win.   Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Mike Magee scored his league-leading fifth goal. The Montreal Impact dropped their first points of this campaign at the hands of Sporting Kansas City. Once again, there is a lot to discuss: Nothing more important, though, than the return of the legend, Landon Donovan.  The Best Landon Donovan is Back There are multiple reasons to be happy about Donovan’s comeback to soccer.  Be it from the perspective of having quality players plying their trade in MLS, the prospect of Donovan joining the US men’s national team in June, or simply the fact that the best player in the history of America is playing. All are worthwhile. All of these reasons and more came to mind during Donovan’s 30 minutes on Saturday.  Most notably might ...

Best and Worst from MLS Weekend

Week 5 of Major League Soccer continued to provide the same awe-inspiring and outlandish moments that have categorized the most paradoxical league on the planet. FC Dallas’ 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution propelled the Hoops to first in the Supporters’ Shield standings. The Portland Timbers were awarded a penalty kick for the first time since 2011, while the Seattle Sounders have failed to impress thus far this season. Yet for all of that excellence—or in Seattle’s case, a lack thereof—neither was able to make the list of best and worst from Week 5 in MLS. Read on to find out who did.Begin Slideshow