MLS Week 14: Complete Schedule and 5 Things to Watch for This Weekend

Expect the unexpected in MLS Week 14. Especially with international duty ransacking a share of the league's rosters.  A quartet of upsets in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup set the tone for the impending action this weekend. The San Jose Earthquakes, Colorado Rapids, Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders all fell to lower division sides.  Fortunately for them, the turnaround is quick in MLS. Eighteen of the 19 teams will return to action this weekend. But with nine matches on tap, what warrants your attention in Week 14? Read on to find out.Begin Slideshow

Portland Timbers: 5 Best Players in Club History

Portland, Oregon, known to some as “Soccer City USA,” has long been a passionate place for the beautiful game. Their beloved Portland Timbers have a storied history in American soccer since originating in the North American Soccer League in 1975. There have been a handful of stars over the years, and after sorting through the history books, I did my best to rank the top five players in club history. I chose exclusively from Timbers players with at least one full season under their belt and who participated in either the NASL era or the current MLS era. With all players, I attempted to weigh not only their contributions as Timbers, but also their overall quality and accomplishments throughout their careers.  Ladies and gentlemen, here are your five best players in club history.Begin Slideshow

Robbie Rogers: First Game as Openly Gay Footballer Felt ‘Normal’

Robbie Rogers, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Major League Soccer made history on Sunday night. Rogers, who had announced his retirement from football in an eloquently-written blog post in February, was making his competitive return to the sport for Galaxy against the Seattle Sounders.Even though he played just 13 minutes in a 4-0 win that included a Robbie Keane hat trick, it was him that the cameras, reporters and eyes of the world were focused on before, during and after his brief appearance on the pitch. His, after all, had been no ordinary comeback.“For the past 25 years I have been afraid, afraid to show who I really was because of fear,” he blogged from London just over three months ago. “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.” With those words, Rogers both revealed his sexual orientation and announced he was stepping away from the game he had loved all his life. Professional sports and the macho culture of the locker room—a sort of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” code—remained, for him, incompatible. So, he embarked ...

MLS Supporters Groups Are Really Taking Anti-Discrimination Campaign to Heart

Sunday was Diversity Day in Major League Soccer and, coincidentally, Robbie Rogers made his debut for the L.A. Galaxy as the first openly gay player in MLS.The league's "Don't Cross The Line" campaign, with public service announcements during games and on stadium signage featuring some of the league's best players, has been popping up everywhere.Evidence that supporters groups are taking the campaign seriously have popped up league-wide, most notably in Kansas City on Sunday and earlier this month in Portland.In addition to the rainbow-colored fabric used to cover the Members Stand at Sporting Park on Sunday, there were also several smaller banners. They included "Wiz on the Haters," "Rainbow Glory," "Be Excellent To Each Other" featuring Abraham Lincoln from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," and "Homophobia, Ain't Nobody Got Time For That" featuring Sweet Brown.On May 12, the Timbers Army held up what looks to me like colored poster board, a different color for each section, to make up their rainbow. They also had a large banner that said "Pride Not Prejudice" in pink.The players in MLS are an incredibly diverse bunch. According to statistics compiled by the Elias Sports Bureau, 213 of the league's 530 players (or just over ...

Week 13 MLS Power Rankings

All eyes this week in Major League Soccer were squarely focused on the Los Angeles Galaxy.The Galaxy acquired Robbie Rogers from Chicago, and on Sunday, he became the first openly gay player in American professional sports. Aside from Rogers' appearance, the Galaxy had a big weekend as a whole, as they stormed past the Sounders at home.Read on to see where the Galaxy and the other 18 MLS clubs rank in this week's power rankings. Begin Slideshow

Best and Worst from MLS Week 13

MLS Week 13 featured the comeback. The most important one didn’t even take place on the scoreboard. The Chicago Fire turned a 1-0 deficit into a 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake thanks to the heroics of Quincy Amarikwa. The 25-year-old forward connected on a Austin Berry flick in the 84th minute to secure Chicago’s eighth point of the season. Alvaro Saborio made a comeback of his own Saturday night. The Costa Rican international returned from a quad injury and delivered a sensational header in the 78th minute.But Amarikwa and Saborio didn’t make the list of best and worst from MLS Week 13. Read on to find out who did.Begin Slideshow

Twitter Reacts to Robbie Rogers’ Appearance with LA Galaxy

On Sunday night, Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to compete in a major United States sporting event. He came on as a substitute late in the L.A. Galaxy's 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders.It was a huge moment for the MLS, for soccer in general and for gay rights in the United States. While NBA player Jason Collins announced he was gay last month, he is a free agent and has yet to play a game since making the announcement. Other male athletes in the United States who have come out did so once they retired, such as former NBA player John Amaechi. It was also a huge moment for Rogers, who announced he was gay in February and promptly retired from the sport, fearing the scrutiny he would face as a gay athlete. And from a pure sporting perspective, it was a huge moment for the L.A. Galaxy and the U.S. men's national team, who will each likely be getting an impact player to add to their roster. Rogers only played 13 minutes and didn't do anything of note, but his initial appearance was more symbolic than anything else. At least for now. And Twitter took notice, reacting ...

MLS Expansion: 10 Cities Where MLS Could Go Next

It was recently announced that MLS will place a second team in New York for the 2015 season, the 20th team in the league and the 10th expansion franchise in the last 12 years.  It seems likely that MLS will add between two and six expansion teams in the coming years. Here are 10 markets, eight in the United States and two elsewhere in North America, that I see as possibilities for an MLS franchise. By user request, fourth in a series: NHL, NFL, NBA.   Begin Slideshow

MLS Weekend Wrap

The Major League Soccer weekend kicked off with a fury of eight goals in Montreal and continued on into Sunday with two Eastern Conference showdowns. Kei Kamara continued his march back to the Sporting Kansas City starting 11 with his equalizer off the bench against Houston while Jamison Olave provided some late-match heroics in the Red Bulls' draw with Columbus.Elsewhere across the league this weekend, three matches ended in a 2-0 result and the worst of the worst in the league extended their runs of futility. Read on for recaps for each of the nine matches played in MLS this weekend. Begin Slideshow

Robbie Rogers Returning to LA Galaxy as 1st Openly Gay MLS Player

A little more than three months after coming out and retiring from soccer in an open letter to fans on his blog, Robbie Rogers is reportedly returning to the pitch. UPDATE: Saturday, May 25th, at 3:50 p.m. ET by Kyle VassaloThe Chicago Fire's official team site released a statement on the deal:"The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Saturday the team has acquired midfielder Mike Magee from the Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for the right of first refusal to U.S. international Robbie Rogers and other considerations. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed."Chicago Fire President of Soccer Operation Javier Leon speaks about the deal with the Galaxy:“We initially acquired the rights to Robbie Rogers because we think he is a great player. As he expressed his interest in being home near his family, we’re happy to have worked out a deal with the Galaxy that will benefit all parties. We wish Robbie all the best with the Galaxy.”---End of update---USA Today's Mike Foss and Erik Brady first reported the 26-year-old Rogers will join the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer next season. He will become the first openly ...