MLS Weekend Wrap

Major League Soccer gave its fans plenty to celebrate this weekend with 27 goals spread across eight matches, three of which were packed with drama.The drama started in Montreal and then shifted to Kansas City before making its way out west for the exquisite comeback by San Jose in front of 50,000 fans at Stanford Stadium.Read on to see how these three matches and the other five played across MLS this weekend went.Begin Slideshow

Sporting KC, FC Dallas on Upset Alert in MLS This Weekend

If not for a red card for C.J. Sapong against FC Dallas last weekend, I might have gotten that upset right. After all, Sporting Kansas City had a 2-0 lead at the time of the ejection.But like the saying goes, "If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas."Only two teams are on Upset Alert for me this week. Let's see if you agree. Upset Alert No. 1: Philadelphia Union vs. FC DallasSchellas Hyndman may still have one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference, but when FC Dallas travels to PPL Park this weekend to take on John Hackworth's Philadelphia Union, Dallas needs to be careful.FC Dallas may have started well, but it has no wins in its last three matches. Philadelphia has two straight wins and is unbeaten in its last three. Those two wins were by identical 3-0 score lines.Dallas also needs to watch its back line. Its goal differential is a +9 at home but a -4 on the road. Upset Alert No. 2: Sporting KC vs. ColumbusSporting KC may have played better last week, but its run of results is still pretty bad lately. The two-time defending Eastern Conference regular-season ...

MLS Week 18: Complete Schedule and 5 Things to Watch for This Weekend

It isn’t the Fourth of July yet, but get ready for some fireworks in MLS Week 18. Of course, we’re speaking in literal terms for the Ultras in San Jose. The quarterfinal of the U.S. Open Cup highlighted the mid-week action in MLS. The Chicago Fire, Portland Timbers, DC United and Real Salt Lake all advanced to the semifinal with impressive victories. The rest of the league will look to join the momentous festivities this weekend. A total of eight matches are scheduled. But with so much action on tap, what warrants your attention in Week 18? Read on to find out.Begin Slideshow

Ranking the 5 Hottest Goalscorers in Major League Soccer

Believe it or not, the 2013 MLS season has reached its halfway mark. After 17 weeks of matches, teams can now assess where they stand in the table and what they need to accomplish to earn a playoff spot.Scoring goals is a good place to start. Putting the ball in the back of the net is no easy task, but there are plenty of players knocking them in on a regular basis.I have ranked five of these players not just by the number of goals they have scored this year, but by their recent form and production.Ladies and gentlemen, the five hottest goalscorers in MLS.Begin Slideshow

MLS: Would a Four-Division MLS Be a Good Idea?

When New York F.C. takes to the field, MLS will be fielding 20 clubs. That's enough for four five-team divisions.  So, is this a good idea?Well, the MLB, NHL and NBA currently have six divisions, and the 32-team NFL has eight.However, most other premier leagues around the world don't have divisions at all, including the English Premier League, which also has 20 teams.  However, most other worldwide leagues have a smaller geographic footprint than the MLS (usually only one or two time zones instead of four), and many also have fewer than 20 teams. Though some of these leagues (including the EPL) play a double-round-robin regular-season schedule, other leagues have unbalanced schedules.And how would the divisions ultimately line up?Well, for starters, one team is going to have to move from the East to the West. Houston and Kansas City are the most likely targets for movement. I'd move the Dynamo to the West so it could be in the same division as its Texas derby rival Dallas.Dividing the MLS is complicated by the fact that the MLS has a different geographical distribution than the "Big Four" leagues. With six teams on the west coast, the Whitecaps will have to be ...

Week 17 MLS Power Rankings

The race for the top spot in the Major League Soccer power rankings is heating up just as the calendar officially switches over to summer.Three clubs can make a case to be No. 1, but only one of them can reign supreme on top of the power rankings this week.Find out who won the battle for No. 1 in this week's edition of the MLS Power Rankings.Begin Slideshow

Best and Worst from MLS Week 17: Will Johnson, the SuperClasico and More

The summer heat intensified in MLS Week 17. Cooler heads did not prevail.  Toronto FC and the Houston Dynamo played to another draw Saturday night. Unfortunately, there were no late dramatics. Both teams were unable to impact the scoreboard.Real Salt Lake had no issues in that department. Goals from Kyle Beckerman and Robbie Findley secured a 2-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday. The Claret and Cobalt are now tied atop the Supporters’ Shield standings with 30 points. But neither team was able to make the list of best and worst from MLS Week 17. Read on to find out who did.Begin Slideshow

MLS Weekend Wrap

Major League Soccer was turned on its head early on Saturday night, as two of the season's most desperate clubs pulled off big victories.After D.C. United and the Chicago Fire surprised plenty of fans, and possibly even themselves, with wins, one of the most consistent franchises over the past few years took center stage once again.With their win at home, Real Salt Lake overtook FC Dallas as the Western Conference leaders.On Sunday. Portland and Philadelphia turned in dominant performances that ended in the exact same result. Read on for comprehensive recaps for all eight matches played in MLS so far this weekend.Begin Slideshow

How Long Will the Portland Timbers’ Unbeaten MLS Streak Last?

For the first two seasons of their existence, the Portland Timbers were known more for their passionate fanbase and eccentric owner but now the team on the pitch is making noise with every match they play.Currently, the Timbers are in the midst of a 14-match unbeaten run that was extended on Wednesday night at the newly-named StubHub Center in Carson, CA against the Los Angeles Galaxy. If you had told anyone who covers Major League Soccer week-to-week that the Timbers would be in this position after their Week 1 draw with the New York Red Bulls at home, they would have laughed in your face. In that draw, Caleb Porter’s club scored two second-half goals against a lackluster Red Bulls defense. That result was followed up the next week with a loss to the current Eastern Conference leaders, Montreal Impact, at home. Ever since those two early-season matches, the Timbers have shocked the league, earning eight draws and six victories in their last 14 matches.  During this 14-match spell, the Timbers have taken away results from clubs that they should have taken points away from like D.C. United, Chicago Fire and the San Jose Earthquakes.The Timbers have also come away with some surprising results, as ...

FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake on Upset Alert This Weekend

After last week, I'm either lucky or good: I put two teams on upset alert, and both of them lost.Considering one of those teams was D.C. United, I don't suppose that's saying very much. They haven't won since March 9, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time until Ben Olsen updates his resume (if he hasn't already).With that in mind, let's look at the Upset Alert list for the weekend of June 22-23. Upset Alert No. 1: FC Dallas vs. Sporting KCFC Dallas is on the top of the Western Conference standings with 28 points (out of a possible 45) and have the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup to get ready for on Wednesday.Sporting Kansas City sits in a three-way tie for third in the Eastern Conference and hasn't played a league game since June 1. They are also 2-4-2 in their last eight league matches.I'm putting FC Dallas on Upset Alert because Sporting KC should be a team that is hungry, if not desperate, for a win. Their last competitive match, on June 12, was a disappointing home loss to Orlando City. Their last league match was also a disappointing home loss, this time to Montreal.Sporting KC, ...