14Aug/140
6 Key Battles for MLS Matches from August 15-17
If you are a fan of crucial, playoff-altering clashes, then Week 23 in Major League Soccer is just for you. Two games on Saturday will feature two teams in the top three of their respective conferences, while plenty of interconference games will take place in Eastern Conference parks. With the pressure building on each team in the league to deliver a result to stay in the playoff race, a few key players will be relied on to shut down some dangerous attacking threats. Some of those players will be tasked with stopping attackers, who just can't stop scoring at the moment. Continue reading on for the six key battles that will shape play in MLS this weekend. Begin Slideshow12Aug/140
5 USMNT Players That Could Succeed Overseas
The U.S. men's national team members at the 2014 FIFA World Cup have made more headlines over the last couple of months. Defender Matt Besler and winger Graham Zusi signed designated player contracts with Sporting Kansas City, per MLSSoccer.com. These signings will keep the pair at the club through the next World Cup. The details of the contracts were released by Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated. It signals that the top American stars are willing to stay in MLS long term despite interest from clubs overseas. Besler, Zusi and others are clearly very talented, as are many others involved with the USMNT. Current players and past call-ups with the USMNT who also play in MLS will be featured in this slideshow. Those who don't make the cut are those who have already played abroad or are too old to make the jump. Five who could make an impact overseas will be highlighted in this piece. Begin Slideshow12Aug/140
Real Salt Lake vs. Club Tijuana: Date, Time, Predictions and Preview
Real Salt Lake will play a midseason friendly against Mexican side Club Tijuana on Tuesday, as they look to keep the squad's match rhythm on the right level in the hunt for Major League Soccer's Supporters' Shield. Real chase the Seattle Sounders by two points in the Western Conference (although Seattle has two games in hand) and look like a safe bet to make the play-offs, but with several clubs making a push for the top five, the Royals will have to stay on their toes. A friendly against Club Tijuana might do the trick. Xolos have completely missed their start in the Liga MX, but they still boast the quality to give the hosts a strong challenge. Date: Tuesday, August 12 Time: 8 p.m. MT/10 p.m. ET Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium Preview Tijuana need a break to shake things up—badly. Xolos have only secured two points in their first four matches and find themselves near the basement of the Liga MX standings, but this early in the season, that doesn't have to be a death sentence. What Tijuana need most is a spark, something that gets the team started. The squad has looked uninspired in front of goal, and the lack of offence has largely negated several ...12Aug/140
MLS Player Power Rankings: Streaky Scorers Continue Rise Up List
As the stretch run of play in Major League Soccer begins, there are plenty of players seizing their opportunities in front of goal. Although the lead of Golden Boot leader Bradley Wright-Phillips has yet to be threatened, players like Gyasi Zardes, Diego Valeri, Joao Plata and Sebastien Le Toux are all climbing up the list of top scorers in rapid fashion. Some of those players are also making their mark on the MLS Player Power Rankings, as the top 10 once again saw a bit of a shake-up. Continue reading on to see who the top-20 players in the league are after 22 weeks of play. Begin Slideshow11Aug/140
5 Things We Learned from MLS Matches from August 8-10
Following the league's all-star break, Major League Soccer was back in action this weekend with a full schedule. With only a third of the season left to play, the intensity and importance of every match is becoming more and more amplified each week. Here are five things we learned from this weekend's action.Begin Slideshow11Aug/140
Winners and Losers from MLS Matches from August 8-10
This weekend's slate of Major League Soccer matches did not provide the pop and pizzazz of recent weeks, but it did carve out its own unique niche in the 2014 season. Two major pieces of history were made in the span of 24 hours: Nick Rimando became the all-time shutout leader and Sigi Schmid became the first coach to reach 200 wins. Not everyone in the league had as good of a weekend as Rimando and Schmid, though, as once again some brutal defensive mistakes were made. Continue reading on for the complete list of winners and losers from the most recent weekend of play in MLS. Begin Slideshow11Aug/140
MLS Team of the Week: Real Salt Lake Trio Shine on Historic Night
The play in Major League Soccer this weekend was focused on one league legend in pursuit of a record. After searching for the all-time shutout record all season, Nick Rimando earned it in a dominant win by Real Salt Lake over D.C. United. The performances by two of Rimando's teammates were good enough to join the keeper in the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Week. Due to plenty of solid center back showings, and some less than stellar fullback performances, the team is set up in a 3-4-1-2 formation to bring in an extra midfielder and central defender. Continue reading on to see who fit into the best XI from this weekend's MLS play. Begin Slideshow8Aug/140
Landon Donovan’s Career Runs Parallel with Increasing Success of MLS
It was 2005, and just seven games into his second stint of European football, Landon Donovan wanted to come back home. Naturally, Major League Soccer clubs tripped over themselves jockeying for position to land the prized U.S. star—ultimately with the Los Angeles Galaxy obtaining his rights. Few could have fathomed back then what impact Donovan's return to the MLS has had nearly a decade later. Donovan announced his retirement at the end of the 2014 season on his Facebook page Thursday. The MLS has turned from a struggling project to a must-watch product for any American soccer fan in his time playing, and that's no coincidence. When the greatest American player to step on a pitch made his MLS debut, it was a high-flying three-year loan spell with the San Jose Earthquakes. Donovan racked up domestic player of the year awards each season. As he returned from his loan back to Bayer Leverkusen, he figured to be an impact player as a 23-year-old budding star. And for MLS fans, he was as good as gone. Owned by a German club, courted by English clubs and coming off being named the best young player at the 2002 World Cup, Donovan's skill simply surpassed the domestic league. But ...8Aug/140
Top 5 Chicago Fire Players of All Time
The Chicago Fire may not have as many titles as the LA Galaxy or the star power of the New York Red Bulls, but the proud midwestern franchise boasts some of the toughest players in Major League Soccer history. The Fire burst onto the scene in 1998 by winning the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup and enjoyed a great deal of early success, winning the 2003 MLS Supporters' Shield and three more U.S. Open Cups in 2000, 2003 and 2006. Those first years solidified Chicago's identity as a hard-nosed, technically sound squad not afraid to go toe-to-toe with any other team. And from that personality came a wealth of talented players. Listing the five best to ever suit up for the Fire is no easy task, but I will give it a shot. Please feel free to respond in the comments with your own best of the best. The Criteria The top five is an exclusive club. Any player who makes the cut had to not only demonstrate excellence on the field—statistically and otherwise—but also exemplify what it means to wear the badge. And in that spirit, the rankings only pertain to accomplishments in Chicago. Brian McBride, for instance, may have had a prolific career, ...8Aug/140