Frank Lampard Staying at Manchester City Is Bad for New York City FC and MLS

When Major League Soccer's expansion franchise New York City FC signed English midfielder Frank Lampard as one of their designated players for the 2015 MLS season, it seemed like a great move for the club and MLS in general. But because Lampard was signed in July and NYCFC was not scheduled to begin playing until the 2015 MLS season, Lampard was loaned out for the remainder of 2014 to Manchester City. Initially, the move seemed to make perfect sense. NYCFC is owned by the same group that owns Manchester City and NYCFC would want Lampard to stay active over the next six months until the 2015 MLS season began. However, now that Lampard's loan stint is nearing an end, there has been wide speculation (via The Mirror) that he will be staying with Manchester City after the New Year—a move that would be terrible for both NYCFC and MLS. When Lampard was first signed by NYCFC, the old adage about MLS being a "retirement" league was trotted out again. Lampard, while a legend with Chelsea, was out of contract and, at 36 years of age, his top-flight club career seemed near its end. However, one of the primary factors in Manchester City's desire to keep ...

Sporting Kansas City Are the Early Winners of the MLS Offseason

Despite being less than a month old, the Major League Soccer offseason has already seen a ton of action. Numerous acquisition drafts have been held, and a few clubs have ventured into the international market to sign players. One of the busiest teams over the last few weeks has been Sporting Kansas City, who are in the middle of a much-needed rebuild following a late-season collapse in 2014.  Some of the familiar faces like Matt Besler, Graham Zusi and Dom Dwyer will still be around for the 2015 campaign, but plenty of new names will make up the supporting cast around the three stars.  One of the biggest moves of the offseason so far came on the day after the MLS Cup Final, when the 2013 MLS Cup champion sent defensive stalwart Aurelien Collin to expansion side Orlando City.  While some may have been surprised by the trade, Sporting KC needed to make changes in the back four, which made countless errors throughout the final two months of the regular season. Collin had to be moved because of issues with the salary cap, per a report from MLSSoccer.com. But Sporting did get a strong player in return, as Jalil Anibaba was sent to the club after ...

Report: Roma’s Daniele De Rossi Considering New York City FC and Red Bulls

Roma stalwart and Italy international Daniele De Rossi is considering a switch to New York City FC, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia). Empire of Soccer's Dave Martinez also claims that De Rossi is also garnering interest from the New York Red Bulls. De Rossi has been linked with other clubs over the past couple of years, including Manchester City of the English Premier League, per Huw Silk of The Telegraph. However, the 31-year-old also has one stipulation. He'll only leave if Roma wins the Scudetto this season. The Giallorossi are only three points behind league-leaders Juventus after 16 games. De Rossi has a house in the United States and spends some of his vacations across the Atlantic. A move to the U.S. wouldn't be out of the ordinary for the midfielder. The World Cup winner nearly left the team a few years ago, but he decided to stay after Roma lost to city rivals Lazio in the 2012/13 Coppa Italia final. New York City FC could use a player of De Rossi's ilk. He's an excellent box-to-box midfielder who can break up any oncoming attack and transition the play forward. He can also play as a center back if necessary. One of NYC ...

Why the Signing of Erick Torres Is a Game-Changer for Houston and MLS

When the Houston Dynamo unveiled Erick "Cubo" Torres as their newest signing Tuesday night, team president Chris Canetti had the perfect words to describe the move.  "This is a monumental signing," Canetti said in the team's press release announcing the deal for the electric 21-year-old Mexican forward.  Torres will join up with the Dynamo after a six-month loan spell at his former club, Chivas de Guadalajara.  When he enters the fray in Houston, Torres will become the marquee name in the lineup, who Houston fans have been waiting to see for a long time.  The Dynamo have always had productive players in attack like Brian Ching, Will Bruin and Brad Davis. But the popularity of those three players combined will not match the recognition Torres receives when he begins his time in the Lone Star State.  For years, Houston has been searching for a player to attract the massive Hispanic audience in the city. By obtaining Torres from Chivas, the Dynamo have done just that.  Not only did the Dynamo need Torres to create a more passionate fanbase than they already had, the acquisition will help new manager Owen Coyle adjust to the league faster. Coyle, who comes to MLS after managerial stints at Burnley, Bolton Wanderers and Wigan ...

Top 10 Moments of 2014 in U.S. Soccer

Major League Soccer and the U.S. men's national team had a memorable 2014. The World Cup produced some magical memories and heartbreaking moments that no one will ever forget. An American legend also walked into the sunset after an incredible career. As the year comes to a close, this slideshow will highlight the top 10 moments in U.S. soccer in 2014. They will be graded on the historic and present-day impact on the sport in the United States. Here are the top 10 moments of 2014 in U.S. soccer.Begin Slideshow

7 Players Who Deserve to Be Designated Players in MLS

Major League Soccer is entering a new era in 2015, as Thierry Henry and Landon Donovan will no longer be around to display their talents on the pitch.  Filling the void of the two stars will not be an easy task, but the designated-player rule does make things a bit easier for clubs to go out and find new talent. Although acquiring outside talent is popular, some clubs opt to reward their current players with designated-player contracts. The latest example of this is New York locking up Bradley Wright-Phillips for the long term after the 2014 season ended.  With Wright-Phillips' signing in mind, here is a look at seven other current MLS players who are deserving of a designated-player contract. Begin Slideshow

5 Major Issues Concerning MLS CBA Negotiations

Before the 2015 Major League Soccer season can begin, a new collective bargaining agreement must be negotiated by the league and the players' union.  Last time the two sides went to the negotiating table, the discussions went down to the final week of the offseason before the 2010 campaign.  This time around, negotiations are expected to be intense in order to improve the rapidly expanding league, which will see two expansion sides enter the fray in March.  Here is a look at five of the key issues surrounding the MLS CBA negotiations. Begin Slideshow

MLS Releases Opening Weekend Schedule and Club Home Openers

Major League Soccer revealed the schedule for the first weekend of the 2015 regular season, including every club's home opener. The 2015 season opens with the MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy facing the Chicago Fire at the StubHub Center on Friday, March 6. Other marquee matches include the Houston Dynamo taking on the Columbus Crew in Owen Coyle's first game as Dynamo head coach at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, March 7. An all-Canadian matchup between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC will also be played on that Saturday at BC Place. The Portland Timbers begin their season against Real Salt Lake at Providence Park in the third of six matches on March 7. Orlando City SC begins life in MLS against their expansion cousins New York City FC at the Citrus Bowl in the first of three matches on Sunday, March 8. Even the official MLS Instagram account is jacked up for this contest. Sporting Kansas City battle the New York Red Bulls at home, and the Seattle Sounders face MLS Cup finalists New England Revolution at CenturyLink Field in the other matches that day. NYC FC play their first home match on Sunday, March 15, against the Revolution at Yankee Stadium. TFC won't play at BMO ...

What Mix Diskerud Signing in Mexico Means for MLS and the USMNT

Mix Diskerud is close to signing with Xolos de Tijuana in Mexico, according to ESPN reporter Tom Marshall: Diskerud was previously linked with the Columbus Crew, per SB Nation. The Crew wanted to sign the midfielder as a designated player, according to Patrick Guldan of the Massive Report. On the surface, it's not a good omen that a U.S. international may not join an MLS team, but it's not all bad news for the league. Diskerud was born in Oslo, Norway, to a Norwegian father and American mother. He grew up in his birth country and represented the nation at the youth level, before joining with the U.S. men's national team. It's also where the 24-year-old began his professional career. It would be a significantly bigger deal if Clint Dempsey or Michael Bradley declined to join the Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC, respectively, for a Mexican club. Those two grew up in the United States and started their careers in the United States.  Diskerud isn’t as connected to the league or the country as much as some of his teammates. However, losing the American international is a worry for a variety of reasons. Liga MX offers more money, and it isn't a single entity like MLS. There are ...

Erick Torres Transfer News: Updates on the Chivas Star’s Future

Updates from Thursday, Dec. 18 MLS has taken up the option to bring striker Erick Torres to the league. The Mexican international has been loaned to Chivas for six months as part of the deal, per ESPN soccer reporter Tom Marshall: However, Marshall goes on to say that the statement from Chivas doesn't mention MLS purchasing Torres. On the other hand, no individual club has actually signed him, so that could be the reason. Signing a player like Torres with all of his potential is a great move by MLS. He'll be able to help any team that has issues up front.   Original Text Liga MX side Chivas will keep 21-year-old striker Erick Torres for the next six months, as confirmed by the club (h/t ESPN soccer reporter Tom Marshall): There were rumours of the Houston Dynamo being the front-runners for the young Mexican forward, per Ives Galarcep of Goal.com. The reported fee for Torres was around $7.5 million. He would have been signed as a designated player. However, there could be a silver lining for MLS teams in the future. Marshall goes on to say that the league may get Torres on a permanent basis after six months. Chivas apparently wanted to keep him in order ...