Montreal Impact Faced an Uphill Battle in CONCACAF, but Should Be Proud

The Montreal Impact's dream run in the CONCACAF Champions League came to a crashing halt on Wednesday. Montreal was beaten 4-2 in the second leg of the final by Mexican side Club America and 5-3 on aggregate. The Impact had a tough test, and they should feel proud of their achievements regardless of the score. ESPNFC's Tom Marshall quotes America head coach Gustavo Matosas: America, one of the biggest teams in Mexico, possess several quality players. Oribe Peralta, Dario Benedetto, Darwin Quintero, Paul Aguilar and Ventura Alvarado are just a few of the standouts in the squad. The financial gap is also incredibly wide. America's wage expenditure is approximately 10 times higher than Montreal's, per Doug McIntyre of ESPN FC. This is exactly why Mexican clubs have won the CONCACAF Champions League every year since the new format began in 2008. The Liga MX teams have better players and can spend a lot more than MLS sides and teams in Central America. Sportswriter Nicolino DiBenedetto had this to say: Because the Mexican sides don't have the tight restraints of a salary cap or a book full of roster rules, the depth is much stronger than the Impact, and even the Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy, ...

Montreal Impact vs. Club America: Date, Time, TV Info and Live Stream for Leg 2

Montreal Impact will continue their quest to become the first-ever Major League Soccer team to sample glory in the CONCACAF Champions League, as they host Club America in the second leg of the tournament final. These two teams played out a tense 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Estadio Azteca, with Ignacio Piatti opening the scoring for the Impact early on, but the Mexican side gave themselves a lifeline thanks to an Oribe Peralta header in the 89th minute. Here are some of the highlights from that engrossing game: With a sell-out crowd set to be backing Montreal at the 65,000-capacity Olympic Stadium, expect a raucous atmosphere to be conjured for this one. Here’s all the information you need on where to catch the clash and a closer look at how both sides are faring on the cusp of this one.   Date: Wednesday, Apr. 29 Time: 8 p.m. (ET) Live Stream: Fox Sports Go (U.S.) TV Info: Fox Sports 2 (U.S.)   Impact Looking to Make History The form of Montreal in this tournament is staggering. For the last two seasons they’ve been the worst team in MLS football, winning just seven of their last 47 domestic matches. But this competition has stirred something in them and now ...

MLS Power Rankings After Week 8: The East Takes Hold of the Top 3

Week 8 of the MLS season has concluded after an action-packed weekend. Several teams earned vital wins, while others continue to struggle.  The Seattle Sounders defeated their fierce rivals the Portland Timbers at CenturyLink Field on Sunday night. Clint Dempsey's goal was the difference in a 1-0 win.  Toronto FC ended its four-game losing streak by shutting out Orlando City SC, who have yet to win a match at home. The New York Red Bulls managed to stay undefeated by tying the LA Galaxy, but was it enough to keep them at No. 1? Here are the MLS power rankings after Week 8.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Consistent Kamara Takes Top Spot After Week 8

There is no doubt we love to focus on the performances of the superstars in Major League Soccer like Kaka, Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore.  But there are plenty of players who are worthy of our praise that aren't earning a ridiculous amount of money each week.  One of those under-the-radar players earned the top spot in our weekly list of the top 20 players in the league.  Continue reading on to see who took the No. 1 position away from Giovinco in the Week 8 edition of the MLS Player Rankings. Begin Slideshow

5 Lessons Learned from the New York Red Bulls’ 1-1 Draw Against the LA Galaxy

The New York Red Bulls may be somewhat frustrated with the 1-1 draw they earned against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday, but they certainly put forth a performance they can be largely proud of. The Red Bulls dictated the pace of the game from the opening whistle, again putting their game plan of high pressure on display early and often. They were undone in the ninth minute by a moment of brilliance from 18-year-old Bradford Jamieson IV, but they allowed few other opportunities for the Galaxy. New York managed to find an equalizer in the second half, but no more. Bruce Arena's team clearly and understandably was content with leaving Red Bull Arena with a point, which made New York's task of finding a game-winner incredibly difficult. The Galaxy deserve credit for executing their game plan well. But for Jesse Marsch's Red Bulls, six matches have now passed, and the 2015 season is beginning to take shape. Sunday's match against the Galaxy came with some valuable lessons with regard to what is going right and wrong in Harrison.Begin Slideshow

Tactical Review of LA Galaxy’s 1-1 Draw with New York Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls entered Sunday's clash with the Los Angeles Galaxy as Major League Soccer's lone unbeaten side.  Sunday's contest at Red Bull Arena was seen as the first major test of the new high-tempo system manager Jesse Marsch installed during preseason.  The Red Bulls dominated the possession battle but left the field wanting more after playing to a 1-1 draw with the defending champions.  Let's take a look at some of the key tactical decisions that shaped the match.   Red Bulls' Press and Tempo Set the Tone The Red Bulls began the match by putting a ton of pressure on the ball. Whenever a Galaxy player received the ball, a slew of white shirts attacked him and forced the player into a quick decision.  “They didn’t allow us to get comfortable in the back," Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez said. "When I looked up, I saw four or five white shirts sprinting toward me. The only thing that I saw fit to do was play it back to Jamie (Penedo) or up to Gordon and (Jamieson). They did well with that."  When they were in possession of the ball, the two Red Bulls center-backs pinched up toward the halfway line, while the full-backs were looking ...

MLS Team of the Week: Altidore, Barnes Score Twice in Wild Week 8

Most of the odd qualities that make Major League Soccer its own unique brand of the beautiful game were on display in Week 8.  Each of the nine matches played across North America this weekend witnessed at least one goal. Four teams hit the back of the net on four occasions during a wild Saturday night.  The scoring outbreak across the league started on Saturday night, and it extended into Sunday thanks to Jozy Altidore, who scored a pair of strikes for a Toronto FC side in need of a victory.  Two other players found the back of the net two times in Week 8, which kept our stress levels at a minimum during the selection process for our MLS Team of the Week. Continue reading to see which players found their way into our list of the league's best 11 from Week 8. Begin Slideshow

Cristiano Ronaldo Reportedly Targeting MLS Move to Los Angeles

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to head to Los Angeles once his Real Madrid contract expires in 2018, according to Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.Wahl first reported Ronaldo's alleged interest in a switch to Major League Soccer during March. He has revealed extra information, writing, "Ronaldo has now decided the city where he wants to be: Los Angeles."Two teams are likely to be situated in the City of Angels by the time CR7's Bernabeu contract comes to an end, detailed by Wahl:It could be the Galaxy or LAFC, and while talks have yet to take place between Ronaldo and any MLS teams, L.A. is Ronaldo’s preferred destination. Meanwhile, I’m told it’s looking more likely every day that LAFC won’t start play until 2018. That means we could see Ronaldo debut for a new team in a new stadium that year.So-called "franchise players" have become commonplace for MLS' biggest teams, and indeed, those just entering the league structure.New York City FC and Orlando City are currently working through their debut seasons with David Villa and Kaka taking the headlines at the respective clubs. Both players are legends of the European game and have the power to pull in a larger global audience.Los Angeles ...

MLS Power Rankings Entering Week 8

MLS is already seven weeks old and teams are beginning to demonstrate their potential. The New York Red Bulls and Vancouver Whitecaps lead the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively, with D.C. United, the New England Revolution and FC Dallas hot on their tails. The MLS Power Rankings will determine how strong every team is so far in 2015. Criteria is mainly based on every game played this season, but recent form is also taken into account. If a particular club has had a better run of form than its opposition, it will be higher in the rankings. Here is the first installment of the MLS Power Rankings after Week 7.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Giovinco, Kamara Surge Toward Top

Major League Soccer returned to its attacking ways in Week 7, with plenty of star performances in the final third.  The league, which is still experiencing a drop off in goals from 2014, witnessed impressive outings from some of its stars and a few underrated players over the four days of action this week.  Two players who caught our eye were Sebastian Giovinco and Kei Kamara, both of whom are near the top of this week's MLS Player Rankings.  Continue reading on for a look at who ranks where in the latest list of the top 20 players in MLS. Begin Slideshow