MLS Power Rankings: LA Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps Rise After Week 25

When MLS fans check the Supporters' Shield and Western Conference standings, they'll see a familiar sight for the next few days. The LA Galaxy crushed New York City FC on Sunday to claim the West's top seed. It also passed D.C. United as the top team in MLS. Week 25 also produced some surprising results that sees three teams tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference. The San Jose Earthquakes are also level with the Seattle Sounders for the West's final playoff spot. With several matches altering the standings, here are the latest MLS power rankings.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Trio of Earthquakes, Galaxy’s Keane, Dos Santos Feature

As playoff desperation began to sink in across Major League Soccer in Week 25, a few clubs decided to make things interesting in the push for the postseason. Riding the annual wave of Dominic Kinnear late-summer momentum, the San Jose Earthquakes shocked us all by winning two matches on the road against Sporting Kansas City and D.C. United by a combined 7-0. However, San Jose wasn't the only side in the Western Conference to marvel us with a ridiculous result, as the LA Galaxy plowed past New York City FC 5-1 on Sunday in front of an international audience.  Due to the magnificent individual performances from both California sides, who meet in the final regular-season California Clasico on Friday night, five players from the two teams earned spots in the latest MLS Team of the Week. Joining the California-based quintet in our 4-3-3 formation are two superstars of the league and a few defenders who popped out of relative obscurity and delivered strong matches in times of need.  Continue reading to see who was named to our MLS Team of the Week from Week 25. Begin Slideshow

LA Galaxy vs. New York City FC: Score and Reaction from 2015 MLS Match

The LA Galaxy beat New York City FC 5-1 in a star-studded affair to top the standings in the Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield. A brace from Robbie Keane and goals from Giovani dos Santos, Sebastian Lletget and Gyasi Zardes completed the rout for LA, while David Villa's penalty served only as a consolation for New York. As ESPN's James Tyler reports, the match was an extremely one-sided affair: Frank Lampard was the notable absentee from the match, with both sides otherwise fielding strong teams. Football writer Nick Chavez believed Lampard's absence was a blessing in disguise: However, New York clearly missed the Englishman's presence, as they were overwhelmingly outplayed by LA, although the midfielder would not likely have saved his side here. The Eastern side did have the better of the opening exchanges, though, with Andrea Pirlo and Villa linking up well, as the Spaniard registered some early efforts on goal. LA soon grew into the game and replied with a number of dangerous chances of their own. Keane's goal-bound strike was deflected out by Jason Hernandez, before Lletget's lob forced a smart save from Josh Saunders. The Irishman threatened again from the resulting corner, rattling the crossbar with a powerful close-range effort. Lletget had the ball in ...

LA Galaxy vs. New York City FC: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Los Angeles Galaxy and New York City FC are set to meet for the first time ever at the StubHub Center, but you suspect this will be the first of many classic encounters these two franchises share in Major League Soccer. Bruce Arena’s Galaxy side are major powerhouses in American soccer, boasting an array of star names, super organisation and a winning mentality. The New York new boys certainly have the former after some exceptional recent acquisitions, but in the embryonic stage of their existence as a football club, are still striving for the latter two. Nonetheless, it’s a game that could have major connotations on the fortunes of both sides as the playoffs creep closer into view. Here’s all the key viewing details for this enticing contest and a closer examination of both teams before the action gets underway.   Date: Sunday, August 23 Time: Noon (Local), 3 p.m. (ET), 8 p.m. (BST) Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), WatchESPN (US) TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), ESPN (US)   Big Names Set to Clash in Los Angeles There aren’t many games in MLS that will command quite as much attention worldwide as this one. The two cities involved are notorious for their sporting pedigree, the supporters of each will provide ...

Chicago Fire Are the Most Disappointing Team in MLS

The Chicago Fire were once a powerhouse in Major League Soccer. Chicago won the MLS Cup in its first season in 1998 and finished twice as the runner-up in 2000 and 2003. Now, the Fire are languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They're also the only team without a road win in 2015. It is easily the most sorry franchise in the league. To make matters worse, Chicago's prized offseason acquisition, Shaun Maloney, is nearing a move to Hull City in the English Championship. Head coach Frank Yallop (via Orrin Schwarz of the Daily Herald) confirmed that a deal was close: Maloney left for personal reasons because of the "setup not being right," according to sports agency Global Premier Management: The Scotland international scored three goals and recorded two assists in 14 appearances with Fire. Maloney missed some matches due to injury and international call-ups. Despite Maloney's short stint with the Fire, he's still tied for sixth in appearances among Chicago designated players, per freelance writer Jeff Crandall: Ever since Cuauhtemoc Blanco left Chicago, the Fire have struggled to find a DP who can produce. David Accam could buck the trend. The forward has six goals in 14 appearances and is still just 24 years old. However, ...

MLS: Can Small-Market Teams Translate Regular-Season Form into an MLS Cup?

Major League Soccer never fails to dramatically entertain fans due to the parity across the league. This allows small-market teams to compete with the big spenders in MLS. However, these smaller sides may face stiff competition from the reloaded LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders once the playoffs begin. On the other hand, neither LA nor Seattle is on top of the Supporters' Shield standings. That honor belongs to D.C. United. D.C. has played more games than any other side in the Eastern Conference, but it still deserves its success. United has topped the league thanks to its balanced attack and stingy defending. Chris Rolfe has a team-leading nine goals. Fourteen players have scored at least once. D.C.'s 29 goals conceded is the fifth-lowest amount in MLS. Considering it has played more matches than the other teams ranked below United in this category, that's an impressive feat. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid has been key to the defensive accomplishments. Hamid was developed in the team's academy and has been compared to current U.S. men's national team stalwart Tim Howard. He’s also drawn interest from European clubs in the past. Center back Steve Birnbaum and full-backs Taylor Kemp and Chris Korb were chosen in previous SuperDrafts. Midfielders Perry Kitchen and Nick DeLeon were also selected. The ...

Andrea Pirlo Has Sandwich Created in His Honour by New York Deli

There is perhaps no greater compliment to a New Yorker than to create a sandwich in his or her honour.And it's taken New York City FC midfielder Andrea Pirlo just over a month to have that honour bestowed upon him.New York specialty sandwich shop No. 7 Sub, in conjunction with Howler, has created "The Pirlo" in tribute to the Italian maestro.Naturally, the sandwich contains several typical Mediterranean ingredients, including salami, fried zucchini and mozzarella as well as the slightly random inclusion of pickled blueberries.The only problem? The spelling.No Prilo? No Praty?[h/t Who Ate All The Pies]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Player Rankings: Keane Takes Top Spot with Week 24 Brace

With so many world-class scorers gracing the pitches of Major League Soccer, every top-notch forward must be able to produce in every single match for their respective side. One player who is more than capable of doing just that is the LA Galaxy's Robbie Keane, who has been superb since his return from injury in June. Keane again bagged a brace for Bruce Arena's side in Week 24, which led to him retaking the top spot in the MLS Player Rankings.  Below Keane on the list of the league's top 20 players are a trio of New York Red Bulls stars in the top 10 and three new entrants who have flown under the radar recently.  Our player rankings take into account form over the last four matches with the player's most recent performance holding more stock than the other three.  Continue reading to see who ended up where in the latest edition of the MLS Player Rankings.Begin Slideshow

MLS Power Rankings: Sporting Kansas City, LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls Rise

Week 24 in MLS was jam-packed with entertainment like Sporting Kansas City's incredible comeback or the Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire game, and there was no shortage of storylines. The Seattle Sounders also returned to winning ways by crushing Orlando City SC. The Sounders will certainly move up this week in the MLS power rankings and a few others will rise as well. With the Vancouver Whitecaps losing to SKC, coupled with wins by the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls, this will affect the top five this week. Here are the latest MLS power rankings.Begin Slideshow

Orlando City Forget to Put Crest on Goalkeeper Tally Hall’s Jersey

Fail!Orlando City took on the Seattle Sounders on Sunday, but there was something not quite right about goalkeeper Tally Hall's jersey.To make matters worse, Orlando lost the game 4-0.[Twitter: @thegoalkeeper, h/t SportsJoe.ie]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com