MLS Team of the Week: Keane, Martins, Maidana Thrive in Week 24

Week 24 in Major League Soccer offered us plenty of skillful goals, a pair of dramatic comebacks and some standout performances by the league's best.  After sitting out most of the summer with injuries, Obafemi Martins and Robbie Keane delivered two goals each for their respective sides as the fight for play-off positions in the Western Conference heats up. Over in the Eastern Conference, a pair of under-the-radar attackers shined in the wild six-goal affair between Philadelphia and Chicago on Sunday night.  Despite our shift to a 3-4-3 formation to accommodate as many terrific attackers as possible, three quality center-backs put their respective sides in position to win this weekend due to their tremendous efforts at the back. We even witnessed a phenomenal display of skill in net, which made our choice for goalkeeper quite easy.  Continue reading to see which 11 players featured in our latest MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

10 MLS Players That USMNT Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann Should Be Monitoring

With another World Cup cycle beginning, U.S. men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has a busy few years ahead of him. Several in-form MLS players would be excellent additions to the USMNT in this cycle. L.A. Galaxy winger Sebastian Lletget has been tremendous since signing with the defending champions. Dax McCarty has also thrived with the New York Red Bulls this season. We will list other potential call-ups in this slideshow. They have to be under 30 years old as of December 31, 2015, so players such as Red Bulls midfielder Sacha Kljestan will miss out, and those who haven't been with the USMNT since the January 2014 camp will receive extra consideration. Here are 10 MLS players Klinsmann should be monitoring for potential call-ups.Begin Slideshow

Andrea Pirlo Secures 1st MLS Assist with Gorgeous Pass to David Villa

Swoon!This is the Andrea Pirlo we know and love. The Italian maestro bagged his first assist in MLS in typically brilliant fashion, setting up David Villa during New York City's 3-1 win over DC United on Thursday night. [Twitter]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Kaka Gives His Twitter to the UN for a Day to Highlight Humanitarian Activism

Brazil legend Kaka has more than 23 million followers on Twitter—that's quite a reach. Now he has used that power for a good cause. He has handed over control of his Twitter account for a day to the United Nations so they can highlight humanitarian activism in Nepal.  Kaka is not the only one using his high follower account for good. As per the News Tribune:  Tennis star Maria Sharapova, British mogul Richard Branson and Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai have signed up. So have actor Ashley Judd, Colombian singer Juanes and Brazilian football star Kaka. They are supporting a new U.N. social media campaign to spotlight 17 stories of survival and humanitarian activism in countries struggling with conflict and disaster around the world, from Syria and Afghanistan to South Sudan, Nepal and Sierra Leone. Well done to all involved. [Twitter: @KAKA]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney Signings Eyed by New Los Angeles MLS Franchise

The Los Angeles football franchise, set to come into existence in 2018, already has big ambitions, with reports suggesting the club are keen on making Cristiano Ronaldo their first-ever registered player, and they want to pair him with former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney. That’s according to Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror, who cited a source revealing the grand plans for the California outfit: “There seems to be an obsession in LA with landing Ronaldo. The league will be even stronger by then. He'd be a franchise player for them and truly announce their arrival, and they think they can sell him the 'American Dream’.” Malyon also noted that Rooney is another target, and given the England skipper holidays in Los Angeles most years, team officials are hopeful of luring the player to Major League Soccer. As noted recently by Kartik Krishnaiyer of World Soccer Talk, there’s no denying the United States’ top flight is on the rise: The lure of the division has attracted figures such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Giovani dos Santos this summer, after all, while Kaka and David Villa are also thriving in their debut campaigns in MLS. But getting someone like Ronaldo would be a hallmark addition ...

Robbie Keane Beats Steven Gerrard in Final LA Galaxy Truck Challenge

Steven Gerrard looks to be settling into life in Los Angeles nicely.The Liverpool legend has been taking on Los Angeles Galaxy teammates Robbie Keane, Baggio Husidic and A.J. DeLaGarza in a succession of challenges that involve booting a ball into the back of a Chevrolet truck from distance.Gerrard and Keane went into the final round locked at 12 points each, meaning one final challenge was needed to decide the winner. The former Liverpool teammates were asked to show off their long-range passing skills by picking out a moving truck, with Keane perhaps surprisingly coming out on top.Better luck next time, Stevie.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa Oil Up for ‘New York’ Photoshoot

After a disappointing 2-0 defeat to local rivals New York Red Bulls on Sunday, New York City FC stars Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa will have surely been cheered up by seeing their greased-up selves all over a New York magazine photoshoot.Judging by the looks on their faces, however, the trio didn't exactly enjoy being oiled up for the shoot, which then mercilessly spread across the Internet.  Pirlo didn't sign up for this.. pic.twitter.com/izlcZCWUMD— Soccer St. (@SoccerSt_) August 10, 2015 Cheer up, lads. It could be worse.[h/t MLSsoccer.com]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Player Rankings: Giovinco Reclaims Top Spot After Week 23 Hat-Trick

As the race for Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Player award intensifies, so does the competition for the top spot in our weekly MLS Player Rankings.  Just like we have seen almost every week this season, a group of players made solid cases to be put on top of the list of the top 20 in-form stars in the league.  After a long deliberation, Sebastian Giovinco, who many see as the front-runner in the MVP discussion, reclaimed his spot atop the rankings after hovering around the No. 1 position for the last three weeks.  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 joined Giovinco on the list after Week 23. Begin Slideshow

MLS Power Rankings: D.C. United and New York Red Bulls Move Up After Week 23

Week 23 in MLS was uniquely historic, as D.C. United became the first team ever to win a match with just one shot attempt, as noted by the official league website. The LA Galaxy have moved up in the standings and are just two points behind the Vancouver Whitecaps following a 3-1 win over the slumping Seattle Sounders on Sunday afternoon. The New York Red Bulls also managed to sweep New York City FC by defeating the expansion side, 2-0 at Red Bull Arena on Sunday night. With several of MLS' top sides winning, here are the latest power rankings.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Duos from New York Red Bulls, Columbus, Vancouver Feature

Week 23 in Major League Soccer may not have matched the high-scoring output of its immediate predecessor, but it did deliver a good amount of impressive performances at each position on the field.  Despite the drop in goal production across the league compared to the previous week, a pair of high-quality forwards were able to hit the back of the net on multiple occasions for their respective sides.  The defending across the league improved too, as a wide range of players in the back four earned a good amount of praise, including a young duo from the New York Red Bulls, one of which features in our MLS Team of the Week. Joining one of those defenders is the captain of the Red Bulls, as well as duos from Columbus, Vancouver and Sporting Kansas City. Our team is set up in a 4-4-2 formation with the selection of the attacking midfielders not limited to specific positions. Continue reading to see who earned a spot in our latest MLS Team of the Week.Begin Slideshow