MLS Player Rankings: Kamara Edges out Giovinco for Top Spot After Week 29

Over the course of the 2015 Major League Soccer season, two players have stood out above the rest of the pack: Kei Kamara and Sebastian Giovinco.  Recently, Kamara has dominated the Most Valuable Player conversation with his play up top for the surging Columbus Crew, but Giovinco silenced that with his performance for Toronto FC on Saturday.  Although Giovinco is the clear favorite for the MVP at this point in the year, he is not the player on top of the latest MLS Player Rankings. That title belongs to Kamara for the second-consecutive week as he meets the criteria for our top player more than the Italian at the moment.  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 beneath Kamara and Giovinco after Week 29 in the our latest MLS Player Rankings.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Giovinco Solidifies Status as MVP Favorite in Week 29

The 29th week of play in Major League Soccer left a few questions unanswered after the extended slate of games, but one thing was made clear: Sebastian Giovinco is the favorite to win the Most Valuable Player award.  Giovinco, who experienced a rough patch of form in front of goal in late August and early September, powered Toronto FC to a 3-1 victory with two goals and an assist on Saturday. The performance also solidified his status as the MVP frontrunner among a field of worthy candidates.  Outside of Giovinco's stellar day at BMO Field, Real Salt Lake continued their late surge toward the playoffs with a win over the LA Galaxy, while Seattle also impressed out in the Western Conference with a big win on the road in Vancouver. Both RSL and the Sounders boast a pair of players in the latest MLS Team of the Week.  We shaped our best 11 from Week 29 in a 4-4-2 with two right-backs as our full-backs, given the good amount of solid showings at that position this week.  Continue reading to see who joined Giovinco in the latest MLS Team of the Week.Begin Slideshow

Andrea Pirlo Hits Crossbar from a Corner in New York City Win

Andrea Pirlo is one very special football player. The Italian maestro might now ply his trade away from the European spotlight in Major League Soccer, but that doesn’t mean he’s not producing magical moments on the pitch for New York City. His latest piece of brilliance was to almost score from a corner on Saturday night, rattling the crossbar as the San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper crept off his line. Accidental or intentional? With Pirlo, you wouldn't put it past him being intentional. For the record, NYC claimed a 3-2 win thanks to Ned Grabavoy’s double and David Villa’s strike. All five goals came in the second half. [Twitter: @NYCFC; H/T 101 Great Goals]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Red-Hot Revolution Sparking Deja Vu

If you asked any observer of Major League Soccer two months ago if the New England Revolution had a shot at securing home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs, most of them would have looked at you like you were crazy.  But thanks to a run similar to last season's surge to the second seed in the East and eventually MLS Cup, the Revolution are on top of the Eastern Conference entering the weekend portion of Week 29.  Many people around the league were paying attention to what the Revs were putting together, but New England didn't officially announce its MLS Cup credentials until Wednesday night, when they defeated the New York Red Bulls at home 2-1.  The victory at Gillette Stadium put Jay Heaps' side one point ahead of the Red Bulls, who still have two games in hand, entering a final stretch of five games that could produce the maximum 15 points required to earn the top spot in the East. Starting with their visit to Montreal on Saturday, the Revolution have five very winnable games against sides near the red line in the Eastern Conference.  New England has reached this point thanks to the play of Lee Nguyen and Diego Fagundez ...

Frank Lampard Scores 1st MLS Goal for NYC After Andrea Pirlo’s Build-Up Play

It was a matter of when, not if, and now Frank Lampard is off the mark in Major League Soccer.The former Premier League star scored his first MLS goal during New York City FC's 2-0 win over Toronto FC on Wednesday.The ball fell to Lampard after a lovely chipped pass in the build-up by fellow marquee signing Andrea Pirlo.It wasn't the former England midfielder's tidiest finish, but they all count.Lampard played over 400 times for Chelsea, scoring 147 goals.[Twitter, h/t 101 Great Goals]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Power Rankings: LA Galaxy Slip After a Wasteful Outing

Week 28 in MLS was relatively straightforward. The New York Red Bulls, Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas all earned wins, but the LA Galaxy failed to keep pace. The Galaxy's draw against the Montreal Impact has given other teams the opportunity to pass them in this week's power rankings. The following criteria will be used to determine each team's ranking: Quality of opponent and performance Recent form Key absences Remaining games in hand (if applicable) Here are the latest MLS power rankings.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Kamara Goes Top, Kljestan, Nguyen Surge, Martins Returns

The first full weekend slate of Major League Soccer matches in September produced some history and helped another player continue his march toward a potentially monumental number.  Columbus forward Kei Kamara became the 16th player in MLS history to score 20 goals with two in the Crew's win over the Union, while Bradley Wright-Phillips' chase for back-to-back 20-goal seasons became more of a reality with a strike against Chicago. Four of Wright-Phillips' teammates also feature in the latest edition of the MLS Player Rankings, including one midfielder who is playing some of the best soccer of his life. Another midfielder in the Eastern Conference jumped seven spots this week thanks to his stellar play of late. Down at the bottom of the list of the top 20 players in the league, Obafemi Martins made a welcome return, while a pair of electric scorers also entered.  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 else was chosen for our latest MLS Player Rankings.Begin Slideshow

Fans at Toronto FC Game Told to Take Down ‘Refugees Welcome’ Banner

A small group of fans attending Toronto FC's clash with New England Revolution at BMO Field on Sunday were told to take down a banner reading "Refugees Welcome."Fans in Germany, England and Australia have displayed similar banners in recent weeks to show support for the current refugee crisis. Arsenal fans show support for the refugee cause at the Emirates today. pic.twitter.com/t7w7bQkryS— BPL Zone (@BPLZone) September 12, 2015 “In taking this action, I was identifying as a football fan, which is a key part of my life,” explained Ciaran Breen, one of the Toronto fans, via nationalpost.com. “People in other countries and other football fans have shown us their example and we’re following their lead as sports fans.”“As per both venue and league security policies, banners containing political messaging of any kind are not permitted,” a representative of Toronto FC owners Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) later explained.[h/t nationalpost.com]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Team of the Week: Kamara, Kljestan, Winter Come Up Big in Week 28

Just like every week before it in the 2015 Major League Soccer season, Week 28 witnessed some expected and unlikely results. But this weekend added one variable to the mix: playoff desperation.  With the fight for the highest seed possible and the struggle to stay alive in the postseason race facing them, a few clubs impressed under pressure. Columbus, Orlando City and Real Salt Lake all earned plenty of praise for their respective victories in Week 28. Columbus was led by star scorer Kei Kamara in Philadelphia, while Orlando City and RSL used standout performances from summer signings to get past Sporting Kansas City and Houston, respectively. Due to their strong matches, the Crew, Orlando City and RSL have more than one player in the latest MLS Team of the Week.  Since there were plenty of solid efforts in midfield in Week 28, we shaped our best 11 from the weekend in a 4-5-1 formation.  Continue reading on to see who was named to our latest MLS Team of the Week.Begin Slideshow

Sebastian Giovinco Nutmegs 2 New England Revolution Players in a Row

Oh behave, Giovinco!  The former Juventus man showed some ridiculous tekkers during Toronto FC's Major League Soccer match against the New England Revolution.  While spinning, he cheekily nutmegged one man with his heel, then nutmegged another defender with his next touch.  Rest in peace, Revolution defenders.  [Twitter]   Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com