Nigel De Jong Makes X-Rated Tackle on Darlington Nagbe During Galaxy vs. Timbers

Nigel de Jong's horror tackle on Darlington Nagbe forced the American midfielder to be stretchered off in the 72nd minute as Los Angeles Galaxy and Portland Timbers drew 1-1 at the StubHub Center on April 10.  The pair both went in for a 50-50 ball, but Dutchman De Jong's lunge was wildly mistimed, and he ended up stamping on Nagbe's ankle—see below video, via sportswriter Eduard Cauich: As shared by Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated, Nagbe suffered a sprain and contusion to his ankle during the clash, and it's unclear when he'll be ready to return to the pitch: On Friday, the club announced De Jong has been suspended three matches and fined an undisclosed amount. De Jong said after the match that it was never his intention to hurt Nagbe, per the club's website: It was a ball that came my way. It was 50-50 and normally I always have those balls. But I went over the ball and caught the ball a little bit and caught most of his ankle. It was a pity; it was never my intention to hurt him. He’s a good kid, as well, and I said that after the game, as well, to him. It’s a pity, but that’s football, as well. ...

MLS Team of the Week: Sapong, Dwyer, Espindola Lead List of Week 6’s Best

The sixth week of play in Major League Soccer provided fans with a wide array of talking points once the weekend's final whistle sounded on Sunday night. The biggest attacking headline was produced by D.C. United, who powered four goals past the Vancouver Whitecaps at RFK Stadium on Saturday.  Sporting Kansas City continued their terrific early-season form with a win over the New York Red Bulls, who can't seem to figure things out in the final third.  In addition to the splendid attacking performances throughout the United States and Canada, there was also a bit of controversy on Sunday night, when Nigel de Jong injured Darlington Nagbe with a harsh challenge and only received a yellow card for his actions.  After going over all the noteworthy individual showings from Week 6, we settled on a 4-3-3 formation for our latest Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week. Continue reading to see which 11 players found their way into our list of Week 6's top stars. Begin Slideshow

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Red Card Issue Can Be Fixed by Adjustments

The one issue that has plagued Major League Soccer during the first five weeks of the season has been the enforcement of red cards.  In the 42 matches played across the league since March 6, 16 ejections have been delivered by 13 different referees.  The concern about the presumed growing number of red cards throughout the United States and Canada came to the forefront again after four players were sent off during Week 5.  During a conference call with the media on Thursday afternoon, Professional Referees Organization general manager Peter Walton tried to clear things up regarding the increased criticism of officials.  “Nothing has changed in law," Walton said. "Nothing has changed in the way PRO wants the game to be played and administered. What has changed is our referees are much more consistent in the application of the law we want them to apply."  While the quality on the pitch in regard to the personnel has dramatically improved over the last few years, PRO has worked on fine-tuning the skill sets of its referees.  What we are seeing at the start of 2016 is the consistency that Walton and others in charge at PRO are looking for.  "I’ve spent a considerable amount of time with the ...

MLS Power Rankings: Orlando City Surges into the Top 5

Eighteen teams were in action this past weekend in Major League Soccer. Once again, most matches were dominated by controversy, but a few results had a major impact in the standings and power rankings. As always, the following criteria were used to grade each club: Current form Injuries/absences Quality of a team's most recent performance Games in hand (if applicable) Here is where every MLS team stands after the weekend.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Plata Remains on Top, Kaka Surges Up List After Week 5

The fifth week of play in Major League Soccer wasn't an attacking showcase like the month of March, but there were a few standout showings in the final third.  The top performance of the weekend came from Kaka, who marveled in front of goal in his season debut for Orlando City.  As for the players near the top of our MLS Player Rankings, only Joao Plata produced a solid effort in Week 5. Some of the stars near the top of the list were ravaged by injuries.  Our player rankings take into account the last four games individuals participated in, with the most recent match holding the most importance.  Continue reading to see who landed where in our list of the 20 best in-form players in MLS.   Begin Slideshow

Kaka Scores 1, Sets Up 2 in Orlando City’s 4-1 MLS Win over Portland Timbers

Class is permanent—just ask Orlando City's Kaka. The Brazilian made his Major League Soccer season debut Sunday night as Orlando thrashed defending champions Portland Timbers at the Citrus Bowl in Florida. The former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder delivered a cross for Seb Hines to head home to put the hosts in front after 13 minutes. Shortly after the half-hour mark, the 33-year-old exchanged passes with Brek Shea, who fired an unstoppable shot to double the advantage. And Kaka put the game out of Portland's reach early in the second half with a goal of his own: A Kevin Molino spot-kick made it 4-0 before Jack McInerney scored a consolation goal in the 89th minute. After four games, the undefeated Orlando leads MLS' Eastern Conference, while Portland has yet to kick into gear, sitting ninth in the West. [Twitter, Reuters; h/t MailOnline]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Team of the Week: Kaka, Dempsey Shine in Critical Week 5 Wins

Major League Soccer returned from the international break with a near-full slate of games that was capped by a tremendous four-goal output from Orlando City.  Former Ballon d'Or winner Kaka lifted the Lions to three points with a standout performance in his first start of the year.  Over in the Western Conference, Clint Dempsey powered the Seattle Sounders to a much-needed victory at home with a goal of his own.  In addition to the pair of superstars, a few first-time scorers made their way into the Week 5 edition of the Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week.  Continue reading to see which players featured in our best XI from the first weekend of April. Begin Slideshow

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Sporting KC, Real Salt Lake Set to Renew Rivalry

One of the fiercest rivalries in Major League Soccer opens its latest chapter on Saturday night, as Real Salt Lake visits Sporting Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park.  Fireworks are guaranteed when these two sides come together in any contest, whether it be the regular season, the U.S. Open Cup or the MLS Cup playoffs.  The rivalry heated up once again in 2015, as Sporting KC moved over to the Western Conference following the arrival of New York City FC and Orlando City in the Eastern Conference.  That led to three regular-season showdowns and an extra one in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. RSL defended its home turf with a pair of 2-1 wins, while Sporting KC won the Open Cup semi and drew 0-0 inside its stadium.  Saturday's matchup in Kansas City will have a little extra meaning for RSL if it comes out on top. The Claret and Cobalt have not won in Kansas City since 2009, and the visiting team in the rivalry has failed to win since July 2013, when Sporting KC was victorious at Rio Tinto Stadium thanks to a 97th-minute winner from Ike Opara.  The clash at Children's Mercy Park will also have some early-season implications at ...