Predicting 5 Breakout Stars in MLS in 2017

The second the 2016 Major League Soccer season ended, the full focus of the league shifted to the beginning of the 2017 campaign, which starts in late February for some sides.  Transactions within the league and transfers from abroad have already been made by some, and the number of them will ramp up once the January transfer window opens.  A lot of attention will be centered on the additions to MLS, but there is already a bounty of young talent in North America ready to break out on the national stage.  Last season saw the emergence of Jordan Morris as a key scorer for the Seattle Sounders and Keegan Rosenberry as one of the top full-backs in the league for Philadelphia.  We've predicted five players who will follow in the footsteps of Morris and Rosenberry and become the breakout stars of the 2017 MLS campaign. Begin Slideshow

Ranking the Top 50 Players in MLS in 2016

The 2016 Major League Soccer season was a wild and unpredictable roller-coaster ride that perfectly personified the league.  The Seattle Sounders won MLS Cup over Toronto FC after both sides dispatched some of the best teams from the regular season to reach the championship match.  On an individual level, plenty of big-name designated players exceeded expectations once again, while a few underrated stars broke out in a big way over the course of nine months.  Our ranking of the top 50 players in MLS primarily focuses on performances from the regular season, but play-off showings were considered if applicable.  With that being said, here's our annual year-end list of the top 50 players to take the pitch in MLS this season.  Begin Slideshow

Seattle Sounders Cap Emotional Year by Earning Elusive MLS Cup

TORONTO — The Seattle Sounders have lifted trophies before.  The Sounders have also been at or near the top of the Major League Soccer totem pole since arriving in the league eight years ago.  But there was always a void in the trophy case, at least until Saturday night.  The Sounders were crowned MLS champions on a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Toronto FC at BMO Field after 120 minutes of scoreless play failed to decide anything.  “It’s amazing," Sounders captain Osvaldo Alonso said in a champagne-soaked visitors locker room at BMO Field. "I’ve been here for a long time and I’ve longed for this moment. I’m very happy for the fans, the franchise."  What makes the club's first MLS championship even more unbelievable is the steps, backward and forward, that were taken to get to the podium placed in the middle of the pitch on a cold December night on the shores of Lake Ontario.    Seattle fired manager Sigi Schmid, who led the club to four U.S. Open Cups and a Supporters' Shield in 2014, in late July before handing Brian Schmetzer the reins on a temporary basis, which then turned into a permanent gig as manager.  The past finals the Sounders experienced in other competitions prepared ...

MLS Cup Final 2016: Toronto FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC Score and Reaction

The Seattle Sounders earned their first MLS Cup, edging out Toronto FC 5-4 in a shootout after neither team scored a goal in regulation or extra time Saturday night at BMO Field in Toronto. The turning point came during the sudden-death portion of the shootout. Justin Morrow's kick caromed off the crossbar, which allowed Roman Torres the opportunity to hand Seattle the title. The 30-year-old defender opted for the safe route, drilling his kick down the middle past goalkeeper Clint Irwin, who dove to his left. Fox Soccer shared a replay of the decisive kick: Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson saluted the victors on social media: It was an improbable victory for the Sounders, who set MLS Cup lows in total shots (three) and shots on target (zero), according to Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl. Seattle defended well, but the Western Conference champion relied heavily on goalkeeper Stefan Frei to keep Toronto off the scoreboard. While the 2016 MLS Cup wasn't a great advertisement for the league, the match unfolded in fitting fashion, given both the stakes and the conditions at BMO Field. Top Drawer Soccer's Travis Clark alluded to the frigid temperature in Toronto: Dirty Tackle's Brooks Peck had a novel way to ...

Seattle Sounders vs. Toronto FC: Live Score, Highlights from MLS Cup FInal

MLS Cup final--BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Toronto FC 0-0 Seattle Sounders (Seattle win 5-4 on penalties) Toronto FC: Irwin, Beitashour, Moor, Zavaleta, Hagglund, Morrow, Bradley, Cooper (Cheyrou 84'), Osorio (Johnson 76'), Giovinco (Ricketts 103'), Altidore Seattle Sounders: Frei, Jones, Marshall, Torres, Mears, Roldan, Alonso, Morris (Evans 107'), Friberg  (Fernandez 66'), Lodeiro, Valdez (Ivanschitz 72')      Follow Joe on Twitter @JTansey90. Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Cup Final 2016: Toronto vs. Seattle, Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info

Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders FC will meet on Saturday at BMO Field in the 2016 MLS Cup final, as one of the two teams will win its first-ever MLS title.Sounders have come close in the past, winning the Supporters' Shield in 2014, but they face a difficult challenge in Canada, where Toronto have been exceptionally strong all season.Led by the prolific Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto scored a combined 14 goals in the conference semi-finals and finals, sending a clear warning sign to Sounders.Here's everything you need to know about this year's MLS Cup Final.    Date: Saturday, December 10Time: 8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. GMT (Sunday)Venue: BMO Field, TorontoTV Info: Fox Sports (U.S.)Live Stream: Sky Go, Fox Soccer 2Go    PreviewToronto and Seattle have qualified for the MLS Cup final the long way around, finishing the regular season in third and fourth place, respectively. The hosts cruised past Philadelphia Union and New York City FC before beating Montreal Impact in an all-Canadian Eastern Conference final that saw 12 goals in total.Per Arch Bell of ESPN FC, the city is anxious to win a major trophy after coming close in other sports the last few years:It has been 23 years and six weeks since Joe Carter ...

Stage Is Set at MLS Cup for USMNT Stars to Give Inspiring Performances

Three of the names on the marquee for Saturday's MLS Cup Final at BMO Field in Toronto are members of the United States men's national team. Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Jordan Morris will be on full display when Toronto FC host the Seattle Sounders in the championship contest.  Over the last week, Toronto midfielder Bradley in particular has handed out plenty of praise for Morris, who scored 12 goals in his rookie season and netted the game-winning goal for Seattle in the Western Conference Final.  The USMNT captain complimented Morris on dealing with the ton of pressure he's faced in 2016, per Fox Sports' Julie Stewart-Binks:  Morris went from fringe player to starter in an instant when Obafemi Martins was sold late in the offseason and has stepped into an even bigger role since Clint Dempsey was ruled out for the season with an irregular heartbeat.  The production out of the MLS Rookie of the Year is a big step forward for the league as a whole as it tries to attract the best American players to remain at home among a growing number of outstanding foreigners.  However, there are a few trends that suggest foreign players are becoming the foundation of rosters league-wide and ...

Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan: The Hottest Bromance in Sports Right Now

One of the best moments of the 2016 Major League Soccer season came early in the playoffs. On October 30, the Seattle Sounders hosted FC Dallas in the first leg of the Western Conference semifinals. The squad from the Pacific Northwest won 3-0, continuing a remarkable resurgence after being left for dead midseason. It was the type of complete performance that has the Sounders on the brink of winning their first MLS Cup: solid defensively, organized in the midfield and opportunistic on the attack. The second goal epitomized the new-look Sounders at their best. In the the 55th minute, rookie sensation Jordan Morris picked up a loose pass near midfield, then used his searing pace to sprint into the six-yard box. Rather than shoot, he calmly slid a cross to Uruguay international Nicolas Lodeiro, the midseason pickup who has been nothing short of spectacular, with eight goals and eight assists in 18 matches. Lodeiro tapped the ball into the net, meeting Morris behind the goal to celebrate as fire shot up from two nearby pillars and nearly 40,000 supporters screamed. For the long-suffering franchise, which boast the league's largest fanbase, it was quite a moment. The best part, however, came a few hours later. Major League ...

Toronto FC Breaks into MLS Cup Final on Emotional Night in Front of Home Fans

TORONTO — As the final whistle sounded after 120 minutes of back-and-forth, unpredictable action in the second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference Final, 10 years of emotion was let out in booming roars from BMO Field.  Toronto FC defeated the Montreal Impact 5-2 in the second leg—7-5 on aggregate—to advance to the club's first MLS Cup final.  "I can’t even explain it," midfielder Jonathan Osorio said. "The supporters have been waiting a long time for this. They deserve it. They’ve stuck around through everything this team’s battled through."  The years-long frustration of botched big-name signings, countless managerial changes and failures to reach the postseason were let out at times throughout the night when the Reds needed it most, with the biggest cheer coming at the final whistle as Toronto clinched home-field advantage in the MLS Cup.  "All week we spoke about what tonight could be," captain Michael Bradley said. "Nobody knew for sure, but I think we all had an idea it could be a special night in terms of atmosphere and emotion, in some ways, 10 years of emotion coming out in one night."  “Once I took a step back in celebration, I took a moment to think about how many people were in ...