MLS Team of the Week: Larin, Davies & Piatti Headline League’s Best from Week 22

The 22nd week of play in Major League Soccer was by far the craziest of the year to date. Forty-one goals hit the back of the net across 10 matches, including 10 strikes in one game on a wild Saturday night.  One of the scoring bonanzas on Saturday night happened at the Citrus Bowl, as Cyle Larin led Orlando City to a blowout win over Columbus. The Rookie of the Year frontrunner is joined by two of his teammates in the best XI from Week 22.  The six-goal outburst from D.C. United in their win over Real Salt Lake allowed two of the club's players to make the list, while Vancouver also added a pair to this side following its Cascadia Cup win over Seattle. Due to the lack of standout play at right-back, we opted to fill our 4-1-3-2 formation with two left-backs. Other than that small switch, each player in the MLS Team of the Week fits into his regular spot. Continue reading to see who was named to the Week 22 edition of the MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Villa Rises over Crowded Field to Earn Top Spot

As the calendar flips from July to August and the races for the Supporters' Shield and the six playoff spots in each conference heat up, the league's top players are rounding into form.  After Week 21, seven players had a legitimate case to be the top man in the MLS Player Rankings. Four forwards in the Golden Boot race and three impressive midfielders who have played well for their respective sides were in consideration for the No. 1 spot.  Following a long process where the small details were considered, David Villa edged out Sebastian Giovinco and Robbie Keane for the top spot based on his form in front of net over the last month.  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 on to see who landed where in the MLS Player Rankings. Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Giovinco Takes Top Spot After Week 19 Hat-Trick

Sebastian Giovinco once again left followers of Major League Soccer in awe during Week 19 with three goals and an assist for Toronto FC against New York City FC.  The Atomic Ant outdueled fellow big-name offseason acquisition David Villa in an exciting 4-4 draw that was devoid of quality defending for most of the 90 minutes.  Due to his fantastic performance on Sunday afternoon, the front-runner for the Most Valuable Player award is back atop the MLS Player Rankings for the first time since after Week 15.  Continue reading to see who joined the dynamic Italian on the list of the league's 20 best players. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Giovinco, Villa Star in Thrilling Week 19

The 19th weekend of play in Major League Soccer brought out the best in two of the league's top offseason acquisitions.  Sebastian Giovinco and David Villa combined to score five goals in the 4-4 draw between Toronto FC and New York City FC on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. The performances by the pair of forwards showcased just how high the bar has been raised in regard to attacking talent in MLS.  A day before the thrilling eight-goal contest in New York City, plenty of surprising results were handed out across the league, including big wins from the New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union. Because there were a plethora of superb individual showings from midfielders and forwards in Week 19, we lined up our MLS Team of the Week in a 3-4-3 formation. We attempted to put all of the terrific midfielders in the squad, but only four could make it due to three remarkable forward performances.  Continue reading to see which players found a way into our latest MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

USMNT Watch: Adu Linked with NASL, Beasley Impresses for Houston

One of the most intriguing stories in American soccer closed another chapter this week as Freddy Adu announced his departure from Kuopion Palloseura in Finland.  Adu, who has played for 11 different teams since he began his career in 2004, looks like he has a new home already lined up in a lower tier of the American soccer pyramid.  In the top division of the game in North America, a few members of Jurgen Klinsmann's 35-man preliminary CONCACAF Gold Cup roster turned in impressive showings at key positions. Due to those shining moments, the discussion about which six players should be called up for the knockout rounds began.  Below is extended news on Adu, the Gold Cup reserves and other Americans involved in club matches in this week's USMNT Watch.    Adu Close to Signing with Tampa Bay in NASL  Adu announced through his personal Twitter on Tuesday that he would be opting out of his contract in Finland. The 26-year-old made five appearances for KuPS' first team.  On Friday, Goal.com's Ives Galarcep reported that Adu would be joining the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL. If the move goes through, the Rowdies would be the fourth American side to employ the former child prodigy. Adu started his ...

MLS Player Rankings: Columbus Crew Pair Hold Top 2 Spots After Week 18

The Columbus Crew may not have the best record in Major League Soccer, but right now, they boast two of the top attackers in the league on their roster. Kei Kamara and Ethan Finlay, who both contributed to the two goals netted by the Crew in Week 18, have combined to play a role in 24 of the team's 27 goals, per Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch. Due to their tremendous output through 18 matches, the Crew's two leading goalscorers are the top two players in our list of the league's 20 best.  Kamara and Finlay aren't the only duo making noise in the MLS Player Rankings this week. Two stars from Sporting Kansas City and the Los Angeles Galaxy also feature in the top 10. Continue reading to see which 20 players earned spots in the latest MLS Player Rankings. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Robbie Keane Sparks the Galaxy to Victory in Week 18

The holiday weekend in Major League Soccer witnessed some offensive fireworks from a few players who are used to making their mark on the big stage.  Robbie Keane turned in the best performance of Week 18, scoring three of the LA Galaxy's four goals against Toronto FC on the same night Steven Gerrard was introduced to the Galaxy faithful. A few hours before Keane took the title of player of the weekend, Mauro Diaz of FC Dallas put on a show in front of his home fans at Toyota Stadium. Elsewhere across the league, a few unsung players helped their respective sides earn crucial points during the first weekend of play in July.  Continue reading to see which nine players accompanied Keane and Diaz in the latest MLS Team of the Week.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Kamara, Giovinco Fight for Top Spot, Finlay Rises

With a plethora of attacking stars shining on a weekly basis in Major League Soccer, choosing the top player in our weekly MLS Player Rankings is no easy task.  After Week 17, two worthy contenders had reasonable cases to claim the No. 1 position. The closest race for the top spot this season was eventually determined by production in front of the net over the last seven days. On top of the battle for No. 1, a few rising stars of the league surged up the rankings based on their recent production, while a few guys finally made their worthy debuts on the list of the top 20 players in MLS for their body of work and great play this week. Continue reading to see who earned spots in the latest MLS Player Rankings.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Nagbe, Adi Hand Portland a Boost During Rivalry Week

Week 17 in Major League Soccer was billed as Rivalry Week. In the five major clashes between rivals this week, the stars of the league rose to the occasion and delivered brilliant performances. One of the top showings of the week, which began on Wednesday, came from the final match as Portland bested Seattle 4-1 in a Cascadia Cup showdown. Thanks to the play of Darlington Nagbe and Fanendo Adi, the Timbers were able to take three points from the Sounders.  Elsewhere in the league, a young center back handed the New York Red Bulls a magnificent 90-minute shift. and the San Jose Earthquakes received plenty of quality from one of their designated players.  Because a majority of the teams played in two matches in Week 17, we judged some players on their cumulative performance.  Continue reading to see who earned spots in our latest MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Villa Eclipses Giovinco for Top Spot After Week 16

One of the hottest teams in Major League Soccer is being powered by one of the top scorers in the world over the last 10 years.  David Villa has netted four of NYCFC's eight goals in the last four matches in which the expansion side has recorded 10 points.  Because of his exploits on the pitch over the last month, Villa earned the top spot in the latest MLS Player Rankings over the likes of Sebastian Giovinco and Kei Kamara. Continue reading to see who joined Villa on the list of the 20 best players in MLS after Week 16. Begin Slideshow