MLS Team of the Week: Vancouver Trio Headline League’s Best from Week 5

After four weeks of mostly lackluster matches, Major League Soccer came to life in Week 5 with plenty of exciting contests.  One of the top performances of the weekend came from the Vancouver Whitecaps, who dominated the LA Galaxy on their way to claiming the top spot in the Supporters' Shield table. Vancouver's two rivals to the south also starred in Week 5, with Portland and Seattle both earning key victories. As such, two Timbers and one Sounder also feature in the MLS Team of the Week.  Although certain positions did possess more quality than others, we decided to align our team in a 4-4-2 formation because of a few standout performers at other spots on the pitch.  Continue reading for the complete list of the best players from Week 5 in MLS.Begin Slideshow

How Major League Soccer Can Fix Its Early-Season Scheduling Issue

If there's one thing we've learned over time about Major League Soccer, it is that the league has plenty of quirks other top divisions of soccer don't have.  One of the unique qualities to MLS that was put in the spotlight over the last week was the scheduling of regular-season games during an international break.  Due to the league's decision to play on, stars like Robbie Keane, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley missed early-season matches for their respective clubs.  The full total of players called up to a combined 21 national teams was 59, which is an impressive number for MLS to boast.  However, some sides with a plethora of international players were forced to scramble in order to assemble a functional starting 11. No team was hurt more by this than Orlando City, as the Lions lost seven players to the FIFA window.  Luckily for the expansion side, it still had Kaka in the fold for its 2-2 draw with the Montreal Impact on Saturday. But a few other clubs were not so lucky, including the Seattle Sounders. Sigi Schmid's team lacked Clint Dempsey and Marco Pappa in its starting 11 against FC Dallas due to international duty.  With two key components of its attack ...

MLS Player Rankings: Kaka Rises to the Top After Week 4

With the international break and Major League Soccer season in full swing this weekend, plenty of key figures missed out on their respective club's matches.  One player who was not absent from the pitch in Week 4 was Kaka, who continued his remarkable start in Orlando with a goal and an assist.  Due to the massive amount of fluctuation in the MLS Player Rankings this week, the Brazilian snatched the top spot away from Vancouver's Octavio Rivero.  Because the list is a cumulative ranking of the league's top players, those who did not participate in Week 4 are still in the top 20, but they dropped significantly this week.  Here's a look at our weekly compilation of the top 20 players in MLS. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Kelyn Rowe Shines for New England in Slow Week 4

Just like the three weeks that preceded it, Week 4 of action in Major League Soccer wasn't exactly a great two-day advertisement for the league.  Despite the lack of impressive team showings, plenty of individuals delivered for their respective sides across North America this weekend.  One player who thrived in the spotlight was Kelyn Rowe, who bagged the only brace of Week 4. Rowe is one of five midfielders who appear in our best 11 of the week.  Because of the wealth of strong individual displays in midfield, we chose to mold our MLS Team of the Week in a 3-5-2 formation.  Continue reading to see who joined Rowe on the list of the best players from Week 4. Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Fresh Face Jumps Past Established Stars Following Week 3

In a week where some of the top names in Major League Soccer were sidelined by bye weeks, one of the league's new faces showed up in a major way at the Citrus Bowl.  Because the likes of Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore had the week off, a few fresh faces climbed into high spots on the list of the league's best 20 players.  Our new top player made a jump of nine spots to claim the top spot after Week 3.  Continue reading to see who earned the No. 1 position on the MLS Player Rankings for the first time this season. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Wright-Phillips, Rivero Dazzle in Slow Week 3

The third week of the Major League Soccer season was far from exciting from start to finish, but there were some glimpses of brilliance across the league on Saturday and Sunday. With two of the most creative teams in the league, Toronto and Seattle, off this weekend, fans should have expected a drop off in quality from the first two weeks. But the goal production dried up significantly as only seven of the 16 clubs who played in Week 3 found the back of the net.  Some of the players who did score a goal this weekend produced terrific bits of individual skill before beating the opposing goalkeeper.  Due to the lack of extraordinary output at a certain position, we opted to field our best 11 from Week 3 in a traditional 4-4-2.  Here's a look at the Week 3 edition of the MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

10 MLS Stars Who Are Good Enough for the Premier League

There are few occasions in which Major League Soccer and the English Premier League are brought up in conversation together.  Usually when the two domestic leagues are linked, it is because an aging Premier League star has inked a deal to see out his career in MLS.  However, there have been a few instances over the years that have seen players go the other way, including Geoff Cameron's move from Houston to Stoke City.  With that in mind, we've taken a look at 10 current MLS players who could make it in the Premier League.  We chose to look mostly at young players since we already know the likes of Robbie Keane, David Villa and Sebastian Giovinco would do well in the English top flight.  Here's a look at the 10 MLS players we think would be good enough to play in the Premier League. Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Dempsey Faces New Challenge for Top Spot

Unlike the dull first week of action in Major League Soccer, Week 2 delivered plenty of fireworks.  Some of the league's top players found their way onto the scoresheet across the eight games played from Friday to Sunday.  In the early race for the Golden Boot, Clint Dempsey received a challenge from a new contender, who bagged a brace in his side's match on Saturday night. As it will be for the rest of the season, our list of the top 20 players in MLS is a cumulative one. While we do have a handful of stars entering the list for their respective performances in Week 2, their showings in Week 1 have also been taken into account.  Continue reading on for a look at who made the cut for this week's edition of the MLS Player Rankings. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Trio of Scorers Highlight Best 11 from Wild Week 2

After getting off to a slow start in Week 1, Major League Soccer delivered plenty of excitement and interesting talking points in Week 2.  A total of 25 goals were scored across eight games this past weekend. Four players were able to find the back of the net on two occasions.  Due to the plethora of strong attacking performances across the league, we opted to select our best 11 from Week 2 in a 3-4-3 formation.  The unconventional setup allowed us to make room for three of the top four forwards from the weekend, and it was able to help us highlight the midfield stars who scored as well. Continue reading on to see which players earned a spot in the MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

How LA Galaxy Can Transition from Landon Donovan to Steven Gerrard in MLS

It's hard to imagine a club like the LA Galaxy as a team in transition, but that is the exact label being placed on the five-time MLS Cup champion at the start of the 2015 Major League Soccer season. The Galaxy are currently in a holding pattern in advance of Steven Gerrard's arrival from Liverpool this summer. Gerrard is set to replace Landon Donovan, who retired after the 2014 season, as the club's third designated player.  While Gerrard does not play the same position as Donovan did, he will fill the playmaking void left open by the United States legend's departure.  In the club's 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire on Friday night, we saw a glimpse of the tactical setup manager Bruce Arena will use before Gerrard enters the fray.  The decision that caught the most attention was the one to start Kenney Walker next to Juninho in the middle of the park. The pair were flanked by the duo of Stefan Ishizaki and Jose Villarreal.  The spot next to Juninho on the pitch will be under a massive microscope before Gerrard's arrival because the Galaxy were forced to trade Marcelo Sarvas to Colorado to make room for their new No. 8.  Walker did a ...