MLS Player Power Rankings: Dempsey, Altidore Fight for Top Spot After Week 1

The first week of action in Major League Soccer may not be the best we see all season, but we did see glimpses of brilliance from some of the league's top players.  Fourteen different players found the back of the net over the three-day stretch of games, including Robbie Keane, Kaka, Jozy Altidore, Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey.  Based off their contributions to their respective clubs, all five of those players are high on the list of the top 20 players in MLS.  This list will be similar to a club power ranking, as the hottest players in MLS will be closer to the top spot. As the weeks move on, cumulative performance will be added into our selection criteria. But for now, we are just judging these players off their Week 1 showings.  Continue reading on to see who topped the first MLS Player Power Rankings of the 2015 MLS season.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Kaka, Dempsey & Altidore Shine in Week 1

The first week of action in Major League Soccer saw some players display a bit of rust as other stars pick up where they left off in 2014. A few of the new additions to the league also starred for their respective clubs, as Jozy Altidore and Kaka shone bright in key roles in the matches played by Toronto FC and Orlando City. The best performance from a specific position in Week 1 came between the pipes, as four goalkeepers made legitimate claims to be named in the first best 11 of the season. Our inaugural MLS Team of the Week of the 2015 season is shaped in a traditional 4-4-2 to accommodate a few strong showings at full-back, which is seen as the weakest position in the league. Continue reading for a look at which 11 players feature in the first MLS Team of the Week of the new season.Begin Slideshow

5 Storylines to Follow During the 2015 MLS Season

Now that Major League Soccer and the players' union have agreed in principle to a new collective bargaining agreement, it is time to fully focus on the 2015 season. The 20th installment of MLS will feature two new clubs, Orlando City and New York City FC, as well as a new conference structure to accommodate the additions to the Eastern Conference.  While there are plenty of storylines worth following throughout the next nine months, we opted to select five key ones that fans should have their eyes on. Here's a look at the five key storylines to follow in the 2015 MLS season. Begin Slideshow

MLS 2015: Ranking the Top 50 Players in the League

The 2015 Major League Soccer season is scheduled to begin March 6, when the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Chicago Fire at the StubHub Center.  The league's 20th season will see a ton of change, as a bevy of new international signings will enter MLS alongside some of the best American talent that has played abroad over the last few years.  Two expansion sides, New York City FC and Orlando City SC, will also enter the 20-team league in 2015. Both clubs have spent a decent chunk of change luring big-name players to their respective cities.  To get you prepared for the start of the new MLS season, we decided to rank the 50 best players the league has to offer in 2015.  Here's a look at the star-studded MLS Top 50.Begin Slideshow

It’s Time for MLS to Walk the Walk After Successful Offseason

Following a season that many around Major League Soccer considered one of, if not the, best in league history, there is growing pressure for the league to thrive in its 20th season.  During the offseason, a slew of high-profile players entered the league, which will begin a landmark television deal with ESPN and Fox Sports in 2015.  Also coming to the league will be the eventual introduction of a new collective bargaining agreement. No deal has been reached less than a week before the season is supposed to begin. But the final product could revamp the league in its own fashion.  As if that wasn't enough to get excited about, a new era of American superstars are about to break into the mainstream. Now that most of the offseason business has concluded, it's time for the league to walk the walk. But will they be able to with all eyes on it?  The biggest headlines earned in regard to player acquisition this offseason came from Toronto, Los Angeles and New York City.  Just like it did last season, Toronto brought in a few stars from Europe in order to improve the quality of play on the field.  Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco are in, while Jermain Defoe ...

Matt Besler Can Silence Jurgen Klinsmann’s Criticism with Strong 2015 MLS Season

Over the past few weeks, fitness has been discussed more than it should be in regard to the Major League Soccer contingent in the United States men's national team talent pool. One of the central figures of the situation has been Sporting Kansas City center-back Matt Besler, who suffered one of the biggest drops in form after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The controversy began after the USMNT's 3-2 loss to Chile in which the Yanks conceded late in the second half on two occasions. "After the World Cup, a lot of players dropped their levels 30, 40 percent when they came back from vacation,” United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann said after the match, per Dan Itel of MLSSoccer.com. “It doesn’t matter if they are in Europe or the US, you can’t do that at the international level," he continued. "You get exposed after minute 65 or 70 if you can’t go the speed anymore, and both ways, so there’s a lot of work ahead of us, ahead of the players first of all.” Because of the key role he is supposed to fill at the international level, Besler was one of the main targets of the criticism. Although he was not named ...

Examining Robbie Rogers’ Impact on the American Sports Culture

Two years ago, Robbie Rogers published a post on his personal blog in which he announced his coming out.  In the 24 months since his announcement, Rogers has left a profound impact on the American sporting culture, and he has turned himself into one of the more reliable players on one of the best sides in Major League Soccer.  By inspiring others to come out as gay and using the game of soccer as a positive platform, Rogers has become one of the most recognizable faces in the American game for all of the right reasons.  When he made his announcement, Rogers was a free agent after he spent time in the lower tiers of English football. He decided to retire from the game in his blog post following his release from Leeds United. "Now is my time to step away. It's time to discover myself away from football. It's 1 a.m. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision. Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest. Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple and clear. My secret is gone, I am ...

Why Jozy Altidore Joining MLS Could Help His Career

Jozy Altidore made the best possible decision for his career when he exited English Premier League side Sunderland on January 16.  There is no doubt the United States international needed to leave Wearside in order to get playing time, but there were some questions about his landing spot.  By moving to Toronto FC of Major League Soccer, Altidore put a ton of pressure on himself to succeed, but that is exactly what the player needs to further his career.  At 25 years old, Altidore still has plenty of time to develop into one of the best forwards produced by the United States. But few are willing to put him in the discussion based on his time at Sunderland and his spotty form at the international level of late.  With the guarantee of first-team action in front of him in 2015, Altidore is expected to take the league he once played in by storm.  In three seasons with the New York Red Bulls, Altidore scored 15 goals in 37 appearances, which is a respectable number for a young player coming through the ranks at a club.  In his return to North America, Altidore is expected to score close to 15 goals to be considered a success with ...

Are the Chicago Fire a Team to Fear in MLS After Offseason Acquisitions?

During the wild and crazy Major League Soccer offseason, the Chicago Fire have flown under the radar with their slew of acquisitions.  The Fire, who have missed the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, are once again looking for new designated players to bring them back to the promised land.  In the busy offseason, the Fire have brought in Kennedy Igboananike, David Accam and Shaun Maloney as their latest designated players. All three players are expected to improve the team's attack, which already features Mike Magee, Quincy Amarikwa and Harrison Shipp.  Given the history of designated players in Chicago, it is easy to doubt the talent the Fire will put out on the pitch in 2015. Only Cuauhtemoc Blanco experienced a good amount of success in a Fire shirt as a designated player from 2007 to 2009.  Despite the lack of trust in the club's eye for talent, there is plenty of hope surrounding the Fire heading into the new campaign.  On top of stockpiling talent in attack, Frank Yallop's side have attempted to secure the back line with the additions of Adailton, Joevin Jones and Eric Gehrig.  Unlike the depth in attack, Chicago only has a few returning players in the back four ...

Picking a Best XI of Players from the 2015 MLS SuperDraft

Although we are less than a week removed from the 2015 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, we have a better idea of which players will succeed in their rookie seasons.  By looking at depth charts, styles of play and raw talent, we were able to analyze who the best 11 rookies will be during the 2015 season.  The team is set up in a 3-5-2 formation because of the wealth of attacking players set to thrive if all goes well during the preseason.  Here is a look at our best 11 players from the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. Begin Slideshow