MLS Player Power Rankings: Keane, Morales Inch Closer to Top Spot

After a great week for the attacking players in Major League Soccer, the gap between Bradley Wright-Phillips and the rest of the top 20 players in the league grew smaller. Wright-Phillips and the Red Bulls had the week off, which meant players such as Robbie Keane and Javier Morales were able to gain ground on the Golden Boot leader in the MLS Player Power Rankings. Beneath the top three, a slew of players swapped positions after a week that saw a total of 31 goals scored across eight games. Continue reading on to see who landed where in the list of the top 20 players in MLS.Begin Slideshow

Winners and Losers from MLS Week 20: Higuain, Mastroeni, Houston and More

Week 20 was quite the unique one in Major League Soccer, as the schedule saw just seven games thanks to a slew of friendlies.  Mixed in with the high-scoring week of league play, and the friendlies against European sides, was a major announcement made by a struggling side. Speaking of struggles, there were a few defenders who suffered from them in Week 20, and they did not escape criticism. Read on to see who were the biggest winners and losers from the 20th week of play in MLS. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Offensive Stars Shine in Week 20

The 20th week of play in Major League Soccer saw seven games played across five days, and in most of those matchups, offense reigned supreme. Only one team, Colorado, recorded a clean sheet in a week that averaged four goals per game. Thanks to the attacking breakout, our MLS Team of the Week is set up in a 4-3-1-2 to cram as many attack-minded players into the best 11 as possible. Continue reading on to see which players were named to the list of the week's best performers.Begin Slideshow

Meet Bradley Wright-Phillips: The Quiet, Rarely Flashy Forward Taking over MLS

When you picture a forward who scores goals at will, you usually see a flashy, electric player in your mind who on occasion delivers the over-the-top goal celebration. Bradley Wright-Phillips is the complete opposite of that image, but he does not lack the killer instinct in front of goal, even at 5'8". The New York Red Bulls forward has been on fire in 2014 with 17 goals in 19 games, 16 of those having been starts, which puts him 10 goals behind the current Major League Soccer single-season scoring record held by Chris Wondolowski and Roy Lassiter. "I say this every time I get interviewed, I just try to get my shots on target. If they go in, they go in," Wright-Phillips told Bleacher Report after his team's July 16 game against the Philadelphia Union. The 29-year-old Englishman has done just that with 17 of his 35 shots on target beating opposing keepers so far this season. Wright-Phillips, who arrived at the club in July 2013, credits a certain mindset that all English forwards have, no matter how flashy their style may be in front of goal, for his success. "I think growing up in England strikers are hungry to just get goals. We have a ...

MLS Player Power Rankings: Keane, Feilhaber Make Big Jumps After Week 19

For most of the season, the focus of the Major League Soccer Player Power Rankings has been on the players at the top, but it was two players in the middle of the pack from last week that made an impact on the list after Week 19.  Robbie Keane and Benny Feilhaber were the two standout performers from the week's set of games, which led to major jumps for both players on a list that is becoming more difficult to break into by the week.  Continue reading on to see which players were good enough to join Keane and Feilhaber in the MLS Player Power Rankings. Begin Slideshow

DeAndre Yedlin Talks World Cup Success, MLS All-Star Game and More

It has been three weeks since DeAndre Yedlin's first experience at the FIFA World Cup ended, but the entire process still hasn't sunk in with the burgeoning superstar of American soccer.  “It’s definitely been a whirlwind. There’s not been a lot of time to sit down and pinch myself to make sure it’s real. It’s definitely been pretty wild, but it’s been fun. I’m having a great time with it," Yedlin told Bleacher Report.  Yedlin, 21, catapulted himself onto the American sporting radar with three strong performances as a substitute against Portugal, Germany and Belgium. In his first World Cup game, Yedlin started a move on the right wing that led to Clint Dempsey's 81st-minute goal.  “Honestly, I just went out there and said, 'Relax and do your thing.' Jurgen [Klinsmann] definitely helped to calm me down a lot. If I make a mistake, I just try to recover on the ball as soon as possible, work hard, create and from that I felt really comfortable and relaxed.” The Seattle Sounders right-back also made his defensive prowess known, especially on one play against Belgium when he sprinted back down the pitch to defend Eden Hazard.  "[World-class players like Hazard] have their strengths, but they also have their weaknesses, and ...

Winners and Losers from MLS Week 19: Everyone at Sporting KC, Borchers and More

With a full slate of nine games being played this weekend in Major League Soccer, there were plenty of things to talk about regarding the play on the pitch. However, the biggest story of Week 19 came off the pitch thanks to Sporting Kansas City handing out a few big contracts to Matt Besler and Graham Zusi. On the field, there were a few controversial calls and players who experienced good and bad moments in their respective time on the pitch. Continue reading on to see who were the biggest winners and losers from Week 19 in MLS.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Duos from Columbus, FC Dallas, Portland Star in Week 19

Week 19 was all about big home wins for a few sides in Major League Soccer. Portland, Columbus and FC Dallas all came through with three points in games they needed to win, especially in the case of the Timbers and the Crew.  Thanks to those big wins, two players from each side were selected into the latest MLS Team of the Week. Continue reading on to see who else joined those players in the team set up in a 4-4-2. Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Power Rankings After Wednesday’s Week 19 Games

To kick off play in Week 19, the stars of Major League Soccer showed up to deliver some goal-scoring theatrics to fans.  In the four games across the league Wednesday night, Robbie Keane, Gyasi Zardes, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Conor Casey all showed up on the scoresheet.  Wright-Phillips' goal for the Red Bulls extended his lead atop the Golden Boot chart to two over Erick Torres. Continue reading on to see where those four players, and 16 others, ranked in the latest MLS Player Power Rankings. Begin Slideshow

MLS Best XI from Wednesday’s Week 19 Contests

In just four games Wednesday, some of Major League Soccer's best delivered terrific performances, especially those playing at home.  The three biggest stars of the night were forwards who have all seen themselves take different career paths to this point.  To accommodate the three forwards, we opted to select three central midfielders and make the best XI from Wednesday's action a team set up in a 4-3-3. Continue reading to see which 11 players were the best on Wednesday night in MLS.Begin Slideshow