Sylvae
24Mar/140

8 Things We Learned from MLS Week 3

After three weeks of play across the grounds of Major League Soccer, we are beginning to get a taste of what the biggest stories are going to be in 2014.  In the Eastern Conference, a few new names are helping a pair of clubs gain confidence and potentially earn a spot atop the standings in the long run. Out west, a team without a key player battled to a road victory, while a young star continued to fly under the radar.  Continue reading for a look at the eight biggest takeaways from Week 3 in MLS. Begin Slideshow
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24Mar/140

Winners and Losers from MLS Week 3

While the third week of play in Major League Soccer did not produce as much excitement as the EPL or El Clasico, it did have some clear-cut winners and losers.  A few games on Saturday and Sunday were affected by weather, while some saw designated players shine once again.  Other matches saw some terrific individual performances, but there were some brutal outings on the pitch too. Continue reading for a complete look at the winners and the losers from Week 3 in MLS. Begin Slideshow
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23Mar/140

MLS Team of the Week: Defoe, Diaz and Anor Shine in Week 3

The first weekend of the young Major League Soccer season that saw a full slate of nine games provided us with plenty of quality performances by individuals.  In some of those games, defense took priority as only four teams scored two or more goals in Week 3. We had plenty of candidates to choose from on defense, but the offensive spots in our traditional 4-4-2 were harder to fill with so few goals coming from the men up front.  Continue reading to which 11 players found their way into the MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow
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20Mar/140

Picking an MLS Best XI for the 2014 Season

The 2014 Major League Soccer season is still young, but that will not stop us from predicting who will be the best players at the end of the season.  Based off of the first two weeks of play, and performances in recent years, we chose the 11 best candidates for an MLS best 11.  Continue reading below for a look at the selections for the team.    Goalkeeper: Nick Rimando When Nick Rimando delivered a stellar nine-save showing against LA in Week 1, he added to his career highlight reel that is chock-full of dramatic saves, especially penalty stops.  The third-choice United States keeper has already solidified his spot on the plane to Brazil with 16 saves over two weeks of play.  If Rimando continues his strong play in net, he will once again be heading into the playoffs with Real Salt Lake.    Defenders: Kofi Sarkodie, Matt Besler, Michael Parkhurst, Corey Ashe After two weeks of play, it is hard not to pick the entire Houston back four, but we all know that their play will fade off eventually. While the Dynamo defense will take some lumps throughout the season, it will still feature two full-backs who don't receive enough respect.  Kofi Sarkodie and Corey Ashe not only play their positions well ...
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19Mar/140

Sporting KC and San Jose Must Learn from LA’s Mistakes in Tijuana

Tuesday night at the Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, the LA Galaxy drew out the perfect blueprint on how to lose in Mexico during the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.  The Galaxy's defense opened wide for the Tijuana attack to take advantage of and, within 26 minutes, Bruce Arena's side were down by three goals. Give credit to the Galaxy for actually putting up a fight in the second half and making the Xolos sweat it out at home, but in all honesty, they disappointed south of the border.  While the Galaxy were being broken down by Club Tijuana, the other two Major League Soccer clubs left in the competition were put on notice.  Sporting Kansas City and the San Jose Earthquakes must not be carved apart in the back so early against Cruz Azul and Toluca. If either team comes out flat like the Galaxy did, their time in the competition will expire. On Tuesday night, it wasn't just the players with the least amount of experience that struggled, although I am calling you out Gyasi Zardes, the veterans in the LA starting XI looked flustered as well. The perfect example of this came on the second Xolos goal in the ninth minute ...
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18Mar/140

MLS Player Power Rankings: Plata, Morales, Defoe Surge Up Chart

Week 2 of play in Major League Soccer may be in the books, but we are not done recapping it just yet.  The newest edition of the MLS player power rankings see seven debutantes, including a few players who played big roles in their team's first game of the season. Looking beyond the first-timers on the list, there are a few standout performers from the best team in the league that solidified their spots in the list of the league's 20 best players. Continue reading to see who snagged the No. 1 spot this week in the MLS player power rankings. Begin Slideshow
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17Mar/140

Winners and Losers from MLS Week 2

Now that the dust has settled on the second week of play in Major League Soccer, we are aware of who the winners and losers are because of the final scores. But, who are the real winners and losers from the eight matches played across North America?  That is what we examine here as we pick the winners and losers from Week 2 in MLS. Begin Slideshow
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17Mar/140

8 Things We Learned from MLS Week 2

The long-awaited debuts of Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley in Toronto FC red came and went this weekend with plenty of fireworks.  The star-studded duo helped the Reds power past the Sounders in Seattle in the marquee game of Week 2. In the other seven matches, we learned that Earthquakes should never be counted out and a tremendous back four is coming together in orange.  Continue reading for the eight biggest lessons from the second week of play in MLS. Begin Slideshow
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17Mar/140

MLS Team of the Week: Defoe Shines in League Debut

The second week of play in Major League Soccer saw plenty of big names perform at a high level. MLS debutant Jermain Defoe had one of the best days on the pitch this weekend with two goals at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.  Outside of Michael Bradley and Defoe's star-studded parade in Seattle, there were other strong showings from a few players that deserved spots in last week's Team of the Week. Continue reading to see who found a spot in our 4-1-3-2 formation for the Week 2 Team of the Week.Begin Slideshow
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14Mar/140

What Will Be Considered a Success for MLS Teams in CONCACAF Champions League?

After play in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, three clubs from Major Soccer League are still in contention for a spot in the semifinals.  The San Jose Earthquakes received a last-gasp goal from Alan Gordon at home to head into the second leg with Toluca tied at 1-1.  Sporting Kansas City and the LA Galaxy both won 1-0 at home over Mexican opposition, but they both have plenty of work left to do south of the border next week.  It is likely that at least one of these three clubs will advance into the semifinal round, but will reaching the semis be deemed a success for the league that is still looking for a breakthrough on the continental stage? In the five years of the CONCACAF Champions League format, only one MLS side has reached the final. Real Salt Lake progressed that far in 2011 and fell a goal short against Monterrey, which has won the last three Champions League titles.  Last season, LA and the Seattle Sounders reached the semifinal round before being knocked out by Monterrey and Santos Laguna, respectively.  Everyone around the league knows that the quality in MLS has gone up in recent years, but that sentiment has ...
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