MLS Team of the Week: Red Bulls and Galaxy Stars Lead Week 8’s Best XI

The marquee clubs in Major League Soccer stole the headlines in Week 8 as the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls combined for eight goals on Saturday and Sunday.  Due to the offensive outbursts on each coast, five players from the two big-name franchises found their way into the latest Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week.  In addition to the stars from New York and LA, Toronto FC placed a pair into our weekly best XI that is shaped in a 3-4-3 formation to accommodate a bevy of impressive attacking performances from Week 8. Continue reading to see which 11 players earned Team of the Week honors after a full weekend of play in MLS.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Adi Moves to Top, Maund, Meram Debut

Choosing the top player in our latest Bleacher Report MLS Player Rankings was a difficult task. Each of the four attackers at the top of the chart has a valid argument to be in the No. 1 position following Week 7, but that doesn't mean just four players are thriving across MLS. For the third straight week, we had at least six new entrants into the list of the league's 20 best in-form players, including one defender who is surprising many with his early-season performances.  Our player rankings take into account the last four games individuals participated in, with the most recent match holding the most importance.  Continue reading to see which 20 players landed in the latest MLS Player Rankings. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Dos Santos, Jones, Piatti, Adi Star in Week 7

The headline-makers during Week 7 of the Major League Soccer season were household names to many watching the 10-game weekend slate. Giovani dos Santos set the tone for the weekend with a brace in the Los Angeles Galaxy's blowout win over Houston on Friday night.  Jermaine Jones made noise in his season debut with the Colorado Rapids by playing a role in each of the team's strikes in a victory over the New York Red Bulls.  Although Week 7 belonged to the big-name attackers, a few teams put in tremendous performances in the back line. Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC both placed two players in our Bleacher Report Team of the Week because of their defensive contributions.  Read on to see which 11 players were named to the Week 7 edition of the B/R MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Wondolowski 1 Strike Away from Goal Milestone

Major League Soccer prides itself on week-to-week unpredictability and parity from top to bottom, but the one constant that hasn't changed over the last seven seasons is Chris Wondolowski's knack for scoring goals.  The San Jose Earthquakes forward can jump into sole possession of fourth place on the MLS all-time scoring chart with a tally on Saturday in Portland. Wondolowski moved level with Ante Razov on 114 goals with his strike in San Jose's 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday.  The 33-year-old striker usually doesn't produce tallies that end up on the weekly highlight reel, but he does find the back of the net on a consistent basis like no other player has been able to.  Starting with his 18 goals in 2010, Wondolowski has reached the double-digit goal mark in six consecutive years. If his current pace keeps up, the San Jose forward will extend that streak to seven years before the summer begins.  The veteran forward receives plenty of criticism from the United States men's national team fan base for his lack of production at the international level, but he has never let those performances affect him in MLS.  Some may say if you've seen one Wondo goal, you've ...

MLS Player Rankings: Plata Stays Top, Wondo, Adi, Dwyer Surge into Top 10

Week 6 certainly wasn't the flashiest week of the Major League Soccer season to date, but it saw a few big-name attackers score meaningful tallies.  Five of the top seven players in our latest Bleacher Report MLS Player Rankings found the back of the net over the weekend.  Due to the absence of some stars from the pitches across the United States and Canada in Week 6, we witnessed plenty of fluctuation in the top 10.  Our player rankings take into account the last four performances of everyone in MLS, with the most recent showing carrying the most importance. Continue reading to see which 20 players secured a spot on our list of the best in-form players in MLS. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Sapong, Dwyer, Espindola Lead List of Week 6’s Best

The sixth week of play in Major League Soccer provided fans with a wide array of talking points once the weekend's final whistle sounded on Sunday night. The biggest attacking headline was produced by D.C. United, who powered four goals past the Vancouver Whitecaps at RFK Stadium on Saturday.  Sporting Kansas City continued their terrific early-season form with a win over the New York Red Bulls, who can't seem to figure things out in the final third.  In addition to the splendid attacking performances throughout the United States and Canada, there was also a bit of controversy on Sunday night, when Nigel de Jong injured Darlington Nagbe with a harsh challenge and only received a yellow card for his actions.  After going over all the noteworthy individual showings from Week 6, we settled on a 4-3-3 formation for our latest Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week. Continue reading to see which 11 players found their way into our list of Week 6's top stars. Begin Slideshow

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Red Card Issue Can Be Fixed by Adjustments

The one issue that has plagued Major League Soccer during the first five weeks of the season has been the enforcement of red cards.  In the 42 matches played across the league since March 6, 16 ejections have been delivered by 13 different referees.  The concern about the presumed growing number of red cards throughout the United States and Canada came to the forefront again after four players were sent off during Week 5.  During a conference call with the media on Thursday afternoon, Professional Referees Organization general manager Peter Walton tried to clear things up regarding the increased criticism of officials.  “Nothing has changed in law," Walton said. "Nothing has changed in the way PRO wants the game to be played and administered. What has changed is our referees are much more consistent in the application of the law we want them to apply."  While the quality on the pitch in regard to the personnel has dramatically improved over the last few years, PRO has worked on fine-tuning the skill sets of its referees.  What we are seeing at the start of 2016 is the consistency that Walton and others in charge at PRO are looking for.  "I’ve spent a considerable amount of time with the ...

MLS Player Rankings: Plata Remains on Top, Kaka Surges Up List After Week 5

The fifth week of play in Major League Soccer wasn't an attacking showcase like the month of March, but there were a few standout showings in the final third.  The top performance of the weekend came from Kaka, who marveled in front of goal in his season debut for Orlando City.  As for the players near the top of our MLS Player Rankings, only Joao Plata produced a solid effort in Week 5. Some of the stars near the top of the list were ravaged by injuries.  Our player rankings take into account the last four games individuals participated in, with the most recent match holding the most importance.  Continue reading to see who landed where in our list of the 20 best in-form players in MLS.   Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Kaka, Dempsey Shine in Critical Week 5 Wins

Major League Soccer returned from the international break with a near-full slate of games that was capped by a tremendous four-goal output from Orlando City.  Former Ballon d'Or winner Kaka lifted the Lions to three points with a standout performance in his first start of the year.  Over in the Western Conference, Clint Dempsey powered the Seattle Sounders to a much-needed victory at home with a goal of his own.  In addition to the pair of superstars, a few first-time scorers made their way into the Week 5 edition of the Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week.  Continue reading to see which players featured in our best XI from the first weekend of April. Begin Slideshow

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Sporting KC, Real Salt Lake Set to Renew Rivalry

One of the fiercest rivalries in Major League Soccer opens its latest chapter on Saturday night, as Real Salt Lake visits Sporting Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park.  Fireworks are guaranteed when these two sides come together in any contest, whether it be the regular season, the U.S. Open Cup or the MLS Cup playoffs.  The rivalry heated up once again in 2015, as Sporting KC moved over to the Western Conference following the arrival of New York City FC and Orlando City in the Eastern Conference.  That led to three regular-season showdowns and an extra one in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. RSL defended its home turf with a pair of 2-1 wins, while Sporting KC won the Open Cup semi and drew 0-0 inside its stadium.  Saturday's matchup in Kansas City will have a little extra meaning for RSL if it comes out on top. The Claret and Cobalt have not won in Kansas City since 2009, and the visiting team in the rivalry has failed to win since July 2013, when Sporting KC was victorious at Rio Tinto Stadium thanks to a 97th-minute winner from Ike Opara.  The clash at Children's Mercy Park will also have some early-season implications at ...