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 ...

MLS Power Rankings: Sporting Kansas City Still on Top After International Break

Only six teams were in action in Major League Soccer this past weekend due to the international break. However, there was still some movement in the power rankings. As always, the following criteria were used to grade every club: Current form Injuries/absences Quality of a team's most recent performance Here is where every MLS team stands after the international break.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Diaz, Morales Rise After Impressive Week 4 Showings

The international break may have halted the strong starts of many Major League Soccer players, but a few playmakers were able to impress during the small slate of matches in Week 4.  Due to the strong numbers put up by some players on Saturday, we saw a little bit of a shift in our latest MLS Player Rankings.  Among the changes were a new entrant into the top 10 and a high riser who secured a top-three position after four weeks of play across North America. 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 on to see who made the biggest leaps in our latest MLS Player Rankings.Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: FC Dallas Quartet Highlight Week 4’s Best XI

The international break did not stop Major League Soccer from squeezing in a few matches over the weekend.  Six clubs took to the pitch on Saturday during a shortened Week-4 slate across the United States and Canada. FC Dallas caught the most attention for their win at RFK Stadium over a D.C. United side that is having trouble putting things together early in the season. Vancouver was the other winner in Week 4, while New York City FC and New England played to a draw.  Due to the limited options for selection, we shaped our MLS Team of the Week in a 4-5-1 formation.  Continue reading to see who was named to our best XI from Week 4.Begin Slideshow

Roberto Carlos Reportedly Set to Manage David Beckham’s MLS Team in Miami

David Beckham has reportedly singled out his former Real Madrid team-mate Roberto Carlos as the man to manager his Miami franchise. That’s according to Dani Hidalgo of AS, who wrote that while the team is not scheduled to become a part of Major League Soccer until 2018, plenty of planning is being done. It’s said part of that planning is to find a manager, and the legendary Brazil left-back is on Beckham’s shortlist. Carlos is currently in charge of Indian Super League outfit Delhi Dynamos. During his time with Los Blancos, he was revered as the best full-back in world football, winning the UEFA Champions League three times and La Liga four times with the capital club. Additionally, he represented Brazil a whopping 125 times, winning the World Cup in 2002. Hidalgo adds further colour to the reasons why Beckham thinks the 42-year-old is the right man to take on what’ll no doubt be a difficult job. “He [Beckham] has always attributed great importance to the ability of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti to place themselves in their charges' shoes,” he says. “Carlos meets that requirement, and has now built up four years of coaching experience. On top of that, his ...

MLS Power Rankings: Sporting Kansas City Claim Top Honors

The third round of matches in Major League Soccer were shrouded in controversy. As a result, there has been a shake-up of the power rankings for this week.  Now that there is a larger sample size of games, last season's results will no longer affect the rankings. The following criteria will be used to grade each team: Current form Injuries Quality of a team's most recent performance Here is how every club stands after Week 3.Begin Slideshow

MLS Player Rankings: Plata, Larin, Bruin Top Attack-Heavy List After Week 3

Offense continued to be the theme across Major League Soccer in Week 3 as 27 goals struck the back of the net over three days of play.  Some of the same players who thrived over the first two weeks of the season extended their terrific starts into this past weekend.  Selecting a No. 1 in our latest edition of the MLS Player Rankings was a difficult task since seven attackers are tied for the Golden Boot, and six have contributed to at least four of their team's tallies so far.  Our player rankings take into account cumulative performance over the last three weeks with a emphasis on the most recent showing by the players considered for the list.  Continue reading to see who topped our listing of the top-20 in-form stars after Week 3. Begin Slideshow

MLS Team of the Week: Zardes, Sapong, Adi, Felipe Feature After 2-Goal Games

The madness of March in Major League Soccer reared its head again in Week 3.  From a seven-goal thriller on Saturday to a game in which a goalkeeper saved two penalties and still lost on Sunday, there were no shortage of talking points after the 10-game slate concluded.  Six players recorded two-goal performances over three days, but due to overcrowding at certain positions, only four of them found their way into our MLS Team of the Week.  The plethora of strong attacking showings across the league in Week 3 led us to choose a 4-3-3 formation for our best XI of the weekend.  Continue reading to see who made the latest Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week.Begin Slideshow

Tim Howard to Colorado Rapids: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard will join MLS team Colorado Rapids this summer after 10 years with the Toffees. The club announced the news via their official Twitter feed on Sunday: Howard arrived at Goodison Park from Manchester United and has so far made over 400 appearances for Everton.   Uninterrupted first broke the news on Twitter: Howard spoke of his love for the Toffees, per Everton's official Twitter feed: Everton chairman Bill Kenwright hailed his time with the club: Major League Soccer welcomed the American, who has made 105 appearances for the United States national team: The Times' Henry Winter wished Howard luck, while Goal USA's Thomas Floyd noted the "buzz" his capture will bring to the Rapids: Everton will now be left with the choice of replacing the 37-year-old in the transfer market or with backup stopper Joel Robles. The Spaniard has enjoyed run-outs in cup competitions and recently in the Premier League this season. He looked fairly assured, so he may get the nod—particularly if he can continue to stake a claim in the side for the remainder of the campaign.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Ultimate Guide to MLS Weekend: Toronto Dealing with Long Road Trip to Start 2016

Earning points on the road in Major League Soccer is never an easy task. For Toronto FC to remain relevant over the first three months of the season, the Reds have to do just that.  In their first two matches of the 2016 campaign, Greg Vanney's side used three second-half goals to pick up a late victory and a come-from-behind draw in the New York City area.  "We've started eight games on the road and we talked about giving ourselves a chance to win games," Vanney said after TFC's win over the New York Red Bulls in Week 1. "However we get results, we get results, that's all that matters."  Toronto didn't appear to be headed for a positive result in the season opener at Red Bull Arena, but the improved back line held firm against pressure from the Red Bulls and allowed Sebastian Giovinco to work his magic in the final 10 minutes.  Giovinco was isolated for most of the match, but he was able to break free in the latter stages of the Eastern Conference clash as he created a penalty, scored from the spot and assisted on his team's second tally. The Atomic Ant was at it again in Week 2 as ...