6Apr/150
MLS Team of the Week: Vancouver Trio Headline League’s Best from Week 5
After four weeks of mostly lackluster matches, Major League Soccer came to life in Week 5 with plenty of exciting contests. One of the top performances of the weekend came from the Vancouver Whitecaps, who dominated the LA Galaxy on their way to claiming the top spot in the Supporters' Shield table. Vancouver's two rivals to the south also starred in Week 5, with Portland and Seattle both earning key victories. As such, two Timbers and one Sounder also feature in the MLS Team of the Week. Although certain positions did possess more quality than others, we decided to align our team in a 4-4-2 formation because of a few standout performers at other spots on the pitch. Continue reading for the complete list of the best players from Week 5 in MLS.Begin Slideshow5Apr/150
FC Dallas Coach Oscar Pareja Offers Caleb Porter a Tissue at Postgame Handshake
In terms of postgame handshake rows, this has to be far and away one of the best ones yet. Oscar Pareja-coached FC Dallas fell to the Portland Timbers 3-1 on Saturday in Major League Soccer, but Pareja won the award for bitter congratulations.At the full-time whistle, Pareja greeted Timbers boss Caleb Porter with a tissue he had just blown his nose with as opposed to his hand. Porter was not amused. He dismissed the tissue and gave Pareja a not-so-subtle "scoreboard" mention. "I walked over to shake his hand and he had a tissue that he put over his nose and tried to hand me a tissue," Porter said afterward, per MLS. "So I thought it was very poor sportsmanship out of (Pareja). "I never said one word to him the whole game and he obviously wasn't happy with the loss." In the aftermath, former United States star and Fox Sports analyst Alexi Lalas weighed in on the issue and sided with the Timbers boss. [Major League Soccer, h/t Deadspin]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com3Apr/150
How Major League Soccer Can Fix Its Early-Season Scheduling Issue
If there's one thing we've learned over time about Major League Soccer, it is that the league has plenty of quirks other top divisions of soccer don't have. One of the unique qualities to MLS that was put in the spotlight over the last week was the scheduling of regular-season games during an international break. Due to the league's decision to play on, stars like Robbie Keane, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley missed early-season matches for their respective clubs. The full total of players called up to a combined 21 national teams was 59, which is an impressive number for MLS to boast. However, some sides with a plethora of international players were forced to scramble in order to assemble a functional starting 11. No team was hurt more by this than Orlando City, as the Lions lost seven players to the FIFA window. Luckily for the expansion side, it still had Kaka in the fold for its 2-2 draw with the Montreal Impact on Saturday. But a few other clubs were not so lucky, including the Seattle Sounders. Sigi Schmid's team lacked Clint Dempsey and Marco Pappa in its starting 11 against FC Dallas due to international duty. With two key components of its attack ...3Apr/150
Kenny Cooper Fiasco Highlights MLS’ Issues and Proves It Won CBA Negotiations
The Seattle Sounders waived forward Kenny Cooper on Thursday, per the team's official website. However, the comments from general manager Garth Lagerwey signify that the league is benefiting more from the new CBA and has made little effort to gain transparency. Cooper attracted interest from the Montreal Impact, according to the official MLS website, but Montreal has not completed a deal. The reasoning behind this could be down to the 30-year-old's hefty salary, per Duane Rollins of Canadian Soccer News: The cap number seemingly influenced the Sounders' decision. Lagerwey told reporters "there has not been a market for [Cooper]," per Matt Pentz of The Seattle Times. Lagerwey also said that the lack of suitors was due to teams expecting an increase in cap space after the CBA negotiations last March. As a result, nobody wanted to take a risk in acquiring Cooper. The former FC Dallas striker is a nine-year MLS veteran and is 30 years old. Under the new CBA regulations, he is eligible for free agency since he has at least eight years of experience in the league and is over 28. However, this is not the case according to what Lagerwey said to the press, via Pentz: There is no free agency (now). ...2Apr/150
MLS: Keys to Every Game on Matchday 5
MLS Matchday 5 begins on Friday with Orlando City SC hosting D.C. United on UniMas. The teams are separated by one point entering this game after D.C.'s win over the LA Galaxy last week. Saturday features five games, three of which are late kickoffs. FC Dallas versus the Portland Timbers is arguably the marquee matchup of the day. The Timbers have yet to win a game and will be desperate for a victory. Sunday's doubleheader begins with the San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake at Avaya Stadium on ESPN2. Sporting Kansas City will host the lowly Philadelphia Union on Fox Sports 1 to close out the weekend. Here are the keys to every match this weekend in MLS.Begin Slideshow31Mar/150
MLS Player Rankings: Kaka Rises to the Top After Week 4
With the international break and Major League Soccer season in full swing this weekend, plenty of key figures missed out on their respective club's matches. One player who was not absent from the pitch in Week 4 was Kaka, who continued his remarkable start in Orlando with a goal and an assist. Due to the massive amount of fluctuation in the MLS Player Rankings this week, the Brazilian snatched the top spot away from Vancouver's Octavio Rivero. Because the list is a cumulative ranking of the league's top players, those who did not participate in Week 4 are still in the top 20, but they dropped significantly this week. Here's a look at our weekly compilation of the top 20 players in MLS. Begin Slideshow30Mar/150
MLS: 10 Things We Learned on Matchday 4
Sunday's MLS Matchday 4 concluded an entertaining weekend. The round was packed with terrific individual performances, some controversy and a few comebacks. Orlando City SC drew 2-2 with the Montreal Impact at Olympic Stadium with just four players on the bench. The Vancouver Whitecaps left it till late against the Portland Timbers, while D.C. United also struck at the death versus LA Galaxy. Goalkeepers also ruled the weekend. Houston Dynamo shot-stopper Tyler Deric and the Whitecaps' David Ousted were brilliant and single-handedly saved their respective sides from disaster. Here are 10 things we learned on Matchday 4.Begin Slideshow30Mar/150
MLS Team of the Week: Kelyn Rowe Shines for New England in Slow Week 4
Just like the three weeks that preceded it, Week 4 of action in Major League Soccer wasn't exactly a great two-day advertisement for the league. Despite the lack of impressive team showings, plenty of individuals delivered for their respective sides across North America this weekend. One player who thrived in the spotlight was Kelyn Rowe, who bagged the only brace of Week 4. Rowe is one of five midfielders who appear in our best 11 of the week. Because of the wealth of strong individual displays in midfield, we chose to mold our MLS Team of the Week in a 3-5-2 formation. Continue reading to see who joined Rowe on the list of the best players from Week 4. Begin Slideshow28Mar/150
Kaka Scores for Orlando City in MLS Clash Away to Montreal Impact
Kaka got on the scoresheet as Orlando City staged a quick-fire comeback in their MLS clash with the Montreal Impact. The Brazilian's composed finish dragged Orlando back from 2-0 down to 2-2, with the man who laid on the assist, Pedro Ribeiro, having scored moments earlier. [@OrlSoccerDaily, Vine]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com27Mar/150