David Villa Opens MLS Account with Beauty for NYCFC vs. New England Revolution

David Villa is off the mark for New York City FC in the MLS and in some style too. The Spanish legend played a lovely one-two with Ned Grabavoy before perfectly placing the ball into the net.  It helped set up NYCFC for a 2-0 victory over the New England Revolution at Yankee Stadium.  [Twitter: @MLS]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Team of the Week: Trio of Scorers Highlight Best 11 from Wild Week 2

After getting off to a slow start in Week 1, Major League Soccer delivered plenty of excitement and interesting talking points in Week 2.  A total of 25 goals were scored across eight games this past weekend. Four players were able to find the back of the net on two occasions.  Due to the plethora of strong attacking performances across the league, we opted to select our best 11 from Week 2 in a 3-4-3 formation.  The unconventional setup allowed us to make room for three of the top four forwards from the weekend, and it was able to help us highlight the midfield stars who scored as well. Continue reading on to see which players earned a spot in the MLS Team of the Week. Begin Slideshow

MLS’ Opening Weekend TV Ratings Are Encouraging, but They Could Decrease

MLS' national TV broadcasts attracted a significant amount of viewers on opening weekend. The league's official website published the ratings from UniMas, Fox Sports 1 and ESPN2. They're impressive numbers and, in some cases, broke records. However, it's too early to get carried away. LA Galaxy versus Chicago Fire drew an average of 341,000 viewers. It's impressive considering the match kicked off just after 10 p.m. ET on a Friday. ESPN2's broadcast of Orlando City SC against New York City FC attracted 539,000 viewers. This number surpassed any game on the network from last season by 100,000. Fox Sports 1's numbers weren't as impressive, but were still impressive. Around 268,000 watched Sporting Kansas City face the New York Red Bulls and 289,000 viewed the Seattle Sounders versus the New England Revolution on Sunday. Both games marked a huge improvement on NBCSN’s 2014 average of 142,000, per Paul Kennedy of SoccerAmerica. ESPN and ESPN2 generated a combined viewership of 240,000 last season. Comparing last year to last weekend shows there's interest in the league across the United States. However, it was the first round of matches. Those are guaranteed to draw even the average MLS fan after a winter hiatus. The 2014 season opener was watched by ...

MLS: Keys to Every Game on Matchday 2

Matchday 2 of the MLS season begins on Friday with Orlando City SC facing the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium.  The Columbus Crew take on Toronto FC in a Trillium Cup showdown, while FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City square off in two of the marquee games on Saturday. The weekend concludes with two potential thrillers on Sunday. New York City hosts the New England Revolution in the team's first MLS home game. The Portland Timbers and LA Galaxy will face each other in the final match of the day. Here are the keys to every game on Matchday 2.Begin Slideshow

Image of Jozy Altidore Being Shown the Middle Finger by Vancouver Fan Goes Viral

Jozy Altidore's making a fast impact in his return to Major League Soccer. He scored two goals in his first match—a 3-1 win for Toronto FC over the Vancouver Whitecaps—but when scoring the final goal (a cheeky Panenka), he found himself on the receiving end of an all-too-common gesture of disapproval. The excellent picture captured by photographer Duncan Nicol quickly went viral. While the middle-figure salute is generally taken as offensive, in this particular case, it was well-received all around. For a league that's still growing, the prevailing theme of the viral photo was that at least they're watching (and obviously care). "I saw it online," Altidore told the Toronto Sun. "Someone asked what I thought. I thought it was cool. It captures what the game means to them, what the rivalry means to them." The fan was later identified as Whitecaps diehard Kirsty Olychick.She admitted that it was just a natural reaction and meant no offense to the American international. Per the same Sun report:  I don't think he even noticed I was doing it, nothing was said to me at the time.  I am completely surprised at the reaction it is getting and, thankfully, most of it is positive. I heard he was amused by the picture and really that is ...

How LA Galaxy Can Transition from Landon Donovan to Steven Gerrard in MLS

It's hard to imagine a club like the LA Galaxy as a team in transition, but that is the exact label being placed on the five-time MLS Cup champion at the start of the 2015 Major League Soccer season. The Galaxy are currently in a holding pattern in advance of Steven Gerrard's arrival from Liverpool this summer. Gerrard is set to replace Landon Donovan, who retired after the 2014 season, as the club's third designated player.  While Gerrard does not play the same position as Donovan did, he will fill the playmaking void left open by the United States legend's departure.  In the club's 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire on Friday night, we saw a glimpse of the tactical setup manager Bruce Arena will use before Gerrard enters the fray.  The decision that caught the most attention was the one to start Kenney Walker next to Juninho in the middle of the park. The pair were flanked by the duo of Stefan Ishizaki and Jose Villarreal.  The spot next to Juninho on the pitch will be under a massive microscope before Gerrard's arrival because the Galaxy were forced to trade Marcelo Sarvas to Colorado to make room for their new No. 8.  Walker did a ...

MLS Player Power Rankings: Dempsey, Altidore Fight for Top Spot After Week 1

The first week of action in Major League Soccer may not be the best we see all season, but we did see glimpses of brilliance from some of the league's top players.  Fourteen different players found the back of the net over the three-day stretch of games, including Robbie Keane, Kaka, Jozy Altidore, Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey.  Based off their contributions to their respective clubs, all five of those players are high on the list of the top 20 players in MLS.  This list will be similar to a club power ranking, as the hottest players in MLS will be closer to the top spot. As the weeks move on, cumulative performance will be added into our selection criteria. But for now, we are just judging these players off their Week 1 showings.  Continue reading on to see who topped the first MLS Player Power Rankings of the 2015 MLS season.Begin Slideshow

MLS: 10 Things We Learned on Opening Weekend

The 2015 MLS season began on Friday, with the defending champion LA Galaxy claiming a 2-0 win against a hapless Chicago Fire team at the StubHub Center. Saturday was highlighted by Jozy Altidore's brace against the Vancouver Whitecaps in his competitive debut for Toronto FC. Four goals were scored in that game. The other five matches combined for just three goals. Sunday provided some dramatic moments. Ten-man Orlando City SC salvaged a draw against New York City FC in front of over 62,000 fans at the Citrus Bowl in the teams' inaugural MLS match. Sporting Kansas City and the New York Red Bulls tied, while the Seattle Sounders confidently defeated the New England Revolution in the final two games of opening weekend. Here are 10 things we learned in the first round of regular-season matches.  Begin Slideshow

2 Orlando City Fans Jump out of Stands After Kaka’s Late Equaliser

It is fair to say Orlando is pretty pumped for the MLS. A sold-out crowd of 62,510 watched Orlando City draw their first-ever MLS match 1-1 with New York City FC on Sunday. However, there were just 62,508 in the actual stands soon after Kaka's late equaliser, as two fans decided to jump out of the stands after the goal. Or as our friends at 101 Great Goals put it: "They turned into lemmings."[Twitter, Vine, 101 Great Goals] Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Kaka, the Citrus Bowl and the Feel-Good Factor Around Orlando City’s MLS Start

The opening weekend of Major League Soccer's 2015 season was exciting, encouraging and in many ways the spectacle plenty hoped it would be, with talking points, goals and drama aplenty throughout the 10 fixtures. Orlando City vs. New York City typified that to some extent, with the two new MLS franchises playing out a late 1-1 draw at the Citrus Bowl in front of more than 60,000 raucous fans. David Villa and Kaka were the star names on display, but there was plenty more to the match than just those two individuals. Despite not taking the win, the manner of the draw and Orlando's all-around approach will give fans reasons for optimism and excitement for the season ahead.   Playmaker Kaka, No. 10, captain of the club. The Brazilian legend was utilized correctly in his renowned role by Orlando, behind a center-forward and in spaces where he could collect possession and look to move toward goal. There was no "fitting in" of Kaka; he has been made the focal point for the team's progression and buildup play and the man to whom it will look to make the magic happen. Even early on in the game when things didn't quite work out for Orlando, it was Kaka's ...