22Jan/150
10 MLS Players Who Could Be on the Move in 2015
The 2015 MLS season hasn't kicked off as of yet and there are already rumors surrounding many of the league's players. Among these are Jermaine Jones, who has indicated that he wants to go back to Europe, per Doug McIntyre of ESPN. MVP Robbie Keane has also hinted at leaving the LA Galaxy, as noted on MLS' official website. Players who are rumored to be leaving MLS will be highlighted in this slideshow. The likelihood of each departure will also be analyzed, whether it's a contractual issue or interest from other clubs. Here are 10 MLS players who could be leaving the league in 2015.Begin Slideshow20Jan/150
Why American Players Returning to MLS Is Good for the League and USMNT
The U.S. men's national team now has 13 MLS-based players from its World Cup squad after Jozy Altidore signed with Toronto FC. Some fans are worried about the mass exodus of USMNT players from Europe, but it's a positive for both the league and the team. Mix Diskerud agreed to a deal with New York City FC three days before Altidore moved to Toronto. Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley (who's now retired from international duty) and Clint Dempsey have all signed with MLS teams over the last 17 months. All of these men are crucial players on their respective teams. Bradley and Dempsey are also two of the richest MLS-based contract holders, per ESPN FC. U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann hasn't been shy in saying that he'd rather see his players in Europe. However, that doesn't have to be the case. When Klinsmann was asked by ESPN FC about Diskerud's decision to join NYCFC, the German tactician agreed with the midfielder's choice. "In [Diskerud's] case, there's no Champions League team in Europe on a higher level that asked him to join them, so the options he had were probably not as attractive to him as the option he chose." Diskerud has the potential to be ...20Jan/150
Picking a Best XI of Players from the 2015 MLS SuperDraft
Although we are less than a week removed from the 2015 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, we have a better idea of which players will succeed in their rookie seasons. By looking at depth charts, styles of play and raw talent, we were able to analyze who the best 11 rookies will be during the 2015 season. The team is set up in a 3-5-2 formation because of the wealth of attacking players set to thrive if all goes well during the preseason. Here is a look at our best 11 players from the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. Begin Slideshow19Jan/150
Sebastian Giovinco to Toronto FC: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
Toronto FC have completed the signing of Juventus forward Sebastian Giovinco, with the Italian set to join the MLS outfit in the summer after the completion of the 2014-15 Serie A season. The Canadian club announced the move via Twitter on Monday but did not disclose any information about the financial terms of the deal: Kurtis Larson of the Toronto Sun reports that Giovinco could be set to earn $7 million (£4.6 million) a year across a five-year contract. This would potentially make the Italy international one of the highest-paid players in MLS with top-earner Kaka of Orlando City currently demanding a similar figure. Toronto general manager Tim Bezbatchenko hailed the signing of the 27-year-old Giovinco, per the club's website, which is something of a surprise move despite him being out of favour at Juve. He has started just twice in the league this season: Today marks a very special day for Toronto FC with the addition of Sebastian Giovinco. Seba is in the prime of his career and he has chosen to join Toronto FC and MLS at a time when many of the top clubs in the world were pursuing him. We are very pleased to bring a fantastic player to Toronto FC for our club and for our fans, especially ...19Jan/150
What Signings of Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco Reveal About Toronto and MLS
Over the last week, Toronto FC has made a massive statement in the transfer market with the acquisitions of Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco. Altidore was officially announced as a TFC player Friday after the club finalized a swap with Sunderland that involved Jermain Defoe, who only lasted one season with the Reds. Monday will mark another type of landmark announcement by Toronto, as Sebastian Giovinco will be announced as the club's latest designated player. The 27-year-old Italian will join the Canadian side in July after his contract at Juventus runs out, per Sportsnet's John Molinaro. With Major League Soccer entering a new chapter of its history in 2015 following the retirements of Landon Donovan and Thierry Henry, Toronto has helped continue one league precedent and begin another with its two recent deals. The Altidore signing continued the rapid trend of Americans returning to home soil to in the ever-evolving MLS. Clint Dempsey and the Seattle Sounders started the movement in 2013, when the United States captain moved to the Pacific Northwest from Tottenham Hotspur. Toronto helped continue the trend before the 2014 campaign, as it brought in Michael Bradley as one of its three new designated players alongside Gilberto and Defoe. Bradley will be the lone man standing ...16Jan/150
MLS Draft Notebook: Seattle Gets Its Guy; Portland, TFC Impress with Selections
As the first round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft progressed Thursday, one key name was left on the draft board. It took until the 16th selection for the University of Washington's Cristian Roldan to be selected by the Seattle Sounders. The Sounders traded up to the 16th pick in a deal with Real Salt Lake. SB Nation's Jeremiah Oshan reported that the trade cost the defending Western Conference champions just under $100,000 in allocation money. One of the reasons why Seattle made sure it worked out a trade with Real Salt Lake was the familiarity between Roldan and RSL assistant Craig Waibel. Waibel was an assistant at Washington before he joined RSL. "We really thought RSL was going to take him because Craig Waibel has history with him as well," Sounders boss Sigi Schmid told reporters. "For them, it came down to the situation where what we were offering was more important to them than the players." Roldan also has plenty of connections with the Sounders since he played collegiate soccer in the area at Washington. "I know a lot of the guys, not just (recently signed homegrown player and college teammate) Darwin Jones," the midfielder said. "It’ll be a transition I think. I’ve been ...16Jan/150
2015 MLS SuperDraft Winners and Losers
Another Major League Soccer SuperDraft is in the books as the 20 teams of MLS gathered in Philadelphia on Thursday to make their picks. Drafts in any sport are tricky to manage. A team has to balance its needs on the field, financial concerns, building plans for the long-haul and duty to make its fans happy. But in MLS, the draft can be even harder to figure out with things like allocation money and Generation Adidas contracts in play. And that's to say nothing of homegrown signings, international roster spots, the allocation order (not to be confused with allocation money), designated players and the like—complexities that MLS teams deal with everyday. With all that in mind, here are your 2015 MLS SuperDraft winners and losers.Begin Slideshow15Jan/150
What Pressures Will Cyle Larin Face as No. 1 Overall Pick in MLS?
The Major League Soccer SuperDraft may not receive as much attention in the United States as the drafts in the four major sports, but the top selection still faces a good amount of pressure. Orlando City SC selected UConn forward Cyle Larin with the first overall pick in Thursday's SuperDraft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Larin will go into a unique environment in Orlando thanks to the presence of former No. 1 pick Danny Mwanga, who inked a deal with the Lions this week. The Philadelphia Union picked Mwanga, now 23, with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft, but he was traded in 2012 after two-and-a-half mediocre seasons. He has bounced around at a few different clubs since, never finding success at any of them. “I think there is a lot of pressure. It’s tough," Mwanga said prior to Thursday's draft. "Sometimes as a player, you get too much of that into your head. You start doubting yourself a little bit. Going from the college level straight to the pros, being the No. 1 draft pick, people expect a lot from you." The forward first joined Philadelphia before its expansion season, just like Larin will do with Orlando City in 2015. The environment ...15Jan/150
MLS SuperDraft 2015: Complete Round-by-Round Results and Twitter Reaction
The first two rounds of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft took place on Thursday, January 15, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, as the first 42 picks were made. Orlando City SC landed the consensus top prospect with the first overall pick, selecting Connecticut's Cyle Larin. The first round saw a handful of big surprises, including the slide of Washington's Cristian Roldan and Toronto FC's pick of little-known defender Clement Simonin. Here are the full results for the first round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft: Canada international Larin was widely regarded as the top player available in the draft, and as shared by Goal.com's Ives Galarcep, Orlando surprised no one by selecting the powerful forward first overall: Larin was not able to attend the event, as he's currently playing for Canada in the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. According to ESPN FC's Paul Carr, it marks the first time in MLS history a single school provided two consecutive top picks after UConn's Andre Blake went to the Philadelphia Union first overall in 2014: Roldan was seen as the second-best prospect in the draft, but after a disappointing combine, some pundits warned the pint-sized midfielder could slide on draft day. New York City FC, who have no clear needs ...15Jan/150