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So much for a semblance of regularity.

LAFC remains the top team, and for good reason, but after that only the New York Red Bulls at No. 7 and the New England Revolution at No. 22 are in the same positions they were a week ago in the Pro Soccer USA Power Rankings for Week 13.

The Portland Timbers have taken the express elevator, rocketing up nine spots to No. 4 as the biggest movers. The Vancouver Whitecaps also made a big jump in a three-game week, rising five spots.

The Major League Soccer Power Rankings are created by averaging the rankings submitted by a committee of Pro Soccer USA’s editors and writers.

Pro Soccer USA writer Dylan Butler contributed to this report.

The post MLS Power Rankings Week 13: Cascadia rivals Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps climb appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

For most of the 2019 Major League Soccer season, a select group of superstars have headlined the Pro Soccer USA MLS Player Rankings. 

Due to suspensions and drops in form, a few players fell out of the top five, which allowed a few in-form stars to surge into the top quadrant of the top 20 in-form players in MLS. 

While plenty of change occurred in the top five and top 10, Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela remains on top after yet another star performance for the Supporters’ Shield leaders. 

In total, eight new faces are on the list after Week 13, including a Designated Player who has displayed his tremendous skill in a short amount of time.

Our player rankings rate the top 20 players in MLS based on form over the last month, with the most-recent performance carrying a bit more importance.

20. Miles Robinson, D, Atlanta United

Previous Ranking: 13

May 19, 2019; Harrison, NJ, USA; Atlanta United defender Miles Robinson (12) controls the ball during the first half against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Even after giving up three goals in the last two games, Atlanta United is tied for the best defensive record in MLS. 

Miles Robinson’s play has been one of the main reasons why the Five Stripes have given up 11 goals in 13 games. 

Robinson might make a push for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s Concacaf Gold Cup roster because of all the injuries in defense. 

If he doesn’t make the final cut for the Gold Cup, he’ll be expected to help Atlanta’s surge up the Eastern Conference standings.

19. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, F, LA Galaxy

Previous Ranking: 6

May 11, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; Los Angeles Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (9) moves in for a shot on goal against New York City during the second half at StubHub Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The LA Galaxy didn’t miss Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Week 13 as much as they did in Week 12. 

Without the suspended Ibrahimovic, the Galaxy pulled out a 1-0 road result at Orlando City to end their four-game losing streak.

Ibrahimovic will be eligible to be back on the field on Wednesday for the Galaxy’s trip to Sporting Kansas City.

18. Sebastian Saucedo, M, Real Salt Lake

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

Sebastian “Bofo” Saucedo scored an identical goal on Friday to the one he scored in Week 12. 

Saucedo’s goal was one of two impressive tallies netted by Real Salt Lake in their 2-1 win over Atlanta United at Rio Tinto Stadium.

New week, same spot, same result. pic.twitter.com/xKoht5Jxv6

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 26, 2019

RSL’s three-game winning streak has put them up to sixth place in the Western Conference.

17. Brian White, F, New York Red Bulls

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

Brian White isn’t the first New York Red Bulls forward we expected to put on this list in 2019. 

The 23-year-old has two goals and an assist in last four games, including a goal on Wednesday and an assist as a substitute on Saturday. 

GOAL! Brian White, via Amro Tarek!

1-1 #RBNYvVAN | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/Xe1CxsLYjb

— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 23, 2019

White is one of many players on the Red Bulls roster who aren’t receiving a ton of attention in the national spotlight for the current run the team is on. Going into Week 14, the Red Bulls have taken 10 points from their last four games. 

16. Diego Valeri, M, Portland Timbers

Previous Ranking: 18 

Diego Valeri finished off Portland’s 3-1 win over Philadelphia with a beautiful finish off a give-and-go with Sebastian Blanco. 

Diego Valeri to Sebastián Blanco to Diego Valeri to the back of the net.#PHIvPOR | #RCTID pic.twitter.com/gY0BLTlLEr

— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) May 26, 2019

Valeri struck the ball perfectly from outside the box to curl it past Union goalkeeper Andre Blake and into the right side of the net. 

In addition to scoring his third goal in Week 13, Valeri produced his seventh assist on one of two goals scored by club record signing Brian Fernandez.

15. Albert Rusnak, M, Real Salt Lake

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

May 11, 2019; Commerce City, CO, USA; Real Salt Lake midfielder Albert Rusnak (11) drives with the ball in the second half against the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Albert Rusnak’s uptick in production in the final third has helped RSL push into the playoff positions in the West standings. 

In Friday’s win over Atlanta United, the Slovakian playmaker assisted on Saucedo’s goal and handed out five key passes.

Rusnak has nine key passes in his last two games and is averaging 3.3 key passes per game, which ties him with Vela for the third-best total in the league. Alejandro Pozuelo and Valeri are the top two in that category.

14. Amro Tarek, D, New York Red Bulls

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

May 25, 2019; Cincinnati, OH, USA; New York Red Bulls defender Amro Tarek (3) reacts against FC Cincinnati in the first half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

During their four-game unbeaten run, the Red Bulls defense has given up three goals, with two of them coming on Wednesday with a rotated squad against Vancouver. 

Amro Tarek, who was acquired from Orlando City for a fourth-round draft pick in the offseason, has been a key component of the Red Bulls back four. 

In Saturday’s road win over FC Cincinnati, Tarek and the Red Bulls defense held the expansion side to four shots on target.

13. Diego Chara, M, Portland Timbers

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

May 25, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara (21) is taken down by Philadelphia Union midfielder Jamiro Monteiro (35) during the first half at Talen Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The always underappreciated Diego Chara turned in one of his best performances of the season on Saturday night. 

The Colombian defensive midfielder disrupted the majority of Philadelphia’s attacks and started a few successful counters for the Timbers at Talen Energy Stadium. 

Chara and his teammates carry plenty of momentum in to Saturday’s home opener at Providence Park with four wins and a draw in their last six games.

12. Aleksandar Katai, M, Chicago Fire

Previous Ranking: 14

May 25, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Fire forward Aleksandar Katai (10) kicks the ball past New York City midfielder Alexandru Mitrita (28) during the first half at SeatGeek Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Aleksandar Katai once again put his best foot forward in the final third for the Chicago Fire in their 1-1 draw with New York City FC. 

Katai, who scored a goal in each of the last two games, was the Fire’s most active attacker with three shots and two key passes. 

11. Mark-Anthony Kaye, M, Los Angeles FC

Previous Ranking: 9 

May 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles FC midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye (14) moves the ball ahead of Montreal Impact midfielder Shamit Shome (28) during the second half at Banc of California Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Mark-Anthony Kaye had another solid week in the LAFC midfield, but he wasn’t the most dynamic performer of the 11 Black-and-Gold players on the field.

Kaye recorded the most touches on the field with 122, but he wasn’t directly involved with one of the four goals scored on Friday. 

Kaye completed 86.1 percent of his 108 passes, made a pair of tackles and won two aerial duels against Montreal.

10. Alejandro Pozuelo, M, Toronto FC

Previous Ranking: 3 

May 15, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto FC forward Alejandro Pozuelo (10) driblbles the ball against D.C. United at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Pozuelo was one of two superstars on this list who missed out on Week 13 due to a red-card suspension.

Unlike Ibrahimovic, Pozuelo served a one-game ban, but Toronto FC missed him dearly as the Reds fell 2-1 at home to San Jose. 

9. Josef Martinez, F, Atlanta United

Previous Ranking: 10 

The reigning Golden Boot winner scored for the second time in three games in Atlanta United’s loss to RSL. 

Josef Martinez made a terrific run around a defender to latch on to Franco Escobar’s cross from the right wing, but the lone goal from the Venezuelan wasn’t enough to earn a point for the Five Stripes. 

What a touch. What a run.
What a finish @JosefMartinez17 gets us on the board! pic.twitter.com/XGCIUbu9jL

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) May 25, 2019

Martinez should be able to add to his current haul of six goals in Week 14 with matchups at home against Minnesota United and Chicago. 

8. Johnny Russell, M, Sporting Kansas City

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

Johnny Russell singlehandedly pulled Sporting Kansas City out of its slump on Sunday by scoring his second hat-trick for the club. 

The best goal of the three scored by the MLS Player of the Week was his second, when he carved through the right side of the box past a few Seattle defenders. 

Johnny Russell strollin' to POTW like… pic.twitter.com/7RCtww1zh5

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 28, 2019

The goals were the first for Russell in league play since April 7 and the victory was Sporting KC’s first since March 30. 

7. Kacper Przybylko, F, Philadelphia Union

Previous Ranking: 7

Philadelphia had an overall disappointing night against Portland, but Kacper Przybylko was still able to find the back of the net for the fourth time this season. 

The German-born Polish forward also struck the post on two occasions, with one of them coming in the second half off a rebound created by a Steve Clark save. 

Not a bad way to start the second half!

Przybylko pulls one back for @PhilaUnion! #PHIvPOR pic.twitter.com/R24AmBnHd5

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 26, 2019

Despite a two-game gap between goals, Przybylko has still been active in front of goal with five of his nine shots going on goal in the last three matches. 

6. Nani, M, Orlando City

Previous Ranking: 2

May 24, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando City SC forward Nani (17) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Jonathan dos Santos (8) defends during the first half at Orlando City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

After finding the back of the net twice in Week 13, Nani failed to follow that performance up with another tally.

The Portuguese winger was denied from the spot in Orlando City’s 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy, which was one of many impressive saves made by Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham.

5. Brian Fernandez, M, Portland Timbers

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

Brian Fernandez has made his presence known in MLS in just 115 minutes. 

The record signing for the Timbers scored two goals in his first MLS start on Saturday to follow up his debut goal two weeks ago as a substitute. 

The assist from Andy Polo. The header from Brian Fernandez.

All of the hearts eyes. #PHIvPOR | #RCTID pic.twitter.com/eYgxCKx77E

— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) May 26, 2019

Three of Fernandez’s first four shots on goal as a Portland player have found the back of the net. 

4. Romain Metanire, D, Minnesota United

Previous Ranking: 12 

The best in-form defender in MLS added a goal to his season highlight reel on Saturday night.

Romain Metanire scored on a cross that was deflected from the right wing to hand Minnesota United a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo.

The Loons take the lead as Romain Métanire's is deflected in! 1-0 to the home team. #MINvHOU pic.twitter.com/pd7BLcQk8l

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 26, 2019

Metanire added three key passes going forward and limited the effectiveness of Romell Quioto, Memo Rodriguez and Mauro Manotas on the defensive side of the ball. 

3. Eduard Atuesta, M, Los Angeles FC

Previous Ranking: 4 

May 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Montreal Impact forward Maximiliano Urruti (37) moves the ball past Los Angeles FC midfielder Eduard Atuesta (20) during the second half at Banc of California Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Eduard Atuesta delivered one of the best passes of the week on LAFC’s first goal on Friday night.

The Colombian midfielder threaded the ball through a pair of defenders to pick out Vela for his 28th-minute strike. 

Atuesta continued to pass at a high rate in the win over Montreal by completing 86.1 percent of his 79 passes. 

2. Chris Wondolowski, F, San Jose Earthquakes

Previous Ranking: 5

It was always going to be hard for Chris Wondolowski to follow up his four-goal performance in which he broke the MLS regular-season scoring record. 

Although he didn’t score four against Toronto FC, Wondolowski netted a pair of tallies to earn a San Jose victory and become the first player to reach 150 MLS regular-season goals./ 

Right place. Right time.

That's No. 150 for Wondo! #TORvSJ pic.twitter.com/93NqiwGSb3

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 27, 2019

Both of the goals scored in the come-from-behind win were quintessential Wondo strikes. On the first goal, he created space from a defender and slotted the ball into the back of the net and he was in the right place to knock in a cross for the game-winner at BMO Field. 

1. Carlos Vela, F, Los Angeles FC 

Previous Ranking: 1 

If Vela didn’t score in Week 13, we would’ve made a compelling case to replace him with Wondo on top of the list.

However, the Mexican international didn’t slow down against Montreal by scoring once and assisting on one of LAFC’s four strikes. 

MVP Mode Unlocked

15 goals, 15 games for @11carlosV.#LAFCvMTL 2-0 pic.twitter.com/MMR81bidqm

— LAFC (@LAFC) May 25, 2019

In 15 games, the 30-year-old has 15 goals and nine assists. He has contributed directly to 24 of LAFC’s 36 goals. 

The post MLS Player Rankings Week 13: Vela holds on to top spot, Fernandez makes debut appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Competition: MLS Market: DC United win Odds: 4/5 @ Bet 365 Looking to extend their advantage at the top of the Eastern Conference, DC United will welcome Chicago to Audi Field in the early hours of Thursday. Starting with the hosts, while DC United would have been disappointed to have picked up a 1-1 draw away at New […]

The post DC United 4/5 to beat Chicago Fire in Thursday’s MLS contest appeared first on Soccer News.

The post DC United 4/5 to beat Chicago Fire in Thursday’s MLS contest appeared first on Soccer News.

Competition: MLS Market: Both teams to score Odds: 7/10 @ Bet 365 Enduring a worrying run of form, Montreal will welcome a resurgent Real Salt Lake to the Stade Saputo in the early hours of Thursday. Starting with the hosts, coming off the back of a 4-2 hammering away at Los Angeles last weekend, Montreal Head Coach Rémi […]

The post Both teams to score at Montreal Impact vs Real Salt Lake 7/10 for Thursday’s MLS matchup appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Both teams to score at Montreal Impact vs Real Salt Lake 7/10 for Thursday’s MLS matchup appeared first on Soccer News.

With Major League Soccer’s schedule altered every year due to expansion, we will have fewer weekends in which a high volume of Western Conference teams face off against their foes from the Eastern Conference. 

Since there is more focus on in-conference games, sometimes the cross-conference games can be devalued due to squad rotation, long travel and other factors. 

With most teams on full rest in Week 13, we got to see some East versus West showdowns across the 13-game schedule. 

The West left Week 13 with a 6-0-1 mark in games against the East. LA Galaxy, Portland and San Jose earned their victories on the road, while Colorado, Los Angeles FC and Real Salt Lake all won at home. Vancouver earned a road draw in the lone midweek game at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday. 

The Week 13 results and the Supporters’ Shield standings suggest the West could be the more dominant conference when everything is done and dusted in 2019.

Of course, LAFC’s success plays a big role in that, but the Sounders and Galaxy are second and third behind the second-year side in the league table after Week 13. 

In fact, four of the top six and five of the top eight teams in the Supporters’ Shield standings come from the West. 

On the opposite end of the table, four of the seven worst teams in MLS come from the Eastern Conference. Two of the West teams in that group are Portland, who has an extended spell of home games coming up, and Sporting Kansas City, a traditional power that’s been ravaged by injuries. 

Even the Rapids at the bottom of the standings are playing well since the club let manager Anthony Hudson go. 

Before Toronto FC and Atlanta United won MLS Cup in 2017 and 2018, the West was the dominant conference by winning seven of the eight titles from 2009 and 2016. When Sporting Kansas City won in 2013, it was still an Eastern Conference team. 

Since this is MLS, the tides could change in the short and long term. In Week 14, there are nine games pitting East versus West, including three on Wednesday. 

In the long term view, teams like D.C. United, Philadelphia and the New York Red Bulls could keep surging up the standings to put up a bit of a fight for the Shield if LAFC slips up a bit, but for now, the West has all the bragging rights for the 2019 season.

Goals of the Week

Ali Adnan, Vancouver Whitecaps 

.@MLS Goal of the Year?

Ali Adnan opens his account with an absolute SCREAMER! #VANvDAL | #VWFC pic.twitter.com/Pi7xunCtoY

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 25, 2019

Bofo Saucedo, Real Salt Lake

New week, same spot, same result. pic.twitter.com/xKoht5Jxv6

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 26, 2019

Jonathan Dos Santos, LA Galaxy

GOLAZOOOOOOOOOO@jona2santos, take a bow. pic.twitter.com/6tEasBLVzM

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) May 24, 2019

Walkoff Golazo

With time ticking down in second-half stoppage time, Real Salt Lake’s Jefferson Savarino unleashed a game-winner from outside the box to knock off Atlanta United. 

FT: SAVARINO AT THE DEATH! @REALSALTLAKE WIN! #RSLvATL pic.twitter.com/Ug9EwKilfU

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 25, 2019

The victory extended RSL’s winning streak to three games and the Claret-and-Cobalt have won five of their last seven games. 

He Scores When He Wants

This is usually the part of the piece where we feature the goal-scoring prowess of Carlos Vela, but he’s been upstaged in the last two weeks by the best scorer in league history.

Chris Wondolowski followed up his four-goal outing in Week 12 with a brace at BMO Field on Sunday night.

You aren't dreaming.
This really is #Wondo150 #VamosSJ | #TORvSJ pic.twitter.com/A5RVLK6mMu

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) May 27, 2019

Wondolowski, who broke the all-time scoring record a week ago, is now the only player in league history with 150 regular-season goals. 

He is one of four players in MLS history to ever score six goals in a two-game span. 

Chris Wondolowski of #Quakes74 scored both goals in his club's 2-1 win vs. Toronto FC. He has scored 6 goals over the last 2 games, equaling the #MLS record over a 2-game span (set 3 times previously).

Wondolowski now has 150 league goals for his career, the all-time leader.

— MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) May 27, 2019

With his second goal, Wondolowski moved past Landon Donovan for the most game-winning goals in league history. 

Another record for Wondo.

The captain is now the all-time MLS leader in game-winning goals with 42!#VamosSJ pic.twitter.com/zmzth8ZNfW

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) May 27, 2019

Carlos Vela Update

Ho Hum. Just another week with a goal and an assist for Carlos Vela. 

The Mexican star is now up to 15 goals and nine assists at Memorial Day. He has five more months to break the single-season records in both categories, and he has a better chance to do so since he isn’t playing for El Tri at the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Josef Martinez set the single-season goal record a year ago with 31 tallies. Carlos Valderrama’s assist record of 26 from 2000 hasn’t been touched since, but Vela could become the third player with 20 assists in single season. Sacha Kljestan is the other player to do so in 2016. 

Player Appreciation Corner

We’re going to spend the next few lines singling out players who usually don’t get time in the national spotlight, but had terrific games in  Week 13.

Johnny Russell

Since joining Sporting Kansas City before the 2018 season, Johnny Russell has 17 goals and 13 assists. 

Russell reinforced his importance to the squad on Sunday with a hat-trick in Sporting KC’s 3-2 win over the Sounders at Children’s Mercy Park. 

Johnny completes the hat trick! #SKCvSEA 3-1 // #ForGloryForCity pic.twitter.com/ISvLtj2WZt

— Sporting KC (@SportingKC) May 26, 2019

Russell did so in a squad depleted due to injuries and without Krisztian Nemeth, who was serving a suspension for a red card from Week 12. 

Luis Robles 

There was a time in which Luis Robles was the most underappreciated player in MLS. 

The New York Red Bulls goalkeeper has been a model of consistency in between the pipes, but he’s flown under the radar in certain years because of his higher-profile teammates and the lack of the spotlight shined on goalkeepers throughout the season. 

NOPE!

What a save from Luis Robles! #CINvRBNY pic.twitter.com/Mp20azUNkg

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 26, 2019

On Saturday, Robles made a few key saves to keep FC Cincinnati off the scoreboard in his side’s 2-0 win at Nippert Stadium. 

Diego Chara

Diego Chara might be the most underappreciated player in all of MLS. 

The Portland defensive midfielder never receives as much love as he deserves because we tend to not focus on the dirty work of players in the No. 6 role. 

Chara made life incredibly difficult for the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, and his effectiveness in and around the box helped the Timbers head home with a 3-1 victory. 

Stock Watch

Stock Up: Rocky Mountain Cup Teams

Colorado and Real Salt Lake have combined for five wins in their last six games. The lone loss in that stretch was handed to the Rapids by RSL on May 11. 

Mike Petke’s side is quietly surging up the West standings, and it will continue to do so with higher profile teams at the top of the West table. 

The Rapids have displayed plenty of fight under interim manager Conor Casey and came away from Saturday with a 3-2 win thanks to a late game-winner from Nicolas Mezquida. 

MEZQUIDA FOR THE WIN pic.twitter.com/W7YVfFRZck

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 26, 2019

Stock Down: Toronto FC’s Home Form 

Things went from bad to worse at home for Toronto FC on Sunday. 

The Reds, who were playing without the suspended Alejandro Pozuelo, went ahead in the 28th minute, but then conceded a pair of goals to San Jose to leave the field with yet another disappointing result. 

Toronto is now 3-3-2 at home, which is one of the worst marks of the teams in playoff positions. Montreal and NYCFC have fewer wins at home, but they’ve also played three and four fewer games at home in 2019. 

The post MLS Week 13 Review: West dominates East, Wondo keeps scoring and more appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Chris Wondolowski scored a brace to take his MLS career tally to 150 regular-season goals in San Jose Earthquakes’ 2-1 win over Toronto. Wondolowski broke Landon Donovan’s record with four goals in last week’s victory over Chicago Fire and the Earthquakes great was at it again on Sunday. Toronto led through Richie Laryea’s 28th-minute opener […]

The post MLS Review: Wondolowski takes tally to 150, Sporting KC win five-goal thriller appeared first on Soccer News.

The post MLS Review: Wondolowski takes tally to 150, Sporting KC win five-goal thriller appeared first on Soccer News.

Seeking their first home win of 2019, the Colorado Rapids hosted the Columbus Crew on Saturday night. Colorado opened the scoring with a headed goal from Tommy Smith (23’) before Pedro Santos leveled the match at 1-1 five minutes later for Columbus. But Colorado retook the lead seven minutes into first half stoppage time to enter halftime with the score at 2-1. Gyasi Zardes helped the visitors level again in the 54th minute to even the score at 2-2 before substitute Nicolas Mezquida found the game winner in the 89th minute, earning the 3-2 victory for the Rapids.

Here are three takeaways from Colorado’s 3-2 win over Columbus:

Conor Casey era continues with results

In his first head coaching gig, Rapids interim head coach is accomplishing the task he was assigned to do: right the ship.

Colorado is now 2-2-0 in matches under Casey with back-to-back wins for the first time this season having earned their first win of 2019 last week at LA and their first win in front of home fans this weekend. The six points earned in those matches is three times the amount of points secured than the two points the Rapids amassed in nine games under former head coach Anthony Hudson to start the season.

Perhaps most important has been the change in mentality under the former Rapids’ striker.

“I think you see a lot of belief in each other,” Casey said of the Rapids’ mentality. “They’ve been through a lot this year so far and now it’s starting to turn and you can tell that they have really bonded together and they really believe in each other.”

Tommy Smith rebounds

Maligned for his poor defensive performances throughout his Rapids career, Rapids centerback Tommy Smith has experienced a resurgence in the Rapids’ past two wins.

At LA, the 29-year-old New Zealand international helped keep things tidy in the back and, with a little help from Tim Howard, the Rapids earned their first win and shutout of the season.

Against Columbus, Smith showed his value on the other end of the pitch, scoring a header on a corner for the match’s opening goal. It showed flashes of the player who led the team in scoring last season and was a result of extra work on the training pitch during the week.

“Every time a corner comes in I try to get my head on it,” Smith said of his goal. “Actually, me and [Jack Price] stayed behind after training yesterday and practiced a few. It was nice to see one come off and it’s always nice to see one going in the back of the net.”

Super sub Mezquida

As stated above, Conor Casey has been a big part of why Colorado has begun to turn results in their favor. Casey deserves even more praise for choosing the right substitutes at the right time. In back-to-back weeks, it’s been a substitute who’s scored the winning goal as the Rapids continue to look to press offensively late in games.

This week, it was Uruguayan Nicolas Mezquida who became the hero with his 89th minute game winner.

“I am happy because it is a win, it is important to be winning, we have to be thinking about the team,” Mezquida said when asked about coming off the bench. “It is true, I kind of liked making the winning goal, but I want to say thanks to my team for being a big force tonight and in the last game too.”

Dating back to the start of the 2017 season, Mezquida has four goals and two assists when coming on as a substitute.

The post Conor Casey righting the ship: Takeaways from the Rapids’ 3-2 win over Columbus appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Wayne Rooney helped DC United claim a dramatic late draw in MLS on Saturday, while Philadelphia Union suffered a surprise loss. Rooney’s 90th-minute penalty saw DC secure a 1-1 draw against New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. New England goalkeeper Matt Turner was sent off in the 56th minute after a heavy challenge on Rooney, […]

The post MLS Review: Rooney salvages draw for DC, Union beaten appeared first on Soccer News.

The post MLS Review: Rooney salvages draw for DC, Union beaten appeared first on Soccer News.

COMMERCE CITY, Co. – A late goal from Nicolas Mezquida helped lift the Colorado Rapids to a 3-2 win over Columbus Crew SC, the club’s first at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and second consecutive following the first victory of the season last week against the LA Galaxy.

“It’s great,” said Rapids centerback Tommy Smith, who scored the game’s opening goal. “Obviously after coming off a win last week, we have to make a little run of it now. Obviously, we have a lot of catching up to do so it was nice to get the relief of the first win last week. We’ve got to try to make it a fortress here and tonight was the first step in doing that.”

“I think it’s big,” added Rapids interim coach Conor Casey. “We want to give it to our fans. They’ve been so thirsty for it all year.”

Despite the Crew’s recent offensive struggles, the visitors created opportunities early in the match, including a shot from Gyasi Zardes in the second minute which went high and wide of the mark.

Colorado (2-9-2, 8 points) also had opportunities on the counterattack, including a close-range effort from midfielder Sam Nicholson which was wide of the mark in the 17th minute.

But it was Smith who opened the scoring, sending in a low headed effort off a corner to give Colorado a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute.

Columbus leveled the match in the 28th minute as a second ball fell to Crew midfielder Pedro Santos, who dribbled for the open shot on goal which put the score at 1-1.

Smith nearly found another goal on a header in the 32nd minute, but Crew goalkeeper Zack Steffen came up big with a reaching save under the crossbar to keep the score level. Columbus (5-9-1, 16 points) looked primed to take a lead, but a header from Zardes could not find the target in the 38th minute.

The Rapids found a second goal in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time, with Nicholson dishing a pass to Jonathan Lewis who scored his first goal for Colorado since arriving at the primary transfer deadline two weeks ago.

“We have a lot of speed, we want to use it,” Casey said of Colorado’s attack. “I think if we keep that up, we’ll be in good shape moving forward.”

In the 54th minute, Federico Higuain found Zardes with a looping ball inside Colorado’s six-yard box. Zardes calmly finished to level the match again in the 54th minute.

Ten minutes later, Columbus again sought a go-ahead goal, but Gaston Sauro’s shot off of a corner kick was cleared from danger by Rapids forward Kei Kamara.

Just when it appeared the teams would share the points, the ball fell to Mezquida following a corner kick and his curling effort beat Steffen and helped Colorado move in front, 3-2 in the 89th minute. 

“I think you see a lot of belief,” said Casey. “They’ve been through a lot this year so far and it’s starting to turn.”

Columbus returns to MAPFRE Stadium next Saturday to host NYCFC, while Colorado travels to Talen Energy Stadium to take on the Philadelphia Union for a midweek matchup.

The post Colorado Rapids make it two straight wins, defeating Columbus Crew SC appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Los Angeles FC defeated Montreal Impact 4-2 to extend their unbeaten run in MLS, while rivals LA Galaxy claimed a confidence-boosting victory. LAFC made it seven matches without defeat thanks to goals from Christian Ramirez, Carlos Vela, Latif Blessing and Tristan Blackmon on Friday. After Ramirez put LAFC ahead in the seventh minute, Vela took […]

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The post MLS Review: LAFC roll on with Impact win, Galaxy end skid appeared first on Soccer News.

Los Angeles FC defeated Montreal Impact 4-2 to extend their unbeaten run in MLS, while rivals LA Galaxy claimed a confidence-boosting victory. LAFC made it seven matches without defeat thanks to goals from Christian Ramirez, Carlos Vela, Latif Blessing and Tristan Blackmon on Friday. After Ramirez put LAFC ahead in the seventh minute, Vela took […]

The post MLS Review: LAFC roll on with Impact win, Galaxy end skid appeared first on Soccer News.

The post MLS Review: LAFC roll on with Impact win, Galaxy end skid appeared first on Soccer News.

Upon first glance, the Week 13 slate in Major League Soccer doesn’t deliver a ton of intrigue. 

There aren’t many marquee clashes between the league’s high-profile sides, and those that are happening are watered down by the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Orlando and Sporting Kansas City’s recent dip in form. 

But if you dig a bit deeper through the matchups, you’ll see there are quite a few intriguing clashes.

Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia faces yet another tough test at home in the form of the Portland Timbers, who are playing their final road game before the Providence Park opener next weekend. 

Saturday’s Western Conference clash between Houston and Minnesota United doesn’t attract eye balls right away, but it could end up being a meaningful match for two teams looking to keep up with the big guns at the top of the West standings. 

The weekend slate begins with a trio of contests on Friday. Orlando City has an opportunity to carry the momentum from a five-goal performance into the Week 13 opener against the Galaxy, Atlanta United faces a tricky road test and Los Angeles FC tries to extend its home dominance in the Friday nightcap. 

Saturday requires multiple screens with five games starting within an hour of each other, including the clash between Philadelphia and Portland. 

Seattle’s trip to Children’s Mercy Park to take on Sporting KC headlines the two-game Sunday slate, while San Jose’s visit to Toronto closes out the weekend. 

Below is a breakdown of what to watch over the three days of play this weekend. 

Week 13 Schedule

Friday, May 24

LA Galaxy at Orlando City (7 p.m. ET, UniMas) 

Atlanta United at Real Salt Lake (9 p.m. ET, UniMas) 

Montreal Impact at Los Angeles FC (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TVA Sport) 

Saturday, May 25

New York City FC at Chicago Fire (3:30 p.m., Univision) 

FC Dallas at Vancouver Whitecaps (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN) 

D.C. United at New England Revolution (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Portland Timbers at Philadelphia Union (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

New York Red Bulls at FC Cincinnati (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Houston Dynamo at Minnesota United (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Columbus Crew at Colorado Rapids (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Sunday, May 26

Seattle Sounders at Sporting Kansas City (6 p.m. ET, FS1) 

San Jose Earthquakes at Toronto FC (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN4) 

Storylines to Watch

1. Can the Galaxy Find Success Without Zlatan? 

May 19, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; LA Galaxy midfielder Favio Alvarez (11) moves the ball during the first half against the Colorado Rapids at StubHub Center. (Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

The Galaxy have relied too much on Ibrahimovic to score goals this season. 

With Ibrahimovic serving the first game of his two-game suspension last week, the Galaxy created 18 shots and sent in 36 crosses, but put only six shots on target in a 1-0 home loss to the Colorado Rapids. 

The task of scoring without the Swedish legend doesn’t get any easier on Friday at Orlando City Stadium. 

If Ibrahimovic were in the lineup, you would think he’d be able to create a few significant chances on goal against Orlando City’s defense, but without him in the XI and Orlando coming into the contest off a 5-1 home win over FC Cincinnati, the Galaxy could suffer the same fate as Sunday. 

In the three games Ibrahimovic missed this season, the Galaxy have been shut out on two occasions, with the other coming on March 9 against FC Dallas. 

Even when the Galaxy scored three times without Ibrahimovic on March 16 against Minnesota, they could only put seven of their 20 shots on goal. 

When the Galaxy get their chances in front of goal on Friday, Uriel Antuna, Emmanuel Boateng and co. need to be more clinical in order to avoid their losing streak dropping to five games. 

2. Can Impact Give LAFC A Fight? 

May 18, 2019; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Impact midfielder Ignacio Piatti (10) plays the ball as New England Revolution defender Brandon Bye (15) defends during the second half at Stade Saputo. (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)

Montreal has an opportunity to make a bit of a statement on Friday night if it goes into Banc of California Stadium and takes a win or draw from its match with LAFC. 

The Impact have climbed up to third place in the East thanks to some impressive road results. They are 4-4-2 on the road and 2-1-1 at Stade Saputo, which means a string of home results is expected at some point.

Any points Remi Garde’s team can pick up on the road will be huge with four straight home games on the horizon. 

As they have been most of the season, the Impact will be shorthanded in midfield. Samuel Piette, who is one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in MLS, is out due to yellow card accumulation and Ignacio Piatti is working his way back to full fitness. 

Not having Piette or a full-strength Piatti could hurt the Impact against one of the best midfield units in the league, but this is a team that’s stared down adversity and come away with results for most of the 2019 campaign.

3. How Dangerous Will Portland’s Attack Look? 

May 15, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Portland Timbers forward Brian Fernandez (7) in action during a game against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)

Portland’s primary goal for the rest of the season is to take advantage of the renovated Providence Park and use a long run of home games to surge to the top of the Western Conference. 

But it always helps to carry some momentum and confidence into a June home opener, especially when next week’s opponent is LAFC. 

The Timbers enter Talen Energy Stadium with fresh legs after 10 days off, and Saturday presents an opportunity for Brian Fernández to make his first start alongside Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco and Diego Chara. 

Those four players and Jeremy Ebobisse could end up forming part of the best front six in the league by the time the season ends if everything goes as planned. 

The in-form Union should provide the Timbers with a good challenge to test out their new attacking chemistry before everyone in Oregon gets to see it in person in a week’s time. 

4. Can New England and Colorado Build on Results Under Interim Bosses? 

May 18, 2019; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New England Revolution forward Teal Bunbury (10) plays the ball ans Montreal Impact midfielder Mathieu Choiniere (29) defends during the first half at Stade Saputo. (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)

Colorado and New England put together some respectable performances under interim managers in Week 12. 

Colorado, who is led by interim boss Conor Casey, went into Dignity Health Sports Park and got its first win of the year, over the Galaxy.

On Saturday, the Rapids have an opportunity to win back-to-back games for the first time since August. The win is there for the taking against a Columbus Crew side that is in the middle of one of the worst spells of form in the league. 

New England has pulled out four points from its last two games under interim boss Mike Lapper, who is keeping the seat warm for Bruce Arena. 

The Revs beat San Jose in Week 11 at home and earned a valuable road point in Montreal in Week 12 under Lapper. A win over D.C. United at Gillette Stadium on Saturday would set the team up for a wave of results once Arena takes charge. 

As for the other team with an interim boss, FC Cincinnati is just trying to regroup after giving up a five goals to Orlando City. 

However, the expansion side is not guaranteed of earning points on Saturday against a New York Red Bulls side that is beginning to surge up the Eastern Conference.

5. How Will Toronto FC Look Without Pozuelo? 

May 18, 2019; Sandy, UT, USA; Toronto FC midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo (10) reacts as he receives a red card in the second half against the Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. (Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)

While other sides in the East have begun to reverse their early-season struggles, Toronto FC has trended downward with one point from its last four games. 

The Reds should be able to dig themselves out of the hole by beating the Earthquakes on Sunday, but they will have to do so without Alejandro Pozuelo, who picked up a needless second yellow against Real Salt Lake in Week 12. 

Without Pozuelo, the Reds will have to find a new creative force in attack to link between Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. 

Greg Vanney has plenty of options to turn to in the playmaking role, but none of them are as dynamic as the Spaniard who has five goals and six assists in 10 games. 

If Toronto can’t find the right combination in attack, and one of the teams beneath it in the standings win, it will drop out of the playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. 

Player to Watch

Aleksandar Katai, Chicago Fire

Jun 2, 2018; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Fire forward Aleksandar Katai (10) kicks the ball past San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas (6) during the first half at Bridgeview Stadium.  (Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports)

Chicago has an opportunity to pick up its third win in four games on Saturday at home against New York City FC in front of a national audience. 

The Fire’s recent surge has been sparked by Aleksandar Katai, who has two goals and two assists in May.

With Nemanja Nikolić struggling to find the back of the net, Katai has to be the man to unlock the NYCFC defense in order to score himself, or feed Nikolić for open looks in front of goal.

Matchup to Watch

Romain Metanire, Minnesota United vs. Houston’s Attackers

Apr 24, 2019; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota United defender Romain Metanire (19) protects the ball from LA Galaxy defender Emmanuel Boateng (24) during the second half at Allianz Field. (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

One of the best fullbacks in MLS faces one of his toughest matchups yet on Saturday at Allianz Field. 

Romain Métanire will have his hands full with Houston’s collection of speedy attackers, even if Alberth Elis is ruled out for the contest.

If Métanire can keep Romell Quioto, Memo Rodriguez and Mauro Manotas quiet on his half of the field, the Loons should be able to control the meeting of third-versus-fifth in the West. 

The post MLS Week 13 Preview: Timbers battle Union, Dynamo square off with Minnesota and more appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Competition: MLS Market: Nani to score anytime Odds: 1/1 @ Bet 365 Looking to pick up back-to-back victories in Florida, Orlando City will play host to a struggling LA Galaxy outfit on Saturday. Starting with the hosts, putting in a season-best showing in their empathic 5-1 win over Cincinnati last weekend, many around Florida will be hoping that […]

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The post Nani 1/1 to score anytime against LA Galaxy in Saturday’s MLS fixture appeared first on Soccer News.

Fredy Montero’s second-half penalty salvaged a 2-2 draw for Vancouver Whitecaps at New York Red Bulls in MLS. Former Sporting CP star Montero converted a 61st-minute spot-kick as the Whitecaps left Red Bull Arena with a point on Wednesday. The Red Bulls and Whitecaps rotated heavily midweek, with both teams scheduled to play again on […]

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The post New York Red Bulls 2 Vancouver Whitecaps 2: Montero earns draw for visitors appeared first on Soccer News.

Fredy Montero’s second-half penalty salvaged a 2-2 draw for Vancouver Whitecaps at New York Red Bulls in MLS. Former Sporting CP star Montero converted a 61st-minute spot-kick as the Whitecaps left Red Bull Arena with a point on Wednesday. The Red Bulls and Whitecaps rotated heavily midweek, with both teams scheduled to play again on […]

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The post New York Red Bulls 2 Vancouver Whitecaps 2: Montero earns draw for visitors appeared first on Soccer News.