Looking for Soccer News?
Blog Posts and Articles that give you up to the minute news and information about the world Leagues, Teams, Players and Updates.
Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela has put Major League Soccer on record watch. The Mexican forward is almost halfway to the regular-season scoring record set by Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez a year ago.
Vela extended his three-game scoring streak in Week 12 during a pair of games against FC Dallas, and the more remarkable part of his red-hot form is he has already eclipsed Martinez’s assist total from 2018.
Vela is the top Designated Player taking MLS by storm, but there are a few others who deserve the spotlight, including Nani, who continued his excellent start with Orlando City SC on Sunday.
Thanks to their Week 12 performances and overall form, Vela and Nani lead the Pro Soccer USA MLS Player Rankings.
The player rankings take into account a player’s form from his last four games, with the most recent performance carrying more weight.
20. Stefan Frei, GK, Seattle Sounders
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
May 18, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei (24) reaches to make a save as Jonathan Campbell (3) defends the shot during the second half against the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium. (Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)
Stefan Frei came up with a handful of impressive denials in Seattle’s 0-0 draw Saturday at Philadelphia.
Frei made an incredible save in each half, including one from point-blank range in the second half, to help the Sounders earn a point against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
In four games in May, Frei has two clean sheets and has given up a goal to Orlando City and Minnesota United in the other two.
19. Heber, F, New York City FC
Previous Ranking: 18
Apr 6, 2019; New York, NY, USA; New York City FC forward Heber (9) fights for position against Montreal Impact defender Jukka Raitala (22) during the second half at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
After beating the LA Galaxy in Week 11, Heber and his New York City FC teammates had an off week.
The Brazilian forward, who has two goals and an assist in his last four games, should be able to add to his attacking totals before the Concacaf Gold Cup break with games against Chicago, Columbus and FC Cincinnati.
18. Diego Valeri, M, Portland Timbers
Previous Ranking: 16
May 15, 2019; Houston, TX; Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri attempts to play the ball against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
In Portland’s penultimate game before its home opener at Providence Park, Diego Valeri dished out six passes in a 1-1 draw with Houston on Wednesday.
Valeri also put two of his three shots on goal during a game in which the Timbers earned their 10th point in a five-game stretch.
17. Tesho Akindele, F, Orlando City SC
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Tesho Akindele was one of two Orlando City players to hit the back of the net on two occasions during Sunday’s 5-1 win over FC Cincinnati.
The former FC Dallas forward bagged goals in the 37th and 64th minutes to hand the Lions their first victory since April 20. The brace was the first since July 4, 2018 for the 27-year-old forward.
Tesho taking advantage of Sunday Funday 
#VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/Gtl38MhL9T
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) May 19, 2019
16. Alberth Elis, F, Houston Dynamo
Previous Ranking: 11
May 15, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Dynamo forward Alberth Elis (17) in action during a game against the Portland Timbers at BBVA Compass Stadium. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
Alberth Elis handed out his sixth assist of the season Wednesday night against Portland, but he wasn’t able to contribute to a Houston goal Saturday. The Honduran forward left the match against D.C. United with a head injury.
Elis hasn’t scored since April 19, but he’s still been a force in the Dynamo’s attack and has assisted on a goal in three of his last five games.
15. Jack Elliott, D, Philadelphia Union
Previous Ranking: 7
May 18, 2019; Philadelphia, PA; Philadelphia Union defender Jack Elliott plays the ball past Seattle Sounders forward Raul Ruidiaz at Talen Energy Stadium. (Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)
Jack Elliott and the Philadelphia Union defense picked up their fifth clean sheet of the season on Saturday, but it came against a Seattle attack that offered little moving forward.
Elliott made four interceptions and two clearances, but faced little difficulty for long stretches versus a Sounders front line that put one of its six shots on target.
14. Aleksandar Katai, M, Chicago Fire
Previous Ranking: 20
It’s hard to be a bright spot for your team when you lose by three goals, but Aleksandar Katai stood out Saturday for the Chicago Fire in their defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes.
Katai’s 83rd-minute consolation strike capped off a performance in which was the driving force of the Fire attack.
Aleksandar Katai pulls one back.
His second in as many #cf97 games. pic.twitter.com/H04GL6Pq1e
— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) May 18, 2019
The 28-year-old placed two of his seven shots on target and handed out four key passes in his attempt to spoil Chris Wondolowski’s historic day.
13. Miles Robinson, D, Atlanta United
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
May 19, 2019; Harrison, NJ, USA; Atlanta United defender Miles Robinson (12) heads the ball during the first half against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
Miles Robinson’s appearance on this list is long overdue.
The third-year Atlanta United defender, who made the 40-man U.S. Men’s National Team preliminary roster for the Gold Cup, has been one of the breakout stars of the MLS season.
Although Atlanta’s winning and shutout streaks came to an end on Sunday, Robinson still deserves praise for playing at an All-Star caliber level over the first three months.
12. Romain Metanire, D, Minnesota United
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Apr 24, 2019; Saint Paul, MN; Minnesota United defender Romain Metanire protects the ball from LA Galaxy defender Emmanuel Boateng at Allianz Field. (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)
Minnesota’s Romain Metanire jumps back into the top 20 after another strong showing in his club’s 1-0 win over Columbus on Saturday.
Metanire produced three clearances and three interceptions while adding a pair of key passes to the attack.
His play on the right defensive flank silenced the production of newly-acquired Columbus winger David Accam, who got off one shot and one key pass in 86 minutes.
11. Memo Rodriguez, M, Houston Dynamo
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
After four weeks away from this list, Memo Rodriguez is back near the top 10.
The Dynamo midfielder produced a goal and an assist over two games in Week 12, during which his team took away four points.
.@40_jrod creates his own chance buries it! #ForeverOrange | #HOUvDChttps://t.co/S36cI4ORHc
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) May 19, 2019
Rodriguez came on for the injured Elis on Saturday and produced a Man of the Match outing against D.C. United with a goal and three key passes in the final third.
10. Josef Martinez, F, Atlanta United
Previous Ranking: 8
May 15, 2019; Vancouver, British Columbia; Atlanta United FC forward Josef Martinez watches play against the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place. (Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)
Josef Martinez found the back of the net on Wednesday for Atlanta United at BC Place in a 1-0 win over the Whitecaps.
However, his game-winning strike to start Week 12 is the only goal he has scored in the last four games.
Martinez has been productive in other aspects of the game for the Five Stripes with a pair of assists and countless attempts on target, but he needs to score more to sit higher up on this list.
9. Mark-Anthony Kaye, M, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 9
May 16, 2019; Los Angeles FC midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye and FC Dallas midfielder Bryan Acosta battle for the ball at Banc of California Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Mark-Anthony Kaye continued his solid season in the LAFC midfield with a pair of strong performances against FC Dallas.
During Thursday’s 2-0 win at Banc of California Stadium, Kaye completed 88.2 percent of his 68 passes, made three interceptions and put a pair of shots on target.
On Sunday at Toyota Stadium, Kaye led the Black-and-Gold with 94 touches, handed out two key passes and completed 81.8 percent of his team high 66 passes.
8. Sam Johnson, F, Real Salt Lake
Previous Ranking: 6
May 18, 2019; Sandy, UT, USA; Real Salt Lake forward Sam Johnson (50) prepares for their game against the Toronto FC at Rio Tinto Stadium. (Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)
Sam Johnson was unable to continue his scoring streak on Saturday because he was left out of Real Salt Lake’s lineup for disciplinary reasons.
The 26-year-old has found the back of the net in four of his last five games and has a chance to extend that run at home on Friday against Atlanta United.
7. Kacper Przybyłko, F, Philadelphia Union
Previous Ranking: 5
Apr 27, 2019; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Philadelphia Union forward Kacper Przybylko (23) celebrates his goal against Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau (16) (not pictured) during the second half at BC Place. (Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)
The red-hot scoring form of Kacper Przybylko was brought to a halt by the Sounders on Saturday night.
The 26-year-old, who had three goals and an assist in the four games leading up to Week 12, only mustered one attempt on target in the scoreless draw.
The one attempt that reached goal was a headed shot near the left post that was turned away by Frei.
6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, F, LA Galaxy
Previous Ranking: 2
May 11, 2019; Carson, CA; Los Angeles Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic moves in for a shot on goal against New York City at StubHub Center. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
A slide down the rankings is expected in the coming weeks for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic served the first game of his two-game suspension on Sunday and the LA Galaxy missed him dearly.
The Galaxy failed to get a goal past the worst defense in the league and left the field with a home loss to the Colorado Rapids.
5. Chris Wondolowski, F, San Jose Earthquakes
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Few players in MLS this year have scored four times in an extended stretch.
Chris Wondolowski did so in a single game, and in the process, he broke the MLS all-time scoring record.
Wondo needed two goals to break MLS's all-time scoring record. He went on to score four
The record-breaking finish: pic.twitter.com/sMCUarck64
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 18, 2019
The goals were the first of the season for Wondolowski and Saturday’s performance marked the first time he scored multiple tallies in a game since June 30, 2018.
4. Eduard Atuesta, M, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 4
May 4, 2019; Los Angeles, CA; LAFC midfielder Eduard Atuesta moves the ball against the Chicago Fire at Banc of California Stadium. The team played to a 0-0 tie. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Eduard Atuesta handed out his fifth assist of the season on Thursday in his lone appearance of the week for LAFC.
In the victory over FC Dallas, Atuesta made three tackles and completed 89.3 percent of his 84 passes.
Atuesta has been the second-most active passer in MLS this season with 85.6 passes per game, which sits two behind Toronto FC’s Michael Bradley.
3. Alejandro Pozuelo, M, Toronto FC
Previous Ranking: 3
May 15, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto FC forward Alejandro Pozuelo (10) dribbles the ball against D.C. United at BMO Field. (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)
Before he was sent off Saturday against Real Salt Lake, Alejandro Pozuelo did his best to put Toronto FC on the scoreboard.
During Wednesday’s scoreless draw at home against D.C. United, Pozuelo recorded 12 passes and put two of his seven shots on target. The Spaniard added three key passes and a shot on target to his weekly total before he was handed his second yellow in the 61st minute at Rio Tinto Stadium.
2. Nani, M, Orlando City SC
Previous Ranking: 10
Nani’s sixth and seventh goals of the 2019 campaign helped Orlando City trounce FC Cincinnati 5-1 at home Sunday.
NANI AGAIN
It's 3-1 to @OrlandoCitySC! #ORLvCIN https://t.co/wZdR6bUE5A
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 19, 2019
The performance from the Portuguese winger came after he missed a pair of games, including Wednesday’s trip to Seattle, with an injury.
Since the start of April, Nani has found the back of the net on seven occasions in six games.
1. Carlos Vela, F, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 1
We’re running out of superlatives to describe Carlos Vela’s play in front of goal and it’s not even the end of May.
Vela scored once in each of his two games against FC Dallas in Week 12 to bring his season scoring total to 14 goals.
In Thursday’s game at home, Vela recorded a goal and an assist for a second straight contest. He has seven assists on the year as well.
Vela puts #LAFC ahead late in the first half! #LAFCvDAL https://t.co/a0DkFgoxkE
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 17, 2019
The post MLS Week 12 Player Rankings: Carlos Vela still rules, Nani surges into top three appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Joe Tansey, Pro Soccer USA
After 11 wild weeks, the Pro Soccer USA MLS Power Rankings have some semblance of normalcy in Week 12.
There’s minimal movement in the top 10 with most of the league’s top teams getting the necessary results. The biggest upward mover is the New York Red Bulls, who climb three spots following an impressive 1-0 win over Atlanta United, which dropped two spots.
The Chicago Fire, meanwhile, dropped four spots to No. 15 after a 4-1 thumping to Chris Wondolowski and the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Major League Soccer Power Rankings are created by averaging the rankings submitted by a committee of Pro Soccer USA’s editors and writers.
(1) Los Angeles Football Club (9-1-4, 31 points): LAFC stretched an unbeaten streak to six matches with a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas. Carlos Vela extended his league-leading goal total to 14 goals with an equalizing penalty kick in the 80th minute. (2) Seattle Sounders FC (7-1-5, 26 points): The Sounders unbeaten streak stretched to six consecutive matches after a 0-0 draw against the surging Philadelphia Union. Stefan Frei made six saves. (3) Philadelphia Union (7-3-3, 24 points): Andre Blake returned from injury to make one save as the Union have secured points in six straight matches. (4) Houston Dynamo (7-2-2, 23 points): The Dynamo rallied from an early second-half deficit to beat D.C. United than to goals by Memo Rodriguez and the legendary Tommy McNamara one minute apart. (5) D.C. United (7-4-3, 24 points): Wayne Rooney netted his seventh goal of the season three minutes into the second half, but the Black-and-Red conceded twice in short succession and ended with 10 men after Paul Arriola was sent off in a 2-1 loss to the Dynamo (8) New York City FC (4-1-6, 16 points): NYCFC were idle in Week 12, but head into a showdown with the Chicago Fire unbeaten in seven straight with wins in four of their last five (10) New York Red Bulls (5-5-2, 17 points): Despite playing 55 minutes down a man after a Tim Parker red card and without the injured Bradley Wright-Phillips and Aaron Long, the Red Bulls defeated Atlanta United, 1-0, on Tom Barlow’s first MLS goal. (6) Toronto FC (5-5-2, 17 points): The Reds have scored just once in their last four games, including a 3-0 defeat at Real Salt Lake Saturday. (7) Atlanta United FC (6-4-2, 20 points): The Five Stripes set an MLS record with five consecutive shutouts, but had a five-match winning streak snapped Sunday by the Red Bulls. (9) LA Galaxy (7-5-1, 22 points): With Zlatan Ibrahimovic serving the first of a two-game ban for putting his hands on the neck of NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson, the Galaxy fell to the Colorado Rapids, 1-0, their second straight shutout defeat (15) FC Dallas (5-5-3, 18 points): Ryan Hollingshead put the hosts in front just before the half hour mark off an assist from Dominique Badji, but Carlos Vela leveled from the penalty spot as FC Dallas’ winless streak extended to five matches. (12) Minnesota United FC (5-4-3, 18 points): Ethan Finlay scored the lone goal in the 70th minute as the Loons defeated Columbus Crew SC to remain undefeated at Allianz Field. (14) Portland Timbers (3-6-2, 11 points): The Timbers bounced back from a loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps to play the Houston Dynamo to a 1-1 midweek draw with Brian Fernandez scoring the late equalizer on his MLS debut. (13) Montreal Impact (6-5-3, 21 points): The Impact welcomed back Nacho Piatti from injury, but the Argentine couldn’t find the back of the net in a 0-0 draw against the New England Revolution. (11) Chicago Fire (4-5-4, 16 points): After three consecutive clean sheets, the Fire conceded four goals — all by Chris Wondolowski — before Aleksandar Katai struck seven minutes from full time in a 4-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes (18) Real Salt Lake (5-6-1, 16 points): Damir Kreilach, Sebastian Saucedo and Jefferson Savarino scored for RSL, which defeated Toronto FC, 3-0, at Rio Tinto Stadium, their second straight win where they’ve scored three goals. (19) San Jose Earthquakes (4-6-2, 14 points): It’s Wondo watch no longer as Chris Wondolowski scored four times, including a second-half hat trick, to become MLS’ all-time leading scorer in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Fire. (17) Vancouver Whitecaps FC (3-6-4, 13 points): Derek Cornelius scored the stoppage time equalizer, canceling out a first half strike by Krisztian Nemeth, who was sent off early in the second half in a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City. (20) Orlando City SC (4-6-3, 15 points): Thanks to braces by Nani and Tesho Akindele and a goal by Dom Dwyer, the Lions ended a three-match losing streak with a 5-1 win over FC Cincinnati. (16) Columbus Crew SC (5-8-1, 16 points): It’s now back-to-back shutout losses for the Crew, who fell to Minnesota United, 1-0, Saturday — their seventh defeat in their last eight games. (22) Sporting Kansas City (2-4-5, 11 points): The good news for SKC was a goal by Krisztian Nemeth, but the forward was sent off early in the second half and 10-man Sporting was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps. (23) New England Revolution (3-8-3, 12 points): For the first time this season, the Revs have an unbeaten streak after a scoreless draw against the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo (21) FC Cincinnati (3-8-2, 11 points): Darren Mattocks opened the scoring, but the expansion team conceded five consecutive goals in a 5-1 loss to Orlando City SC, their sixth defeat in seven games (24) Colorado Rapids (1-9-2, 5 points): After nearly a three-month wait, the Rapids finally won their first game of the 2019 season, defeating the LA Galaxy, 1-0, on a goal by rookie Andre Shinyashiki in the 82nd minute, snapping their eight-match losing streak.Pro Soccer USA writers Dylan Butler and Robert Jonas contributed to this report.
The post MLS Power Rankings Week 12: New York Red Bulls surge, Chicago Fire plummet appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Dylan Butler, Pro Soccer USA
Before Chris Wondolowski took the field Saturday, the San Jose Earthquakes forward had played 70 minutes since the start of April.
Because of Wondolowski’s lack of playing time, his quest for the Major League Soccer regular-season scoring record drifted out of the minds of casual observers.
Then the 36-year-old broke Landon Donovan’s record in stunning fashion by putting four goals past the Chicago Fire.
In a league that has revamped on the fly in recent years with big-name signings, fancy new stadiums and expansion teams that exceed expectations, players like Wondolowski — a veteran still plying his trade and competing for a spot in the starting lineup every week — can get lost in the discussion.
Not this week.
CHRIS
WONDOLOWSKI
COULD
NOT
BE
STOPPED #WondoWatched pic.twitter.com/i1Ov7NGoKH
— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) May 19, 2019
On Saturday at Avaya Stadium, Wondolowski once again showed off his preparedness in front of goal by taking advantage of defensive errors and putting himself in the right spot at the right time.
On his first goal in the 21st minute, Wondolowski kept space between himself and two defenders on the right side of the box and perfectly timed his run to connect with Shea Salinas’ cross from the left wing.
The record-breaking strike in the 48th minute wasn’t fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but Wondolowski’s determination and ability to stick with a play until it’s whistled dead was on display. He took advantage of a slip-up by goalkeeper David Ousted to tap the ball into the back of the net on a play some strikers would have given up on.
Two goals would have been plenty to celebrate on his record-breaking afternoon, but Wondolowski didn’t stop scoring. His third strike in the 74th minute was another example of making the correct run into the box. Wondolowski cut to the left, rounded his run in between a pair of defenders and knocked home a Cristian Espinoza assist.
Wondolowski was again at the right place on his final goal, which he knocked in from space at the left post.
For years, people tried to define Wondolowski as the guy who missed the goal against Belgium at the World Cup.
That was obviously a low moment for the player and the U.S. Men’s National Team, but it was never going to define his career.
Wondolowski is a worker and didn’t let one miss slow him down. In the last four seasons, he’s scored 55 goals.
In fact, Wondolowski has scored 10 goals in every MLS season since 2010 and he’s now six away from that mark after his four-goal performance Saturday.
Wondo obviously took the spotlight in Week 12, but there were a few other major results we need to hit on.
The New York Red Bulls leaped into playoff position in the Eastern Conference with a 1-0 win over Atlanta United.
Tom Barlow, a second-round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, scored the lone goal in a game that featured Josef Martinez and Pity Martinez. On the weekend Wondolowski broke the record, it seemed fitting a player who worked his way up the Red Bulls ladder scored against a team with flashy big-name signings on the field.
TOM BARLOW FROM A RIDICULOUS ANGLE!
Hosts lead 1-0. #RBNYvATL https://t.co/7jUI77Xocc
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 19, 2019
The weekend concluded with the Colorado Rapids earning their first victory of the season. The Rapids earned a gritty 1-0 result on the road against the LA Galaxy.
An argument can be made Sunday’s result said more about the Galaxy’s struggles than the Rapids’ will to finally break through in the win column, but more on Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s side below.
Goals of the Week
Bofo Saucedo, Real Salt Lake
What a strike from Bofo! 
#RSLvTOR https://t.co/rQe69DpdCG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 18, 2019
Derek Cornelius, Vancouver Whitecaps
"Just go for it."
We're glad that you did Derek #VWFC pic.twitter.com/7BesuBg6H1
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 19, 2019
LA Galaxy The Broken
While you were busy watching Game of Thrones or the NBA Playoffs, the Galaxy stumbled to a 1-0 defeat against the worst team in MLS without Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The loss to Colorado was a low point of a four-game losing streak in which the Galaxy have scored on three occasions and been shutout in the last two games.
The Galaxy need someone other than Ibrahimovic to start finding the back of the net. That starts with taking advantage of the high volume of crosses and shots they have recorded. Against the worst defense in MLS on Sunday, the Galaxy put six of their 18 shots on target and wasted the majority of their 38 crosses.
Another game without the suspended Ibrahimovic awaits on Friday against Orlando City. If the attack continues to struggle, the Galaxy could go into the Gold Cup break in serious slump.
Terrible Tackles
There were three rough tackles that led to red cards this weekend.
Sporting Kansas City’s Krisztian Nemeth went studs up on Felipe in a game Peter Vermes’ side controlled until the Whitecaps equalized during second-half stoppage time.
Clear red card to Nemeth for studs-up tackle on Felipe.#SKCvVAN #MLS #SportingKC #VWFC pic.twitter.com/1NQlWWrQ35
— Joga Bonito (@Jasoninho10) May 19, 2019
Alejandro Pozuelo picked up a second yellow for an unnecessary tackle on the left sideline and Paul Arriola was handed a straight red for sticking his foot into the chest of a defender.
All three red cards could have been prevented and now each player has set their teams back in preparations for Week 13.
No Love Lost
The Red Bulls and Atlanta United reignited their passionate rivalry Sunday, with Kemar Lawrence and Hector Villalba getting into a tussle.
It may not be the best rivalry in MLS, but it is certainly breaking into the top five. We’ll see happens July 7 at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
I'll just leave this here..
pic.twitter.com/klzs8BQbiK
— Omir Oh My (@PATH2RBA) May 19, 2019
Stock Up, Stock Down
Stock Up: Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake has won four of its last six games, including the last two. Saturday’s win over Toronto FC came against a tired team, but the Claret-and-Cobalt still got the job done and took care of business at home.
Mike Petke’s team is now up into the top seven of the Western Conference and has a real chance to make noise in the playoff hunt.
Stock Up: New England Revolution
New England has earned four points since the firing of Brad Friedel.
With Bruce Arena taking charge in June, the Revolution players have put together a pair of nice auditions for the new boss.
The Revs haven’t been perfect, but conceding a goal in two games and shutting out Montreal on the road are steps in the right direction.
Stock Down: FC Dallas
The Galaxy aren’t the only team in the West going through a lull in form.
FC Dallas, who took one point from two games against Los Angeles FC in Week 12, hasn’t won a game since April 20. In the last five games, Luchi Gonzalez’s team has earned two points and scored three goals.
Stock Down: Columbus Crew
It’s time to start getting worried about the Columbus Crew.
Caleb Porter’s side appeared to get back on track with a win over the Galaxy last week, but has reverted back to losing ways and now has seven losses in eight games.
With most of the teams in the East trending upward, the Crew could put themselves in a hole they can’t recover from later in the season.
The post MLS Week 12 Rewind: Wondo breaks record, Red Bulls end Atlanta’s win streak and the Rapids win appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Joe Tansey, Pro Soccer USA
Copyright
© www.mlssoccer.com
This was a poor season for Olympique de Marseille. The club from the port city have made a several steps back compared to the previous season. Their goal of finally reaching the Champions League qualification has died few weeks ago and in Europa League the team crashed out of the group stage with five losses […]
The post Rami denies potential MLS move appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Rami denies potential MLS move appeared first on Soccer News.
CARSON, Calif. – After 12 tries, the Colorado Rapids secured their first win of 2019, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 on am 82nd minute goal from Andre Shinyashiki. The result also ended an eight-game losing streak for Colorado.
“It certainly did feel like a complete performance,” said Rapids captain Tim Howard, who notched six saves to preserve a clean sheet and the win. “We’ve never dropped our heads but it’s not easy to come into work when you’re getting beat up every week. So, this will hopefully boost us.”
https://www.prosoccerusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Tim-Howard-5-19-19.m4aIt marked the first win in more than seven months for the club and the first win for interim head coach Conor Casey, who took over for recently fired Anthony Hudson three weeks ago.
“I’m just incredibly proud of the guys,” Casey said post game. “They’ve worked so hard this season and haven’t quit. Tonight should give us a lot of confidence.”
It was the first win in three tries as the head coach of the Rapids, but players have taken note of Casey’s efforts to change the locker room mentality in the midst of a poor start to the season.
“I just think our mentality needed to be changed,” said Rapids rookie forward Andre Shinyashiki. “We’d been dwelling on ourselves and our losses. He’s come in and told us we have nothing to lose. We’ve got to adopt a mentality that we can win regardless of the situation and I think that’s what we’ve done and we saw the results of it today.”
The 37-year-old coach revealed his advice to the team heading into what has historically been a hostile environment for Colorado.
“I told them to be brave,” said Casey. “The underdog mentality is something that we’ve really captured and can drive us forward. I told them to play free, to play confident and we’ve got nothing to lose.”
Colorado remains at the bottom of the league with just five points accumulated thus far. Nonetheless, their latest win should bode well as they head home to face Columbus next weekend.
“We need to keep working,” said Casey. “We’ve been working hard all year and all season. We haven’t been far off. There’s a lot of games where we’ve been just one or two plays short. So we’ll go back to work.”
The post Rapids elated to earn first win under Conor Casey, snapping eight-game losing skid appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Marco Cummings, Pro Soccer USA
CARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy fell 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids on Sunday afternoon in front of an announced 19,015 at Dignity Health Sports Park. Both teams entered the match hoping to right the ship: the Galaxy were on a three-game losing streak and the Rapids an eight-game losing streak without a single win this season.
The Rapids got their way, and their first win, taking down the Galaxy 1-0 with an 82nd-minute goal by Andre Shinyashiki.
The Galaxy played without star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was suspended for the match. Uriel Antuna filled in for Ibrahimovic — the team’s leading scorer responsible for half of its 18 goals so far this season — in the starting line up as the team’s lone striker. And Favio Alvarez made his Galaxy debut, starting at right midfield. He was signed to the Galaxy roster May 7, but just recently became eligible for play after his paperwork cleared.
The Galaxy controlled the majority of the possession for the match, moving quickly in an offensive style preferred by head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto. In the first half alone, the Galaxy had four shots on goal, compared to zero from Colorado. Former United States Men’s National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard made six vital saves throughout the match for the Rapids.
Galaxy defender Diego Polenta was nearly ejected in the 43rd minute after a foul on Rapids forward Sam Nicholson. But the yellow card he received on the play stood after being reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee.
Late in the game, the tide changed against the Galaxy and the Rapids capitalized on a counterattack. Shinyashiki and fellow forward Kei Kamara combined forces in front of the Galaxy defense, and Shinyashiki followed up a Kamara shot to put it into the back of the net.
The Galaxy now have lost four consecutive matches. They will next travel to take on Orlando City SC Friday May 24 at 7 p.m. ET, once again without Ibrahimovic.
Line ups:
LA Galaxy: David Bingham; Rolf Feltscher, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Daniel Steres, Diego Polenta; Favio Alvarez (Efrain Alvarez 75), Joe Corona, Sebastian Lletget, Emmanuel Boateng (Chris Pontius 68), Jonathan Dos Santos (Emil Cuello 86); Uriel Antuna.
Colorado Rapids: Tim Howard; Tommy Smith, Lalas Abubakar, Keegan Rosenberry, Deklan Wynne; Jack Price, Cole Bassett (Nicolas Mezquida 68), Kellyn Acosta; Sam Nicholson (Sam Vines 90+), Jonathan Lewis ( Andre Shinyashiki 75), Kei Kamara.
This is an early recap. Check back for updates.
The post Zlatan-less LA Galaxy fall 1-0 to Colorado Rapids appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Brittany Pergl, Pro Soccer USA
Nani inspired Orlando City to a resounding win in MLS, while LA Galaxy’s miserable run continued on Sunday. Former Manchester United star Nani scored a brace as Orlando crushed FC Cincinnati 5-1 in Florida. However, they had to come from behind at home after Darren Mattocks’ 24th-minute opener for Cincinnati. Tesho Akindele’s clinical finish brought […]
The post MLS Review: Nani brace lifts Orlando, Galaxy stunned by Rapids appeared first on Soccer News.
The post MLS Review: Nani brace lifts Orlando, Galaxy stunned by Rapids appeared first on Soccer News.
Nani inspired Orlando City to a resounding win in MLS, while LA Galaxy’s miserable run continued on Sunday. Former Manchester United star Nani scored a brace as Orlando crushed FC Cincinnati 5-1 in Florida. However, they had to come from behind at home after Darren Mattocks’ 24th-minute opener for Cincinnati. Tesho Akindele’s clinical finish brought […]
The post MLS Review: Nani brace lifts Orlando, Galaxy stunned by Rapids appeared first on Soccer News.
The post MLS Review: Nani brace lifts Orlando, Galaxy stunned by Rapids appeared first on Soccer News.
Competition: MLS Market: LAFC win Odds: 19/20 @ Bet 365 Looking to extend their buffer at the top of the Western Conference, Los Angeles FC will travel to a struggling FC Dallas in the early hours of Monday morning. Starting with the hosts, after suffering a 2-0 loss when they made the trip to LAFC last […]
The post LAFC 19/20 to beat FC Dallas in Monday’s MLS matchup appeared first on Soccer News.
The post LAFC 19/20 to beat FC Dallas in Monday’s MLS matchup appeared first on Soccer News.
Wayne Rooney scored but DC United were beaten in MLS as record-breaker Chris Wondolowski stole the show on Saturday. Rooney netted his seventh goal of the campaign in DC’s 2-1 loss to Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. The former Manchester United and England captain tapped in an Ulises Segura cross in the 46th minute. […]
The post MLS Review: Rooney scores in DC defeat, Wondolowski breaks record appeared first on Soccer News.
The post MLS Review: Rooney scores in DC defeat, Wondolowski breaks record appeared first on Soccer News.
San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski has finally passed Landon Donovan for the most regular-season goals in MLS history. The veteran former United States striker has long been chasing Donovan’s total of 145 and seized the record against Chicago Fire on Saturday. Wondolowski scored four goals in a 4-1 rout of the Fire to take […]
The post Derby strikes and play-off failings – Wondolowski´s MLS goals record in Opta numbers appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Derby strikes and play-off failings – Wondolowski´s MLS goals record in Opta numbers appeared first on Soccer News.
Atlanta United is back.
All of the early season questions regarding Frank de Boer’s managerial style and the potential hangover from winning MLS Cup have flown out the window.
The Five Stripes are the hottest team in Major League Soccer with five straight wins, all of which have been shutouts.
The shutout streak dates to April 20, when the Five Stripes conceded two goals to FC Dallas.
Everything seems to be going right for De Boer’s side. Miles Robinson is playing at an incredibly high level at center back, Josef Martinez is heating up in front of goal and Pity Martinez got on the scoresheet for the first time in Week 11.
Possibly the biggest test of the season awaits Atlanta on Sunday in the form of a road trip to Red Bull Arena.
Chris Armas’ New York Red Bulls did not play Wednesday, like Atlanta did in Vancouver, and have won three of their last four games.
The Red Bulls have already knocked off FC Dallas and LA Galaxy during their winning run. A win over Atlanta would serve as a statement to the rest of the Eastern Conference that they will have a say in who lands the top seed.
Atlanta is making a surge up the table and the Red Bulls could land in a playoff position if results go their way this weekend.
But the teams already at the top of the East, D.C. United and Philadelphia, won’t make life easy for the perennial powers to surge into first place.
The Union face a test of their own Saturday with the Seattle Sounders going into Talen Energy Stadium.
The Sounders will be without Jordan Morris, who suffered an injury Wednesday against Orlando City, but they still have Raul Ruidiaz, Nicolas Lodeiro and Cristian Roldan at their disposal.
Philadelphia’s back line has held up well during its three-game winning streak, but it hasn’t faced a well-rounded attack like Seattle possesses, even if Brian Schmetzer rotates his squad a bit.
D.C. faces a test of its own on the road against the Houston Dynamo. Saturday’s clash at BBVA Compass Stadium comes after the Black-and-Red picked up a road point in Toronto.
The complexion of the East standings will once again change after Week 12, and it appears to be the more competitive of the two conferences with Los Angeles FC looking unstoppable on top of the Western Conference.
Week 12 Weekend Schedule
Saturday, May 18
New England Revolution at Montreal Impact (1 p.m. ET, TVA Sport, ESPN+)
Toronto FC at Real Salt Lake (3 p.m. ET, TSN 2, ESPN+)
Chicago Fire at San Jose Earthquakes (3:30 p.m. ET, Univision)
Seattle Sounders at Philadelphia Union (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Columbus Crew at Minnesota United (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Vancouver Whitecaps at Sporting Kansas City (8:30 p.m. ET, TSN 1, ESPN+)
D.C. United at Houston Dynamo (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Sunday, May 19
FC Cincinnati at Orlando City (3 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Atlanta United at New York Red Bulls (5 p.m. ET, FS1)
Los Angeles FC at FC Dallas (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Colorado Rapids at LA Galaxy (8 p.m. ET, TSN 1, ESPN+)
Storylines to Watch
1. Montreal Starts Huge Home Stretch
May 11, 2019; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Montreal Impact midfielder Samuel Piette (6) plays the ball against FC Cincinnati in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
After playing eight road games in 11 weeks, the Montreal Impact finally have a run of home games.
The fourth-place Impact kick off a stretch of four home contests in five games in the first match of the weekend slate against the New England Revolution.
Home games against Real Salt Lake, Orlando City and Seattle are on the docket before the Concacaf Gold Cup break, and if Remi Garde’s team can put together a nice run of form, it will be in terrific shape near the top of the East.
What’s most remarkable about the Impact’s 20-point start is they have played the majority of their matches without Ignacio Piatti.
However, there are still some concerns about finding the back of the net. Montreal has scored 15 goals and contains the one of three negative goal differentials held by teams currently in playoff positions.
2. Can Toronto FC Be More Clinical In Final Third?
May 15, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto FC forward Alejandro Pozuelo (10) dribbles the ball against D.C. United at BMO Field. (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)
The other Eastern Conference side in Canada is coming off a performance in which it scored zero goals off 36 shots.
The Reds put plenty of pressure on the D.C. United defense, but they were unable to walk away with three points, which could cost them since they have dropped eight points at BMO Field already.
The good news for Greg Vanney’s side is it faces a Real Salt Lake side with a -5 goal differential Saturday afternoon, but the game is at altitude and comes at the end of a five-game stretch in two weeks.
Toronto isn’t expected to fire off a high volume of shots once again, but if it can convert on a few chances against a susceptible defense, it could end the arduous run of games on a high note.
3. Can Columbus Correct Its Poor Form?
May 11, 2019; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Crew SC midfielder Wil Trapp (6) dribbles the ball in the second half of the match against the Los Angeles FC at MAPFRE Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Columbus Crew reversed their form a week ago with a home win over the LA Galaxy, but then Caleb Porter’s team ran into the LAFC buzzsaw.
The Crew entered the season as one of the contenders in the East, but they have not looked the part since the start of April.
Columbus has lost six of its last seven games and faces a trip to Allianz Field to take on Minnesota United.
The Loons have held LA Galaxy, Seattle and D.C. to one goal in their last three home games as they turn the new stadium into a fortress.
Columbus has been shut out on four occasions during its losing run, which doesn’t bode well for Saturday, but with little expectations to pull out points from Minnesota, the Crew could play looser and earn a much-needed positive result.
4. Is This The Week Sporting KC Breaks Out of Slump?
May 12, 2019; Washington, D.C., USA; Sporting Kansas City defender Seth Sinovic (15) reacts during the second half against the D.C. United at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
On paper, Sporting Kansas City should pick up three points Saturday against a Vancouver Whitecaps side that fell at home Wednesday and faces a quick turnaround with travel across half of the continent.
However, Peter Vermes’ side is dealing with a laundry list of injuries that includes Gerso Fernandes, Daniel Salloi and Graham Zusi, among many others.
Matt Besler is on track to return to the side for the clash at Children’s Mercy Park, which has to be a huge positive for a team in need of a boost in confidence and momentum.
In their last four games, Sporting KC have conceded 12 goals. If Besler is able to provide a stopgap in the middle of the defense, they will solve one of the many issues that have caused the drop in form.
Solving the struggles in front of goal could be tougher with Salloi and Gerso among the attackers on the injury list. Sporting KC have been shutout in their last two games and haven’t scored since the 4-4 thriller at home against New England.
5. How Many Goals Will The Galaxy Score Against Colorado?
May 11, 2019; Carson, CA; Los Angeles Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic moves in for a shot on goal against New York City during the second half at StubHub Center. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
By the time the final whistle sounds Sunday night at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Colorado Rapids defense could be burnt to ruins like King’s Landing after Daenerys Targaryen and her dragon stormed through town.
The Galaxy don’t have a dragon, but they do have a lion in their lineup with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic and the rest of the Galaxy attack are due to breakout after scoring once in the last two games of their three-game losing streak.
Colorado enters on an eight-game losing streak and with a goal differential of -14. Even if the Galaxy play halfway to their potential, they could further bury the Rapids in the Western Conference basement.
Player to Watch
Bill Hamid, GK, D.C. United
Mar 10, 2019; New York, NY, USA; D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid (24) sets up for a shot during the first half against the New York City at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Bill Hamid is coming off a 12-save performance against Toronto FC, and he is expected to face another flurry of shots from Houston’s attack on Saturday.
With some of his squad expected to be rotated, Ben Olsen has to rely on the veteran goalkeeper to come up with another standout performance to leave Texas with points.
Matchup to Watch
Jackson Yueill, San Jose Earthquakes vs. Djordje Mihailovic, Chicago Fire
May 4, 2019; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Jackson Yueill (14) controls the ball ahead of FC Cincinnati midfielder Fatai Alashe (27) during the second half at Avaya Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Two of the top young American midfielders in MLS could square off against each other in the national spotlight on Saturday.
Jackson Yueill has carved out a place in Matias Almeyda’s starting XI out in San Jose, and he could face Chicago’s dynamic young attacker Djordje Mihailovic, who received a call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team January camp.
The trajectory of both players is surging in the right direction, and they are only going to play bigger roles moving forward for their respective sides.
The post Week 12 MLS Weekend Preview: On-fire Atlanta United faces New York Red Bulls and more appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Joe Tansey, Pro Soccer USA
Carlos Vela scored again as Western Conference-leading Los Angeles FC preserved their unbeaten home record with a 2-0 victory over Dallas in MLS. Vela took his season tally to 13 goals by opening the scoring in Los Angeles on Thursday before Diego Rossi sealed the win late in the match. LAFC broke the deadlock in […]
The post Los Angeles FC 2 Dallas 0: Vela leads high-flying LAFC appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Los Angeles FC 2 Dallas 0: Vela leads high-flying LAFC appeared first on Soccer News.
The Columbus Crew have already given up on David Accam. The club from Ohio have announced that they have traded the Ghanain winger to expansion side Nashville SC. The player, however, will not play for his new club until March 2020, when Nashville actually get to enter the MLS. The Crew will receive $350k in […]
The post Accam traded to Nashville SC appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Accam traded to Nashville SC appeared first on Soccer News.
