The Primary transfer window just ended for all MLS clubs, but some of them are already planning their summer moves. Chicago Fire have not had the very best start to the season, but it looks like they are improving in recent weeks. And now they might be in the market for another big-name star this […]
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The MLS has long been viewed as a league that focus more on marketing instead of quality when it comes to signings. That perception has changed a bit over the past few seasons. However, there’s still a sense of something that could be called “market-value” when it comes to the league. After all, the MLS […]
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The post Signing Guillermo Ochoa Would Be A Smart Move For MLS appeared first on Soccer News.
Columbus Crew ended their losing run to upset LA Galaxy in MLS, while Atlanta United extended their winning streak on Wednesday. Columbus snapped a five-match losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Galaxy, who slumped to their second consecutive defeat. Gyasi Zardes haunted his former club with the opener, tapping in a Robinho cross […]
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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – With a defense conceding 2.7 goals per game this season, the Colorado Rapids are making moves to address the team’s defensive issues.
Following yesterday’s close of the MLS primary transfer window, Colorado announced the acquisition of defender Lalas Abubakar on a one-year loan from Columbus Crew SC in exchange for $125,000 in 2019 Targeted Allocation Money. The 24-year-old was a first round MLS SuperDraft pick of Columbus in 2017 and went on to make 35 appearances for the Crew, pitching in two goals.
“We are pleased to bring in a young and athletic defender in Lalas,” Rapids executive VP and GM, Pádraig Smith said. “He is a quick and physical centerback with good experience in the league.”
A Ghanaian international, Lalas holds a U.S. Green Card and will not take up an international roster spot.
The addition of Lalas was one of several moves announced or expected to be announced by the Rapids Wednesday, along with the addition of forward Jonathan Lewis, who was acquired via trade with NYCFC.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan to Colorado,” said Smith. “He is one of the best young attacking talents in the United States, a dynamic game changer with the potential to develop into an elite level attacker in MLS. His age, character and skillset fit perfectly with the type of player we want to bring to Colorado and with the plans we have for the future of our club.”
Colorado also traded veteran midfielder Benny Feilhaber in exchange for defender Abdul Rwatubyaye, a draft pick, an international roster spot and some form of allocation money, according to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle. Rwatubyaye only holds a P-1 Visa, and therefore will take up that international roster spot per MLS roster rules.
Rwatubyaye has represented Rwanda at the U-17, U-20, U-23 and senior national team levels. The 22-year-old has made two appearances for SKC this season (one start), but played six years professionally in his home nation of Rwanda, winning three league titles in the country’s top flight.
With new players in tow, Colorado will look for their first win of the season at home this weekend as they host Rocky Mountain Cup rival Real Salt lake at 9 p.m. ET Saturday.
The post Colorado Rapids trade Benny Feilhaber, add reinforcements appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Los Angeles Galaxy have announced that the club has added midfielder Fabio Alvarez to their squad, after acquiring him on loan from Argentinian side Atletico Tucuman. Alvarez has made 56 appearances for Atletico Tucuman in all competitions and has scored five goals in the process. Alvarez previously played for Talleres de Cordoba, Defensa y Justicia […]
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While Los Angeles Football Club maintains its spot in the penthouse of the Pro Soccer USA Major League Soccer power rankings, there was a lot of movement after Week 10, both upward and downward.
The Houston Dynamo climbed to a season-high No. 2 after an emotional Texas Derby win over FC Dallas, which fell three spots to No. 7. The Philadelphia Union continued to trend upward following a stunning 6-1 thrashing of a New England Revolution side that fell five spots to No. 23.
New York City FC entered the top 10 at No. 9, a leap of four spots, following an impressive 2-0 road win over the Montreal Impact.
The Major League Soccer Power Rankings are created by averaging the rankings submitted by a committee of Pro Soccer USA’s editor and writers.
(1) Los Angeles Football Club (7-1-3, 24 points): A 0-0 draw at home against the Chicago Fire was LAFC’s second straight draw, their longest stretch without a win this season. They head to Columbus Saturday. (5) Houston Dynamo (6-1-1, 18 points): Mauro Manotas scored a goal in each half, including what proved to be the 58th-minute winner as the Dynamo dropped rival FC Dallas, 2-1, in the first match of the Texas Derby. (3) Seattle Sounders FC (5-1-4, 19 points): The Sounders haven’t lost, but they also haven’t won in their last three games. Cristian Roldan scored a remarkable goal, though, in a 1-1 draw with Minnesota United FC. (2) LA Galaxy (7-2-1, 22 points): Zlatan Ibrahimovic flexed his muscles with a goal and an assist to put the Galaxy in front, but the Red Bulls rallied after halftime to snap LA’s seven-match unbeaten streak. (6) D.C. United (6-3-2, 20 points): United rebounded in a big way from a loss in Minnesota to beat Crew SC, 3-1, on goals by Luciano Acosta, Wayne Rooney and Paul Arriola. (7) Philadelphia Union (6-3-2, 20 points): Two wins by an 8-1 aggregate in Week 10 sounds like some sort of a dream, but that was the Union’s reality in wins over FC Cincinnati and the New England Revolution. (4) FC Dallas (5-3-2, 17 points): Dominique Badji breathed some late life into the visitors, but FC Dallas fell to the Houston Dynamo, 2-1. They look to rebound at home against the New York Red Bulls Saturday. (8) Toronto FC (5-2-1, 16 points): Jonathan Osorio and Jay Chapman broke a scoreless draw with a pair of goals in a 12-minute span to lift Toronto FC to a 2-0 win at Orlando. (13) New York City FC (3-1-6, 15 points): The Cityzens stretched their unbeaten streak to six games with a 2-0 win over Montreal at Stade Saputo, their third win in their last four games. (9) Minnesota United FC (4-3-3, 15 points): The Loons are still unbeaten at Allianz Field after a scintillating 1-1 draw against Seattle with Ike Opara heading in Minnesota’s lone goal. (16) Atlanta United FC (3-3-2, 11 points): They’re baaaack. Josef Martinez struck for a brace and Ezequiel Barco had a goal and an assist in a 3-0 thumping of Sporting Kansas City. Back-to-back wins for the defending MLS Cup champs, who host Toronto for a midweek tilt. (17) New York Red Bulls (3-4-2, 11 points): Amro Tarek, Marc Rzatkowski and Derrick Etienne each scored their first goal of the year as the Red Bulls rallied to beat the Galaxy for their second straight win. (22) San Jose Earthquakes (3-5-2, 11 points): The Earthquakes are above the playoff line in the West, a not insignificant fact in early May, after beating FC Cincinnati, 1-0, at home, their fourth straight game without a loss. (14) Montreal Impact (5-4-2, 17 points): After back-to-back shutout wins over New England and Chicago, the Impact fell 2-0 at home to NYCFC. It’s back on the road for the Impact, who play at the Red Bulls and FC Cincinnati this week. (21) Portland Timbers (3-5-1, 10 points): Don’t look now, but the Timbers own the league’s longest winning streak after beating Real Salt Lake for their third consecutive victory. Then comes word that the club signed Brian Fernandez to a Designated Player contract. (10) Sporting Kansas City (2-3-4, 10 points): Injury-riddled Sporting is now five games without a win following a 3-0 home defeat to Atlanta United. They hope to rebound at D.C. United Saturday. (12) Columbus Crew SC (4-6-1, 13 points): Crew SC fell in a three-goal hole en route to a 3-1 loss at D.C. United, Columbus’ fifth straight loss. It doesn’t get any easier with LA Galaxy and LAFC coming to MAPFRE this week. (11) Orlando City SC (3-4-3, 12 points): The Lions only managed to put two of their 18 shots on frame in a 2-0 loss to Toronto FC that dropped their home record to 2-3-1. (19) Chicago Fire (2-4-4, 10 points): The Fire became the first team this season to take a point from LAFC at Banc of California Stadium. However, they haven’t scored in three straight. (15) Real Salt Lake (3-6-1, 10 points): Sam Johnson canceled out Sebastian Blanco’s first half goal, but RSL conceded what proved to be the decisive goal six minutes later by Diego Valeri in a 2-1 loss to the Timbers, RSL’s second straight defeat. (23) Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2-5-3, 9 points): Andy Rose scored the winning goal three minutes from full time and Fredy Montero and Lucas Venturo struck 10 minutes apart in the first half in a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids. (20) FC Cincinnati (2-7-2, 8 points): A 2-0 loss at Philadelphia was followed by a 1-0 defeat at San Jose, which extended the expansion side’s losing streak to five straight games and ended Alan Koch’s run as head coach. (18) New England Revolution (2-7-2, 8 points): Have the Revs hit rock bottom? It’s hard to say, but a 6-1 loss at Philadelphia and conceding 13 goals in three games without a win isn’t a good look. (24) Colorado Rapids (0-8-2, 2 points): Kei Kamara struck twice from the penalty spot, his second spot kick equalizing the game, but the Rapids couldn’t get interim coach Conor Casey his first win as they dropped their seventh in a row.Pro Soccer USA writers Dylan Butler, Robert Jonas and Joe Tansey contributed to this report.
The post MLS Power Rankings Week 10: Houston Dynamo, NYCFC climb appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Competition: MLS Market: Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score anytime Odds: 11/10 @ Bet 365 With the chance to leapfrog LAFC to top spot in the Western Conference, a high-flying LA Galaxy will travel to the MAPFRE Stadium in the early hours of Thursday morning. Starting with the hosts, putting in yet another worrying display in their 3-1 loss away […]
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The post Zlatan Ibrahimovic 11/10 to score anytime against Columbus Crew in Thursday’s MLS clash appeared first on Soccer News.
For the first time since Week 3, the top spot in the Pro Soccer USA Major League Soccer Player Rankings has changed hands.
Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela made the position his own for the last seven weeks, but after he failed to find the back of the net in Week 10, he gave way to another superstar who plies his trade in Los Angeles.
LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been lurking beneath Vela in the top five for the last three weeks and he finally forced his way past the Mexican star.
The same five players who landed in the top five a week ago remain there, but there are plenty of new entrants who could make a surge into the top quadrant of the list with one more impressive performance.
Our MLS Player Rankings take into account a player’s form over the last four games, with the most recent game carrying the most importance.
Previous Ranking: 15
Apr 24, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro (10) dribbles against the San Jose Earthquakes during the second half at CenturyLink Field. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)
Nicolas Lodeiro was the most active player on the field for the Seattle Sounders in a 1-1 draw with Minnesota United FC on Saturday night at Allianz Field.
Although he made 104 touches and handed out four key passes, Lodeiro was unable to put a shot on target.
In fact, the only shot on goal managed by the Sounders came on Cristian Roldan’s brilliant strike that found the bottom right corner of the net.
Previous Ranking: 12
May 4, 2019; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush (1) looks on during the first half of the game against the New York City FC at Stade Saputo. (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)
After stringing together a pair of clean sheets in Week 9, Evan Bush’s shutout streak ended at home in a 2-0 loss against New York City FC on Saturday.
Bush gave up a pair of tallies to Dome Torrent’s side and he only stopped three of the shots sent in his direction at Stade Saputo.
Bush has conceded multiple goals in four of the games in which he has been beaten by opposing strikers in 2019.
Previous Ranking: 9
Apr 27, 2019; Frisco, TX, USA; FC Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez (1) in action during the match against the San Jose Earthquakes at Toyota Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
Jesse Gonzalez let in more than one goal in a game for the first time since March 30 in Saturday’s 2-1 Texas Derby defeat to the Houston Dynamo.
The FC Dallas goalkeeper only made two saves in the loss that put the Dynamo one step closer to winning back El Capitan.
Since recording 12 saves in two games against Portland and Atlanta United, Gonzalez has only made four saves in the last two weeks.
Previous Ranking: 10
Courtesy of LAFC
Mark-Anthony Kaye was once again active on the ball for LAFC on Saturday, but he didn’t make a significant impact on the final score like previous weeks.
The Canadian midfielder completed 85.2 percent of his 88 passes and made 98 touches in a LAFC midfield that relentlessly tried to break down the Chicago Fire defense in a 0-0 draw.
Through 10 games, Kaye has a pass-completion percentage of 83.3 on an average of 55.8 passes.
Previous Ranking: 13
Apr 24, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas (6) dribbles against the Seattle Sounders FC during the first half at CenturyLink Field. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)
Shea Salinas got caught in a logjam of players surging into the rankings, which is why he fell three spots despite helping the San Jose Earthquakes earn a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
The veteran fullback, who stole the headlines for his scoring prowess in recent weeks, was part of a defensive unit that conceded three shots to the expansion side while playing with a man down for most of the second half.
Salinas didn’t show up much in the stat line, but played his part to extend the Quakes unbeaten run to four games.
Previous Ranking: 20
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)
Romain Metanire is arguably the best in-form fullback in MLS.
As we mentioned above, the Sounders only placed one shot on target in the 1-1 draw between them and Minnesota United on Saturday.
Metanire’s ability to contain the Seattle wingers stifled the amount of significant chances the visitors could put on goal. Jan Gregus and Ike Opara were two of the other defensive-minded Loons who deserve credit for Saturday’s performance.
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Real Salt Lake hasn’t been able to strike a rich vein of form from a team perspective, but one of its top offseason acquisitions is in the middle of an impressive stretch.
Forward Sam Johnson scored for the third time in four games in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to the Portland Timbers.
3rd goal of the season 
pic.twitter.com/ruF7pRuxRw
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 7, 2019
Johnson is responsible for three of the seven goals the Claret-and-Cobalt have recorded over the last four matches.
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
After a one-week absence, Atlanta United’s young phenom is back in the top 20.
Ezequiel Barco scored one of the best goals of Week 10 in his side’s 3-0 win over Sporting Kansas City and he produced his first assist of the season.
WHAT A GOAL BY BARCO 
He scores his 4th goal of the season and puts Atlanta up by 2 on the road. pic.twitter.com/ymHWCNYMaD
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 6, 2019
Since the start of April, Barco has three goals on seven shots on goal. His form is promising, but the Five Stripes will be without Barco while he represents Argentina at the U20 World Cup.
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Mauro Manotas bagged his first brace of the season in Houston’s rivalry win over FC Dallas.
The Colombian forward opened the scoring from the spot and clinched the victory with a strike off a brilliant counter attack.
End 
End #ForeverOrange | #HOUvDAL https://t.co/O4etJrVXvt
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) May 4, 2019
Manotas has three goals in the last two games and is now up to five goals and four assists for the season.
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
May 4, 2019; Sandy, UT, USA; Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri (8) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Real Salt Lake during the second half at Rio Tinto Stadium. (Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports)
Diego Valeri and the Portland Timbers have quietly put together a three-game winning streak in the middle of their 12-game road trip to start the season.
It’s no surprise the midfield maestro has been the offensive catalyst during the winning run with one goal and three assists.
In nine games, Valeri has picked up two goals and six assists.
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
The 2018 MLS Golden Boot winner found his scoring stride in Kansas City on Sunday.
Josef Martinez doubled his season goal total with a pair of tallies in Atlanta’s statement win over Sporting Kansas City.
There's no stopping that one @JosefMartinez17 bags a brace https://t.co/7PliZEaSLM
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) May 6, 2019
The scorer of four goals in 2019 totaled four key passes and three shots on target with his 45 touches.
Previous Ranking: 20
During the Philadelphia Union’s five-game home winning streak, they have outscored opponents 16-2.
Jack Elliott’s play in the back line has played a major role in keeping teams off the scoreboard at Talen Energy Stadium.
Jack Elliott gets into the box and puts @PhilaUnion ahead 1-0! #PHIvNE https://t.co/xQNEIxGqW2
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 4, 2019
In addition to putting in a pair of strong defensive performances in Week 10, Elliott scored the opening goal in Saturday’s win over New England.
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
One of the hottest scorers in MLS is a player who came to Philadelphia as a free agent in September and started the season in the USL Championship.
Kacper Przybylko has scored in each of his three starts and he’s put nine shots on target during the three-game stretch.
3⃣ starts. 3⃣ goals for Kacper! Talk about being on #PHIvNE 5-1 pic.twitter.com/NSXt3oyTI8
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) May 5, 2019
Przybylko’s goals have come against Vancouver, FC Cincinnati and New England, and now he faces his toughest foe yet on Saturday in Toronto FC.
Previous Ranking: 11
Kei Kamara moved his goal total up to seven with a pair of penalties in Colorado’s 3-2 defeat to Vancouver.
Kamara has now scored in five of the last six games for the Rapids, who are mired in last place in the Western Conference.
Number 6 of the year for @keikamara 
#Rapids96 | #COLvVAN pic.twitter.com/UTIwGZcq6Z
— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) May 4, 2019
Unfortunately, Kamara’s form is one of the only positive things the club can hang its hat on.
Previous Ranking: 6
May 4, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC midfielder Eduard Atuesta (20) moves the ball against the Chicago Fire in the second half at Banc of California Stadium. The team played to a 0-0 tie. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Eduard Atuesta was on the ball more than double the time any Chicago Fire player touched it on Saturday night.
Atuesta made 152 touches in the middle of the park for LAFC and completed 91.3 percent of his 127 passes.
The 21-year-old finished the game with two key passes and a shot on target, but it wasn’t enough to get Bob Bradley’s side a goal at Banc of California Stadium.
Previous Ranking: 4
May 4, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; Toronto FC midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo (10) dribbles the ball as Orlando City SC forward Tesho Akindele (13) defends during the second half at Orlando City Stadium. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
Alejandro Pozuelo picked up his sixth assist in six games on the second goal scored by Toronto FC in a 2-0 win at Orlando City Stadium on Saturday.
Pozuelo and TFC face one of the most difficult weeks of the season in Week 11 with a road trip to Atlanta United on Wednesday and a home clash with surging Philadelphia on Saturday.
Two strong performances from the Spaniard and a pair of victories would establish TFC as one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference.
Previous Ranking: 5
May 4, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Dynamo forward Alberth Elis (17) dribbles against FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon (2) in the second half at BBVA Compass Stadium. (Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports)
With his assist in Houston’s win over FC Dallas, Alberth Elis extended his streak of contributing to a goal to six games.
Elis has produced an assist in his last two games, and before that, he put together a four-game scoring streak.
In his last six games, the Honduran forward has four goals and five assists.
Previous Ranking: 3
Apr 27, 2019; New York, NY, USA; Orlando City forward Nani (17) during the second half against the New York City FC at Yankee Stadium. (Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports)
Nani’s four-game scoring streak came to an end at the hands of Toronto FC on Saturday.
Although he didn’t find the back of the net, the Portuguese winger made plenty of contributions to the Orlando City attack.
Nani recorded eight key passes and three shots against a TFC defense that limited the Lions to two shots on target.
Previous Ranking: 1
May 4, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC forward Carlos Vela (10) and Chicago Fire midfielder Brandt Bronico (13) battle for the ball in the second half at Banc of California Stadium. The team played to a 0-0 tie. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Carlos Vela did everything in his power to put LAFC on the scoreboard on Saturday, but his effort came up short.
The Mexican forward dished out five key passes and attempted three shots, with one of them reaching the target.
The 0-0 draw with Chicago marked the second time LAFC was held scoreless in 2019 and the fourth time in 11 games in which Vela failed to score.
Previous Ranking: 2
A goal and an assist in the LA Galaxy’s 3-2 loss to the New York Red Bulls were enough to push Zlatan Ibrahimovic over Vela for the top spot.
The assist on Uriel Antuna’s 39th-minute goal was the second of the season for Ibrahimovic, who celebrated like he was the one who scored the goal.
The first of two very, very beautiful goals from the #LAGalaxy@diegopolenta92 
@Ibra_official @AntunaUriel pic.twitter.com/nYUrH7OZNP
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) May 4, 2019
Ibrahimovic scored his ninth goal of the season four minutes later, but the Galaxy were unable to hold on to the advantage in the second half.
Ibrahimovic has two chances to reach double digits in the scoring column in Week 11, with a visit to Columbus on Wednesday and hosting New York City FC at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday.
The post MLS Player Rankings Week 10: Ibrahimovic takes top spot from Vela appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
This has been a landmark year in young domestic players getting meaningful minutes in Major League Soccer. FC Dallas is playing like it’s one of the best teams in the West and is likely to start three American teenagers.
Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls and the Philadelphia Union have set the stage in showing how academy talent can be cornerstone pieces on very good teams. Tyler Adams and Alphonso Davies showed the pathway for academy products to get to Europe, and how clubs can profit.
This has led to almost all MLS clubs taking their academies seriously. It’s a possible source of talent and assets, and in a league where a salary cap looms, it is a possible competitive advantage. This also means evaluating and projecting homegrown prospects is becoming more and more important.
Investing too long on a prospect who’s never going to make it means wasting time, resources and a roster spot. Let a prospect go, and you’ve potentially lost out on a few years of All-Star production at pennies on the dollar and a hefty transfer fee. This is the dilemma that weighs on each MLS general manager.
A year ago I traded emails with Adam Belz from the Scuffed podcast — a top source for fans looking for coverage on young American starlets — about the top 10 MLS prospects in 2018 (full article here). I went back to the expert to figure out what changed and what the new list looks like for 2019.
(Note: The following email back and forth was edited for readability).
Tutul Rahman: Thanks again for jumping into Year 2 grading the MLS trade rankings for Homegrown prospects. Your list last year got a lot of plaudits, and the 2019 season has arguably the best-ever MLS Homegrown players, starting with the Luchi [Gonzalez] revolution at FC Dallas.
This leads me to my first question. What are your reflections on the top-10 prospects list from last year? Were there any obvious misses or things that have changed in the valuations over the past year?
For memories sake, here’s where we netted out last year. Also, as a reminder, in order to make this list, the player had to sign with an MLS club or its USL side and have less than 400 MLS minutes as of April of that year.
Tier 1 (Would trade an MLS MVP candidate to get this player) — None
Tier 2 (Would trade an MLS All-Star to get this player) — None
Tier 3 (Would trade very good, young player not quite All-Star level yet, i.e. Jordan Morris)
1. Efrain Alvarez
2. Andrew Carleton
Tier 4 (Would trade a good starting-caliber player, i.e. Michael Barrios)
3. George Bello
4. Jaylin Lindsey
Tier 5 (Would trade MLS journeyman and allocation money to get this player)
5. Wan Kuzain
6. Chris Goslin
7. Ben Mines
8. Matt Real
9. Paxton Pomykal
10. Gianluca Busio
Adam Belz: My oh my, how quickly things change. Here’s my first blush adjustment. I’ve added a few names here and added another tier.
Tier 1 — No Homegrown is at this level yet
Tier 2 (would trade an All-Star)
1. Paxton Pomykal – It’s still early, but he’s already the key player for a winning FC Dallas side and already a valuable transfer target. If he continues to progress and has a good showing at the U-20 World Cup, I don’t think a $5 million transfer is out of the question. He’s certainly as valuable to his team as [Darlington] Nagbe is to his.
Tier 3 (would trade a good, young player with potential)
2. Efrain Alvarez — Easily the most talented teenager in MLS. If he can get match fit and regularly get on the field for the LA Galaxy, he could be something special. Only 16, so he has plenty of time.
Tier 4 (would trade a good starter)
3. James Sands — A solid starting CDM for NYCFC through four matches. An asset defensively and not a liability in possession at the age of 18. Seems to have the right mentality.
4. Brenden Aaronson — A competent teenage midfielder for a solid Philadelphia side. Not flashy, but already shown he’s elegant and reliable in possession.
5. George Bello — The potential is there for the young Atlanta left back. Hasn’t been able to stay consistently healthy.
6. Gianluca Busio — He’s a steady bench performer for SKC, one of the league’s best teams, at the age of 16.
7. Daniel Leyva — He hasn’t had his MLS debut yet, but he’s the cream of the academy crop in Seattle, he can run the midfield and he’s only 15. Certainly one of the top-5 prospects in America who hasn’t played first-team minutes yet. Trajectory and potential are good enough to get an MLS starter in exchange
8. Ricardo Pepi — He’s on a USL contract for North Texas, the FC Dallas reserve squad, scored a hat trick in his USL League One debut and has all the tools of a top-end No. 9. Great passer, strong on the ball, nose for goal, great workrate. Trajectory and potential are good enough to get an MLS starter in exchange.
Tier 5 (would trade a journeyman or allocation money)
9. Jaylin Lindsey — He’s a versatile, solid defender. Not likely to be a starting-caliber player soon.
10. Andrew Carleton — He’s had problems off the field and he’s been underwhelming on the field for long enough that his trade value has to be considered on the wane. Could turn it around, but he needs a positive year for Atlanta and I can’t see many GMs taking a flyer on him for anything more than an MLS journeyman.
Dropping out:
TR: Nice! You beat me to the punch to the next question and re-ranking them. It seems to me, prospects at this age can be volatile in their evaluation and hence trade value. For the ones who haven’t cracked real MLS minutes and haven’t dominated USL, all we really have to go by is youth national team play.
Pomykal finished last year sort of where Carleton is now, and it took a coach to play him and put him in a position to succeed where he’s gone from a “maybe-bust” to “All-Star” in five games.
It really nods to: If you’re a GM, you have to get as many good potential homegrowns as possible, because evaluations can fluctuate so much at this point.
With those assumptions, are there any additions you want to add in to make a top-10 of those remaining? Off the top of my head, I’m curious if your evaluations on Joe Scally, Julian Araujo, Gilbert Fuentes, Jack de Vries, Justin Rennicks, Ayo Akinola, Brandon Servania, Ethan Zubak or Anthony Fontana warrant being in the new top 10.
AB: I think Araujo is a top-level prospect. Servania and Scally may be, but I’m not sure, and Fuentes has potential but a long way to go. I’m not bullish on the others (though I have to admit I haven’t seen Jack de Vries play). I don’t think any of these players rises above Tier 5 at this point, except maybe Araujo and Akinola.
Here’s how I’d do the rankings today. Basically, my mind changes a little bit every week, so I’ve moved Araujo up (give him three more starts in MLS and he’s probably joining Pomykal in Tier 2. He’s been a revelation the last two weeks) and Busio down (just don’t see it with Gianluca yet):
(less than 400 MLS minutes as of Apr 1, 2019)
TIER 1
No Homegrown is at this level yet.
TIER 2
1) Paxton Pomykal
TIER 3
2) Julian Araujo
3) Efra Alvarez
TIER 4
4) James Sands
5) Brenden Aaronson
6) George Bello
7) Daniel Leyva
8) Ricardo Pepi
TIER 5
9) Gianluca Busio
10) Jaylin Lindsey
TR: Nice! You can already see many of these players have been integral parts of their squads and will be ineligible for next year’s list, such as Pomykal, Araujo, Aaronson and Busio.
Last question for you: There’s been quite a few big-name academy prospects who have skipped signing with MLS clubs and go straight to U-19 sides in Europe. This includes Alex Mendez, Uly Llanez, Sebastian Soto, Richie Ledezma, Chris Gloster and Taylor Booth.
That’s quite the list of talent MLS helped develop but didn’t really get to reap the benefits for. I’m curious, which of those prospects would’ve made this list if they signed with MLS instead and at which tier? It would give a good sense of the level of assets those teams lost for free.
AB: I’d put Richie Ledezma in Tier 2. I realize the reader will have to take that on faith since he’s not played a single first-team minute, but I do think he’s polished and explosive enough to have an immediate impact in an MLS midfield.
I’d have Alex Mendez in Tier 3, with Soto and Gloster in Tier 4. Booth, I’m a little less familiar with, but he’d probably go in Tier 4 too.
TR: It’s easy to have 20/20 vision when watching or covering sports. FC Dallas losing Weston McKennie for free easily looks like a large miss now. But it’s much more difficult to get into a GMs shoes and try to project out.
FC Dallas’s patience and faith in Pomykal played out to the point where he’s probably the top prospect in MLS today. He’s a Tier 2 prospect, which makes him worth around $750,000 to $1 million in allocation money on the MLS trade market. This is a true competitive advantage in a salary-capped league like MLS.
With all of the upside, there are plenty of risk. Andrew Carleton went from a top-2 prospect to not even being in the top-10 in a year. Will Atlanta be able to get the potential value out of Carleton? Or will it never fully materialize?
All we know now is that valuations of prospects change almost weekly, and tracking the progress of homegrown talent is one of the most exciting parts of the league.
The post Top 10 MLS Homegrown Prospects 2019 Edition appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference became much more intriguing in Week 10.
After struggling for two months, Atlanta United and the New York Red Bulls reminded everyone they are capable of knocking off some of the best teams in the league.
The Five Stripes took care of business with a 3-0 road win over Sporting Kansas City, while the Red Bulls won a back-and-forth affair with the LA Galaxy.
Neither team is in the top seven of the East quite yet, but they are prepared to barge through the red line in Week 11.
Both the Red Bulls and Atlanta are one point back of seventh-place Orlando City, and both sides have at least one game in hand on a majority of the teams at the top of the East because of the lenient scheduling during the Concacaf Champions League.
The scary part is neither team is close to the finished product, but we did see glimpses of hope in Week 10 that both squads can put together an extended winning run.
May 4, 2019; Harrison, NJ, USA; New York Red Bulls midfielder Marc Rzatkowski (90) celebrates his goal against the LA Galaxy with New York Red Bulls midfielder Sean Davis (27) during the second half at Red Bull Arena. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
One of the reasons Atlanta should storm up the standings is the emergence of Ezequiel Barco as the playmaker the team thought it would get a year ago.
Barco should have at least two more games left with the Five Stripes before leaving to play for Argentina at the U-20 World Cup. By the time Barco leaves, the other attackers in the squad, such as defending Golden Boot winner Josef Martinez, should be rounding into form thanks to the ability of the Argentinian to get everyone involved in the final third.
The Red Bulls reversed their poor form Saturday in the opposite manner without one of their superstars taking over the game. Kaku served the last game of his suspension Saturday and Bradley Wright-Phillips hasn’t found the back of the net since March 16.
On Saturday, Amro Tarek, Marc Rzatkowski and Derrick Etienne were the scorers, and given the organic way the Red Bulls have tried to play with academy products and players who buy into the system, the unsung heroes on that roster will play huge roles in kick starting a winning streak.
While the Red Bulls and Atlanta could make a surge into fifth or sixth place, it might be hard for them to hit the top spot in the East before the break for the Concacaf Gold Cup.
The Philadelphia Union made a statement of their own Saturday by plowing through the New England Revolution. Jim Curtin’s side leads D.C. United on goal differential at the top of the East and gets a huge test in Week 11 against Toronto FC, who is plugging along just fine in fourth place.
Then there’s the Montreal Impact, who always seem to fly under the radar, sitting in third place without Ignacio Piatti playing a significant role so far.
The East was already lining up to be a competitive race for the entire regular season, and with the addition of Atlanta and the Red Bulls to the fray, the competition will only get better.
Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders
WHAT A HIT! CRISTIAN ROLDAN WITH A ! #MINvSEA https://t.co/5UNwi23GsW
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 5, 2019
Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC
GO ON, @OsoJ92!
Pure class. #ORLvTOR https://t.co/qmd1AHLhQJ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 4, 2019
Ezequiel Barco, Atlanta United
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) May 6, 2019
To say the Video Assistant Referee system is still a work in progress in MLS is an understatement.
Each week debates arise over whether a referee got a crucial call right and how to improve the process.
The review that triggered the most frustration in Week 10 came from Columbus’ loss to D.C., where a goal was called back for an apparent foul at midfield by Wil Trapp.
Thoroughly confused why this #Crew96 goal was called back…@PROreferees ?! #MLS pic.twitter.com/1IbOHnvUB9
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) May 5, 2019
Crew head coach Caleb Porter rightfully went off on the review that took away his team’s goal.
So here we are once again. Another week with a questionable VAR call and no hope that a significant fix will come.
It seems the referees need a better understanding of what a clear and obvious error is for a play to be reviewed. VAR has gotten some calls right in 2019, but until it becomes a near-perfect process, the shortcomings will always shine brighter than the right decisions.
The Colorado Rapids are the worst team in MLS by a long mile.
In their first game under interim head coach Conor Casey, the Rapids fell to the Vancouver Whitecaps in an ugly game of soccer Friday night.
It didn’t help the Rapids that Diego Rubio lost his cool and was sent off for a dumb swing to the face late in the second half when a point was still on the table.
The Colorado Rapids everyone! pic.twitter.com/amgpKzKJQO
— Seth Vertelney (@svertelney) May 4, 2019
After losses Saturday, the Crew and FC Cincinnati are now 0-10 with two goals since April 13.
At least the Crew got on the scoreboard in Week 10 against D.C. United, while FC Cincinnati’s struggles run much deeper with no goals since April 7.
Neither team has been spectacular on the defensive end either. The Crew and FC Cincinnati have been outscored by a combined 19-2 during their current five-game winning streaks.
Things don’t get any easier for the Crew in Week 11, with LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC coming to Mapfre Stadium, while FC Cincinnati hosts third-place Montreal.
The situation in Cincinnati might be worse with frustrations about an on-field identity starting to bubble to the surface.
Fanendo Adi transcript presented without comment: pic.twitter.com/9LjYSwioui
— Pat Brennan (@PBrennanENQ) May 5, 2019
May 4, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC forward Carlos Vela (10) and Chicago Fire midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger (31) battle for the ball in the second half at Banc of California Stadium. The team played to a 0-0 tie. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
LAFC suffered an unusual result Saturday against the Chicago Fire.
The goalless draw at Banc of California Stadium marked the first time the Black-and-Gold failed to score at home in 2019.
What was even more unusual about the result was the Fire was the team to hold LAFC scoreless for the second time this season.
Going into the weekend, the Fire had given up 13 goals in nine games.
May 4, 2019; Sandy, UT, USA; Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri (8) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Real Salt Lake during the second half at Rio Tinto Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
The Portland Timbers have started to create momentum ahead of the re-opening of Providence Park on June 1.
After stumbling out of the gate, the Timbers have put together a three-game winning streak with victories over Columbus, Toronto FC and Real Salt Lake.
The winning run has pushed the Timbers one point back of seventh place in the Western Conference, and we fully expect them to land in the top seven once they get a run of home games under their belts.
You don’t have to wait long for a slew of MLS games to appear on your television and computer screens.
Seven Eastern Conference teams are in action during Wednesday’s four-game slate.
The clashes between Atlanta and Toronto FC and the Red Bulls and Montreal could alter the complexion of the East standings further going into Saturday.
The post MLS Week 10 Review: Atlanta United and New York Red Bulls are back, VAR controversy and more appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Portland Timbers are completing a club-record signing! According to The Athletic’s Sam Stejskal, Timbers have closed a deal for Brian Fernandez, after a long spell of rumours about his arrival. Fernandez arrives at Portland from Liga MX side Necaxa ahead of the end of the primary transfer window which ends on Tuesday for all MLS […]
The post Portland Timbers sign Fernandez from Necaxa appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Portland Timbers sign Fernandez from Necaxa appeared first on Soccer News.
Josef Martinez kick-started his MLS campaign with a brace in Atlanta United’s 3-0 win over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday. Martinez – coming off a 35-goal MLS season last year – struck twice as defending champions Atlanta climbed up to ninth in the Eastern Conference. The Venezuela international moved onto four league goals for the […]
The post Sporting Kansas City 0 Atlanta United 3: Martinez brace leads De Boer´s men appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Sporting Kansas City 0 Atlanta United 3: Martinez brace leads De Boer´s men appeared first on Soccer News.
Despite the fact several football experts still view the MLS as a “retirement league”, there’s no question the US top-flight has improved vastly in recent years. Every year there are better players in the league and the overall quality of the competition has increased. Things are not different in 2019, although there’s a huge difference. […]
The post Has Carlos Vela Locked Down The 2019 MLS MVP Award Already? appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Has Carlos Vela Locked Down The 2019 MLS MVP Award Already? appeared first on Soccer News.
Philadelphia Union humbled New England Revolution 6-1 to stay top of the MLS Eastern Conference, while Wayne Rooney’s DC United are level on points. It was a party at Talen Energy Stadium, where Sergio Santos scored twice in the second half to lead the Union to a crushing victory on Saturday. New England’s Juan Fernando […]
The post MLS Review: Union win 6-1, Rooney leads DC as Ibrahimovic scores in Galaxy loss appeared first on Soccer News.
The post MLS Review: Union win 6-1, Rooney leads DC as Ibrahimovic scores in Galaxy loss appeared first on Soccer News.
Philadelphia Union humbled New England Revolution 6-1 to stay top of the MLS Eastern Conference, while Wayne Rooney’s DC United are level on points. It was a party at Talen Energy Stadium, where Sergio Santos scored twice in the second half to lead the Union to a crushing victory on Saturday. New England’s Juan Fernando […]
The post MLS Review: Union win 6-1, Rooney leads DC as Ibrahimovic scores in Galaxy loss appeared first on Soccer News.
The post MLS Review: Union win 6-1, Rooney leads DC as Ibrahimovic scores in Galaxy loss appeared first on Soccer News.
