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The 2019 Major League Soccer season will include many changes — FC Cincinnati joining as the 24th team, a new playoff format and the opening of Minnesota United’s new stadium, Allianz Field.

It all starts March 2 with 10 matches, including Cincinnati’s debut on a road trip to Seattle. Opening weekend concludes with two Sunday-night games: MLS Cup champion Atlanta United at D.C. United and Los Angeles FC versus Sporting Kansas City.

MLS announced all 24 home openers Thursday. Most teams will play at home sometime during the first three weeks of the season, including Cincinnati’s March 17 debut at Nippert Stadium against the MLS Cup finalist Portland Timbers. However, the Montreal Impact won’t play at home until April 13 against the Columbus Crew. Minnesota United will also open Allianz Field that day, hosting New York City FC. And the Timbers won’t play at Providence Park, which is undergoing a 4,000-seat expansion, until June 1 when LAFC visits.

The entire regular-season schedule will be released in January. Each club will play 34 games, including 17 home games and 17 away games. Teams will face each of their conference opponents twice, one game at home and one game away, and will face every non-conference opponent once.

Here is the full list of 2019 MLS home openers provided by the league:

2019 Major League Soccer Regular Season Home Openers All times are EST. Home teams listed first. Schedule is subject to change.   WEEK 1 Saturday, March 2, 2019 1 p.m. – Philadelphia Union vs. Toronto FC (Talen Energy Stadium) 2:30 p.m. – Orlando City SC vs. New York City FC (Orlando City Stadium) 4:30 p.m. – Columbus Crew SC vs. New York Red Bulls (MAPFRE Stadium) 4:30 p.m. – FC Dallas vs. New England Revolution (Toyota Stadium) 6 p.m. – Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake (BBVA Compass Stadium) 6 p.m. – Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park) 6 p.m. – Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Minnesota United FC (BC Place) 8 p.m. – LA Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire (Dignity Health Sports Park) 10 p.m. – Seattle Sounders FC vs. FC Cincinnati (CenturyLink Field) 10 p.m. – San Jose Earthquakes vs. Montreal Impact (Avaya Stadium)   Sunday, March 3, 2019 6 p.m. – D.C. United vs. Atlanta United (Audi Field) 8 p.m. – LAFC vs. Sporting Kansas City (Banc of California Stadium)   WEEK 2 Saturday, March 9, 2019 1 p.m. – Chicago Fire vs. Orlando City SC (SeatGeek Stadium) 2 p.m. – New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew SC (Gillette Stadium) 6 p.m. – Real Salt Lake vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Rio Tinto Stadium)   Sunday, March 10, 2019 3 p.m. – New York City FC vs. D.C. United (Yankee Stadium) 3 p.m. – Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union (Children’s Mercy Park) 5 p.m. – Atlanta United vs. FC Cincinnati (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)   WEEK 3  Saturday, March 16, 2019 TBD – New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Red Bull Arena)   Sunday, March 17, 2019 1:30 p.m. – Toronto FC vs. New England Revolution (BMO Field) 5 p.m. – FC Cincinnati vs. Portland Timbers (Nippert Stadium)   ALSO… Saturday, April 13, 2019 1 p.m. – Montreal Impact vs. Columbus Crew SC (Saputo Stadium) 5 p.m. – Minnesota United FC vs. NYCFC (Allianz Field)   Saturday, June 1, 2019 10:30 p.m. – Portland Timbers vs. LAFC (Providence Park)

The post MLS announces 2019 home openers appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

The Philadelphia Union traded one of their starting defenders to the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday afternoon.

Right back Keegan Rosenberry, who was selected by the club with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, was sent to the Rapids in exchange for $150,000 in General Allocation Money, $50,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and an additional $100,000 in GAM for the 2020 season. 

If Rosenberry meets specific performance metrics during his first season with the Rapids, the Union will receive an additional $100,000 in GAM for the 2020 season. 

“I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my professional career,” Rosenberry said. “The Rapids organization have shown massive trust in me by bringing me here and I’m ready to get to work.”

Union sporting director Ernst Tanner mentioned there were several teams interested in Rosenberry, but Tanner said a trade with a Western Conference team made more sense, and the Rapids are happy to welcome the 25-year-old to their squad.

Making Rosenberry available for a trade had nothing to do with his abilities and more to do with the confidence the club has in 21-year-old Olivier Mbaizo, and the position appears to be filled on the depth chart by Ray Gaddis, who is working toward a deal with the club for 2019. 

“That doesn’t have anything to do necessarily with the future style of play,” Tanner said. “The decision was more or less a logic decision. We have the position covered with a very good prospect player in Olivier Mbaizo, who really showed us and play the position very well. In addition, we are in negotiations in a good way with Ray Gaddis, who will do much better on the right-hand side than the left-hand side.” 

The 25-year-old American played 80 games for the Union in his three seasons with the club, and he added three goals and six assists during that time. 

Although he was a solid contributor to the Union defense, Rosenberry was going to be out of contract at the end of the 2019 season, and with depth at right back, the Union opted to act now on a deal for the Georgetown University product while the price tag across the league for him was high enough to get a decent return. 

A majority of the funds acquired in Wednesday’s trade will go toward other players the Union hopes to bring in this offseason, and the moves could happen fast with Tanner hoping to get all of his big pieces in place before the club heads down to Clearwater, Florida for preseason training. 

Tanner admitted the club is still looking to reinforce the full back positions on its roster, as a new left back will be signed to help deal with the loss of Matt Real to the U20 World Cup in May. 

“We need a left back without any question,” Tanner said. “We have to take into consideration Matt Real won’t be available during the U20 World Cup. It’s absolutely necessary to have somebody in place there.” 

Rosenberry was the last of the three players selected in the top six picks of the 2016 draft by the Union still on the roster. 

His departure follows Josh Yaro’s contract not being renewed and Fabian Herbers traded to the Chicago Fire. 

ProSoccerUSA writer Marco Cummings contributed to this report. 

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In a matter of minutes, highly-regarded playmaking midfielder Kelyn Rowe ping-ponged across the league in a trade involving the New England Revolution, Colorado Rapids and Sporting Kansas City.

New England, which has been Rowe’s team since his professional career began in 2012, swapped Rowe for Rapids left back Edgar Castillo. The Rapids then sent Rowe to Sporting KC in exchange for forward Diego Rubio, $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and $200,000 in General Allocation Money.

The move significantly alters the rosters of all three teams, particularly the Revolution, who have been hesitant to trade Rowe for years despite continued interest from a number of clubs.

“Kelyn is a player who we watched in college and we have continued to pay close attention to him over the years in Major League Soccer,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said in a statement. “He’s a guy that we have always admired from afar and someone we think that can play multiple positions as a midfielder or as a winger. We are very excited to add him to our roster.”

Vermes will address the media regarding the transaction in a conference call Wednesday morning at 10 a.m.

Rowe had established professional roots in New England since being taken by former coach Jay Heaps as the third overall pick in the 2012 Superdraft, and he had varying degrees of success with the club.

He emerged as a potential playmaker for the United States men’s national team and established himself as a creative option in the heart of the midfield. But Rowe was largely under-utilized the past two seasons as the Revolution struggled to cope with injuries and a lack of depth. He often filled in at left back, his unnatural position.

 

By gaining Castillo, a proven quantity on the flank with international experience, the Revs have finally, if ironically, found a way to turn Rowe into the asset they needed at left back.

“On behalf of the organization, I want to thank Kelyn for the past seven years he has spent representing the New England Revolution with professionalism on and off the field,” Revolution general manager Michael Burns said in a statement. “Beyond his numerous contributions on the field, he will always be remembered by the club and the fans for his work in the community. We wish Kelyn all the best.”

Castillo, 32, joined the Rapids last year after 11 professional seasons in Liga MX with Santos Laguna, Tigres, Tijuana, Atlas, San Luis, Puebla and Monterrey. He recorded three goals and five assists for Colorado in 2018.

“We are excited to welcome Edgar to the Revolution and look forward to having him join us in New England ahead of preseason next month,” Burns said. “We believe his experience at both the domestic and international levels, including his successful first season in MLS with the Rapids last year, will immediately benefit us this season.”

Rowe has been a hot topic on the transfer speculation mill for years. His hometown Seattle Sounders have reportedly sought his talents since he entered the league, though Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey often complained about New England’s stiff negotiating tactics. Last season, at least two teams in Israel also expressed interest in acquiring Rowe.

Unless Kansas City offers Rowe a new deal before 2020 or his contract changes as a result of this trade, he will be eligible for free agency at the end of the next MLS season.

The post Kelyn Rowe ends up in Kansas City after three-way trade appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Major League announced a new playoff structure for the 2019 season that shortens the length of the season and rewards the best teams in the regular season with home playoff games in single-leg matchups. 

The 2019 MLS playoffs will start after the October international window on Oct. 19 and end before the FIFA break in November, with MLS Cup scheduled for November 10. 

The top seven teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences will earn spots in the postseason, with the top team in each conference earning a first-round bye.

In the first round of the postseason, the No. 2 seed will host the No. 7 seed, the No. 3 seed welcomes the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed hosts the No. 5 seed.

The No. 1 seed would then face the winner of the Round 1 clash between No. 4 and No. 5 and the winners of the other two first-round games will face each other in the conference semifinals. 

All of the games will be single elimination, a change from the two-legged conference semifinals and finals of the last few years. 

The new format also has a focus on the future since the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will start at the end of November.

Once the league expands to 28 teams or more, half of the franchises in the league will qualify for the postseason, but for 2019, only 10 of the 24 teams will miss out on the postseason. 

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The Colorado Rapids spent Friday stockpiling goalkeepers, announcing the acquisition of Clint Irwin in a trade with Toronto FC just after selecting Andre Rawls from New York City FC in Stage 1 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft.

The Rapids dealt a second round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, which was originally acquired from FC Dallas in the Dominique Badji trade earlier this year, to Toronto FC.

“We are happy to welcome Clint Irwin back to Colorado,” Rapids general manager Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “He is a talented goalkeeper who knows this team and city well. I know our fans will be looking forward to seeing him back between the posts at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as much as we are.”

The 29-year-old Irwin spent his first three MLS seasons with Colorado after spells with lower division sides Carolina Dynamo, Capital City FC and the Charlotte Eagles. He started 87 regular season games for the Rapids before being traded to Toronto FC after the 2015 season.

Irwin started 19 regular games and made six postseason starts in his first year with TFC, but steadily saw less playing time after Alex Bono took over as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.

He’ll likely assume the same role for the Rapids with Tim Howard returning for the 2019 season.

“I’m very happy to return to the club where I began my MLS career, and look forward to being a big part of the clubs future,” Irwin said.

The post Clint Irwin returns to Colorado Rapids in trade with Toronto FC appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

The next phase of the Major League Soccer offseason occurs Friday afternoon.

Stage 1 of the Re-Entry Draft begins at 3 p.m. ET with the San Jose Earthquakes in possession of the first pick after having the worst record from the 2018 season. Players become eligible for the re-entry draft in a few ways, according to league rules:

Players at least 23 years old with a minimum of three years MLS experience whose contract options were not exercised by their clubs. They will be available at their option salary for 2019. Players who are at least 25 years old with a minimum of four years MLS experience who are out of contract and their respective clubs do not wish to re-sign them at their previous salary. They are available for at least their 2018 salary. Free agents who choose to participate.

Players may choose to opt out of the draft, and players not selected in Stage 1 will be available for Stage 2 at 2 p.m. ET Dec. 20. 

If a player is selected in Stage 1, teams must exercise the player’s contract option or extend a “Bona Fide Offer” if the player is out of contract. If a player rejects the offer, the drafting club will hold that player’s right of first refusal in MLS.

If a player is selected in Stage 2, teams can negotiate new contracts. The drafting team must make a genuine offer to a player within seven days.

Any players not selected will be available first-come, first-serve to all clubs.

Ashley Cole and David Villa are the two standout names on the Re-Entry list, but it’s unlikely either of them is selected because of Cole’s high salary and Villa already announcing his move to Japan.

Some of the intriguing options eligible for selection include New York City FC midfielder Tommy McNamara, Toronto FC forward Tosaint Ricketts, Orlando City goalkeeper Joe Bendik and D.C. United’s Nick DeLeon.

In 2017, two players were selected in Stage 1 of the Re-Entry Draft, and one of them, Mike Grella, is eligible for the selection process again in 2018. 

The majority of teams usually pass on their selections, but there have been some success stories out of the Re-Entry Draft, with FC Dallas’ selection of Maxi Urruti in 2015 being the most recent. 

Players Eligible For Re-Entry Draft

Chicago Fire: Jonathan Campbell, Drew Conner, Michael de Leeuw, Christian Dean, Patrick McLain, Luis Solignac 

Columbus Crew: Mike Grella, Adam Jahn

Colorado Rapids: Giles Barnes, Enzo Martinez, Jack McBean

FC Dallas: Maynor Figueroa

D.C. United: Vytas Andriuskevicius, Nick DeLeon, Kevin Ellis, Jared Jeffrey, Taylor Kemp, Kofi Opare, Travis Worra

Houston Dynamo: Luis Gil, Dylan Remick, Jared Watts

LAFC: Dejan Jakovic, Charlie Lyon, Calum Mallace, Quillan Roberts

LA Galaxy: Ashley Cole, Ariel Lassiter, Brian Sylvestre

Minnesota United: Matt Lampson, Johan Venegas

Montreal Impact: Louis Beland-Goyette, Kyle Fisher, Michael Salazar

New England Revolution: Femi Hollinger-Janzen

New York City FC: Tommy McNamara, Andre Rawls, David Villa 

New York Red Bulls: Carlos Rivas 

Orlando City: Joe Bendik, Earl Edwards Jr., Richie Laryea, Donny Toia, Jose Villarreal

Philadelphia Union: Fabinho, John McCarthy, Richie Marquez, Josh Yaro 

Portland Timbers: Steve Clark, Lawrence Olum

Real Salt Lake: Luke Mulholland, Taylor Peay, Demar Phillips, Luis Silva, Stephen Sunday

Seattle Sounders: Calle Brown 

Toronto FC: Clint Irwin, Tosaint Ricketts

Vancouver Whitecaps: Jose Aja, Aaron Maund, Brian Rowe

Unattached: Wandrille Lefevre 

The post MLS Re-Entry draft: Eligible players, rules and more appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

To prepare for the 2019 season, a pair of Major League Soccer teams will head to Las Vegas in February for the preseason.

Las Vegas Lights FC, a United Soccer League Championship side, announced Wednesday it will host Toronto FC and the Colorado Rapids for a pair of exhibitions. The Lights will face Toronto Feb. 2 and then take on the Rapids Feb. 16.

These two games will be the first for Eric Wynalda, the former United States men’s national team forward who was hired as the head coach of the Lights in October. Wynalda was previously the coach of the United Premier Soccer League’s LA Wolves and North American Soccer League’s Atlanta Silverbacks. As a player, he had 106 caps and scored 34 goals for the U.S.

The Lights will begin their second season in existence in 2019.

“Season 2 can’t start soon enough. We are ecstatic to bring more MLS clubs to Cashman Field,” Lights owner and CEO Brett Lashbrook said in a statement. “We proved last year we can be a big-time soccer market – and now with Cashman Field being a soccer-only venue and U.S. soccer superstar Eric Wynalda as our new coach we are ready to rock n’ roll.”

For their first ever home match, a preseason contest against the Montreal Impact of MLS, more than 10,000 fans attended. The Lights finished their first season with a record of 8-19-7 and an average announced home attendance of 7,221.

Sammy Ochoa led the Lights in scoring with eight goals and seven assists. One of the 32-year-old’s strikes was nominated for USL Goal of the Year. The Lights re-signed him to a new contract in November. They also exercised the options on the contracts of goalkeepers Thomas Olsen and Angel Alvarez, defender Christian Torres and midfielder Matt Thomas.

American forward Freddy Adu also appeared in 14 games for the Lights last season, but the option on his contract was declined by the club. Las Vegas said in a November release that is was negotiating with Adu, 29, to bring him back for another season.

Toronto FC and the Colorado Rapids both missed the MLS Cup playoffs in 2018.

The post Las Vegas Lights FC to host Toronto FC, Colorado Rapids for preseason appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

With MLS Cup capping the 2018 Major League Soccer season, the clock now turns toward the 2019 season with the MLS Expansion Draft set for Tuesday at 2 p.m. The event, which will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com, is part of a busy offseason in MLS, which includes the player combine and draft in early January.

FC Cincinnati, the league’s 24th team in 2019, will be able to select up to five players from an eligible pool of players who went unprotected from the other teams. Those lists will be released by the clubs today.

FCC will only be able to select one player from any other club in their five rounds. They will have three minutes per round to make a selection, with no timeouts implemented and no traded allowed during the draft.

The five teams who had players selected by Los Angeles FC during the 2017 draft — Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City, San Jose Earthquakes, Columbus Crew SC and Toronto FC — are exempt from the 2018 expansion draft.

FC Cincinnati will receive an additional undisclosed sum of allocation money as compensation for the five exempt teams.

Any team that has a player selected by FCC in the draft will receive $50,000 in General Allocation Money.

The remaining 18 clubs can protect 11 players between their senior, supplemental and reserve roster. Players with expiring contracts are considered part of a team’s senior roster. Players who had their option declined or are out of contract are part of the expansion draft and are not automatically protected.

Players on a club’s supplemental roster are eligible for the draft, while Generation Adidas players who have not graduated at the end of the 2018 season and homegrowns on a supplemental/reserve roster are automatically protected. Clubs do not have to use a protected slot for them. However, they do have to protect designated players if they don’t want them selected in the draft.

Players with a no-trade clause in their contract must be protected. Clubs are restricted in the number of international players they make available. Clubs may make available a number of international players equal to their total number of international players minus three. If a club has three or fewer international players it may not make more than one international player available.

If a free agent is selected, FCC will gain his previous club’s ability to renegotiate a new contract consistent with the CBA before the beginning of Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft on Dec. 20.

If FC Cincinnati selects a supplemental/reserve roster player, the club must offer him a senior roster position.

FC Cincinnati will also have the right to renegotiate a drafted player’s salary (either up or down) without having to place such player on waivers or giving his previous club a right of first refusal.

Something that might make FCC fans excited, and certainly give them reason to follow the draft closely, is that quality players will be available for selection.

A year ago, LAFC selected Tyler Miller, who became the club’s starting goalkeeper, Latif Blessing, who had five goals and six assists in 30 appearances, 18 starts, and Marco Ureña, who scored just once and had five assists in 18 appearances.

LAFC also selected Jukka Raitala and Raheem Edwards, who they traded to the Montreal Impact for defender Laurent Ciman hours after the draft.

The post All you need to know about 2018 MLS Expansion Draft appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

The Colorado Rapids exercised four contract options while declining eight on Tuesday afternoon in the club’s first major player personnel moves of the off-season.

Defender Deklan Wynne, midfielders Kellyn Acosta and Dillon Serna, and forward Niki Jackson all had their contract options picked up for the 2019 season.

However, contract options were declined for defenders Kip Colvey and Mike da Fonte, midfielders Giles Barnes, Sam Hamilton, Enzo Martinez and Ricardo Perez, and forwards Caleb Calvert and Jack McBean.

The club did not exercise a purchase option on defender Edgar Castillo’s contract from C.F. Monterrey, though contract negotiations are still taking place.

Meanwhile, 14 players were already under contract heading into 2019.  Goalkeepers Tim Howard and Zac MacMath; defenders Kortne Ford, Marlon Hairston, Axel Sjöberg, Tommy Smith, Sam Vines, and Danny Wilson; midfielders, Cole Bassett, Nana Boateng, Johan Blomberg, Sam Nicholson, and Jack Price; and forward Shkëlzen Gashi all had guaranteed contracts for next season.

Goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra and forward Yannick Boli are both out of contract as of Jan. 1.

The Rapids got some decent mileage out of some of their roster cuts in 2018. For example, McBean and Martinez combined accounted for 44 appearances last season. Meanwhile, Giles Barnes only played in 12 games, but is considered a league veteran. Boli also scored two goals in 17 appearances.

The 2019 Colorado Rapids roster as of Tuesday, Nov. 27 is comprised of 18 players:

Goalkeepers (2): Tim Howard, Zac MacMath

Defenders (7): Kortne Ford, Marlon Hairston, Axel Sjöberg, Tommy Smith, Sam Vines, Danny Wilson, Deklan Wynne

Midfielders (7): Kellyn Acosta, Cole Bassett, Nana Boateng, Johan Blomberg, Sam Nicholson, Jack Price, Dillon Serna

Forwards (2): Shkëlzen Gashi, Niki Jackson

The post Colorado Rapids announce contract options for 2019 season appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Here’s a viewer’s guide to the MLS playoffs’ conference final series. Both series will be played over two legs, home and away, with away goals counting as the first tiebreaker. The first legs will be played on Sunday; the second legs will be played next Thursday.

Eastern Conference

No. 1 New York Red Bulls vs. No. 2 Atlanta United

First leg: Sunday, 5 p.m., at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN.com/WatchESPN)

Second leg: Thursday, 7:30 p.m., at Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J. (Fox Sports 1, Fox Deportes, FoxSportsGo)

Three storylines

1. Atlanta’s explosive offense versus New York’s stingy defense. It’s simplistic to say, because New York’s attack and Atlanta’s defense both have some bite. But it’s true, and impossible to ignore. Atlanta scored a league-high 70 goals this year, and the Red Bulls allowed a league-low 33.

Miguel Almirón and Josef Martínez are MLS’ most prolific attacking duo, with 43 goals and 20 assists combined this year. Red Bulls centerback Aaron Long won Defender of the Year honors, and Kemar Lawrence joined him on the season’s Best XI. Tim Parker was also superb on the back line, and defensive midfielder Sean Davis was a quiet stalwart. With Atlanta likely to again draw a crowd of over 70,000 fans for the first leg, New York has a big job ahead.

2. Will Tata Martino or Tyler Adams say goodbye to MLS first? The Atlanta manager and the Red Bulls star midfield are both expected to leave for other countries when their seasons end. Martino is reportedly ticketed to be the Mexican national team’s next head coach, after being ignored by the U.S. Soccer Federation for reasons they’ve refused to admit. Adams will join Germany’s RB Leipzig, owned by the same energy drink behemoth that runs the New York Red Bulls, for a transfer fee likely around $5 million.

Both men’s moves are on hold until their respective seasons end. One of them will happen a week sooner than the other.

3. The Red Bulls’ history of heartbreak. New York isn’t the only MLS original team to never win the biggest prize in the league’s 23-year history. Dallas and New England haven’t either. But the Red Bulls are the only original team that’s never won MLS Cup or the U.S. Open Cup. While the three Supporters’ Shields since 2013 are a testament to how good the club has been in recent times, they and their fans still crave the trophies that matter most.

If New York comes home with the score close, the second leg at Red Bull Arena should be an epic occasion. (Perhaps New York-area soccer fans will finally show up on a weeknight?) To raise the stakes even more, the winner of the Eastern final series, they’ll host the championship game on Dec. 8. Will this finally be the year the drought ends?

Western Conference

No. 1 Sporting Kansas City vs. No. 5 Portland Timbers

First leg: Sunday, 7:30 p.m., at Providence Park, Portland, Ore. (FS1, Fox Deportes, FoxSportsGo)

Second leg: Thursday, 9:30 p.m., at Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan. (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN.com/WatchESPN)

Three storylines

1. Portland is no ordinary 5-seed. The standings don’t lie, but it’s hard to call a team with with playmakers Diego Valeri and Sebastián Blanco an underdog. Especially a team that calls Providence Park home. The grand old barn at the heart of Soccer City, USA will be as raucous as ever on Sunday, and the Timbers will need to push for as big a win as they can muster.

History will haunt Sporting when they arrive in Cascadia. These teams have only met once in the playoffs before, but it was a game for the ages. Their first-round matchup in 2015 finished 2-2 in 120 minutes, then went to a penalty shootout that lasted 11 rounds. Kansas City’s Saad Abdul-Salaam’s ninth-round kick hit both posts but didn’t go in. It’s been called “The Double Post Game” ever since, and in its honor, the Timbers built a beer concession stand under the stadium’s north end called “The Double Post Bar.”

2. Who will start up top for the Timbers? Samuel Armenteros, Portland’s No. 1 striker, has missed all three playoff games so far due to injuries. Second-year Duke product Jeremy Ebobisse has been solid as his replacement, including a fine goal in the first leg of the conference final against arch-rival Seattle, but Armenteros is the better player.

Armenteros resumed training at the start of the week, which is a good sign. He has the pace to break through opponents’ lines, and the creativity to get out of tight spaces. The Timbers need every weapon they can muster against a Kansas City team that’s disciplined, presses high and can turn teams over fast.

3. Kansas City’s chance to shed its no-name image. Even most MLS aficionados don’t pay too much attention to Ilie Sánchez, Johnny Russell, Dániel Sallói and Felipe Gutiérrez. But those four players — from Spain, Scotland, Hungary and Chile, respectively — play some terrific soccer. In the regular season, Sporting led the league in goals from open play (50, tied with the L.A. Galaxy), shots per game (17.1), passing accuracy (83.6%) and aerial duals won (54.6%); and ranked second in possession (56.8%).

If Sporting wins the series and advances to the MLS Cup final, it will be their second trip to the title game in Delran-born manager Peter Vermes’ nine-year tenure. The first was five years ago, and the money in MLS has grown exponentially since then. Reaching this year’s title game would be an immense feat for the team in MLS’ second-smallest media market (No. 33 nationally). And it should be a lesson to the Union about how badly they’ve gotten things wrong.

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The regular season is over and it’s now time for Major League Soccer’s second season to begin with 12 teams chasing the MLS Cup.

How did Decision Day’s drama affect the Pro Soccer USA Power Rankings? While the New York Red Bulls remain No. 1 after capturing their third Supporters’ Shield title in six years, Sporting Kansas City moved up to No. 2 after finishing atop the Western Conference. New York City FC also jumped six spots to No 7 following an impressive 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Union.

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) New York Red Bulls (22-7-5, 71 points): Thanks to a goal from Derrick Etienne, and a little help from Toronto FC, the Red Bulls clinched a third Supporters’ Shield in six years following a 1-0 win over Orlando City SC at Red Bull Arena. (4) Sporting Kansas City (18-8-8, 62 points): Roger Espinoza and Daniel Salloi scored for Sporting in a 2-1 win over LAFC that clinched the top seed in the Western Conference and made Peter Vermes’ side a favorite to reach the MLS Cup. (2) Atlanta United (21-8-5, 69 points): The Supporters’ Shield slipped out of their grasp after a stunning 4-1 defeat to Toronto FC at BMO Field. Was that a precursor of things to come or can the Five Stripes put that behind them and make a deep MLS Cup playoff run? (5) Seattle Sounders FC (18-11-5, 59 points): The Sounders secured the No. 2 seed in the West, and earned a Knockout Round bye, with a 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. Raul Ruidiaz scored both goals for the Sounders, who won 14 of their final 16 regular season games. (3) D.C. United (14-11-9, 51 points): Their winning streak might have ended at five, but D.C. United will take a 10-match unbeaten streak into the postseason and, courtesy of a 0-0 draw at Chicago, will host the Columbus Crew in the Knockout Round. (6) Los Angeles Football Club (16-9-9, 57 points): A chance to finish atop the West and earn a Knockout Round bye was squandered by LAFC, which lost 2-1 at Sporting on Sunday. The good news is they still host a Knockout Round game and head into the matchup against Real Salt Lake having lost just once at Banc of California Stadium. (13) New York City FC (16-10-8, 56 points): Maxime Chanot and David Villa scored as NYCFC defeated the Union, 3-1, to secure the No. 3 seed in the East and a Knockout Round game against the same Union. (8) FC Dallas (16-9-9, 57 points): FC Dallas went from a team competing for the top spot in the West to one that will host the Timbers in the Knockout Round following a 2-1 loss to the Rapids, their third consecutive defeat. (7) Portland Timbers (15-10-9, 54 points): Giovanni Savarese opted for a rotated roster in a 2-1 loss to the Whitecaps in a game the Timbers needed to win to host a Knockout Round game. But there will be fresh legs for the midweek clash with FCD. Will the gamble pay off? (9) Philadelphia Union (15-14-5, 50 points): The Union had the most unfortunate trifecta as an own goal, a missed PK and conceding inside the opening 10 minutes resulted in a 3-1 loss to NYCFC. Instead of hosting a Knockout Round game, the Union head back to Yankee Stadium Wednesday night. (14) Columbus Crew SC (14-11-9, 51 points): The Crew needed a win on Decision Day and Gyasi Zardes made sure of it. His hat trick lifted Columbus to a 3-2 win over Minnesota United and into the MLS Cup playoffs. (12) Real Salt Lake (14-13-7, 49 points): The Houston Dynamo made sure the Mike Petke BBQ was a celebratory one as their win over the LA Galaxy clinched RSL’s playoff berth. (10) LA Galaxy (13-12-9, 48 points): A win against the Dynamo at home and the Galaxy would be in the MLS Cup playoffs. Ola Kamara did his part, scoring a first-half brace, but the Galaxy collapsed defensively and fell 3-2. (11) Montreal Impact (14-16-4, 46 points): The Impact fell just short of making the playoffs, suffering a 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Even a win on the day wouldn’t have helped them once the Crew beat the Loons. (15) Vancouver Whitecaps FC (13-13-8, 47 points): What a sendoff at BC Place as Alphonso Davies, in his final game before leaving for Bayern Munich, scored a brace to lift the Caps to a 2-1 win over the Timbers. (18) Houston Dynamo (10-16-8, 38 points): We wonder if Mike Petke is going to send any of that BBQ Wilmer Cabrera’s way after the Dynamo ended a disappointing season by rallying from a two-goal deficit to beat the Galaxy and secure RSL’s playoff spot. (16) Toronto FC (10-18-6, 36 points): Similarly is a case of Red Bull landing in Greg Vanney’s office? TFC’s comprehensive 4-1 win over Atlanta United helped pave the way for the Red Bulls to win the Shield. (17) Minnesota United (11-20-3, 36 points): Francisco Calvo struck for a brace, but the Loons fell to the Crew, 3-2, ending the season with four consecutive defeats. (19) New England Revolution (10-13-11, 41 points): Diego Fagundez reached the 50-goal mark, making him the youngest player to reach that milestone in MLS history, in a season-ending 1-0 win over Montreal. (20) Chicago Fire (8-18-8, 32 points): The Fire ended a brutal 2018 season with a drab 0-0 draw against D.C. United. There’s more questions than answers heading into 2019 with the return of Bastian Schweinsteiger perhaps being the biggest. (22) Colorado Rapids (8-19-7, 31 points): Cole Bassett and Tommy Smith scored in a 2-1 win over FC Dallas as the Rapids closed out the 2018 season going 2-0-1 down the stretch. (21) Orlando City SC (8-22-4, 28 points): The 2018 season mercifully came to an end for the Lions following a 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls. Perhaps no team more underachieved than Orlando, which won just two of its final 25 games. (23) San Jose Earthquakes (4-21-9, 21 points): A 2-1 loss to the Sounders ended a dreadful season, which saw the Quakes go winless in their final eight. The Matias Almeyda-era is finally upon us and it couldn’t have come quicker for the San Jose faithful.

Pro Soccer USA’s writers Dylan Butler, Julian Cardillo and Emily Olsen contributed to this report.

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The Colorado Rapids spoiled FC Dallas’ shot at wrapping up a first-round bye, extending the visitors’ losing streak to three-straight following a 2-1 comeback win to close out the regular season. After an opening goal from Maximiliano Urruti to put Dallas ahead 1-0 at halftime, goals from Cole Basset (80’) and Tommy Smith (84’) helped to steal the win for Colorado.

Here are three takeaways from Colorado’s 2-1 win over Dallas:

Bassett Hounds FCD

Colorado ended their season unbeaten in three-straight to end the season, and a common denominator during that stretch run has been Colorado’s 17-year-old homegrown has not only set goals for himself, he’s delivered.

Leading up to this week’s match, Bassett revealed that FC Dallas is a personal rival of his, having never beat them in the Rapids Academy system. Given that it was going to be fan appreciation night, he also revealed the many memories he had as a fan of the team he now plays for and how important it would be to give them a good showing.

Bassett also revealed that he was not expected to start the match earlier in the week, but had to work harder in training to impress head coach Anthony Hudson to give him another starting nod. Bassett was in the Rapids XI on Sunday, apparently, he had done all the work needed.

In the match, he scored his debut goal in MLS play and it was an important one, leveling the match at 1-1. Additionally, he sent just four errant passes during the full 90 minutes and four minutes of extra time, good for a passing accuracy of 93 percent.

“It just shows the mentality of this team and where we’re going next year because we want to be in the playoffs, we want to be where FC Dallas is right now, and even higher than that, so that’s what we’re working towards,” Bassett said of Sunday’s match.

Acosta Benefit Analysis: Pt. 2

One of the major storylines heading into the match between Colorado and FC Dallas hearkened back to the summer trade between the two clubs involving the exchange of Kellyn Acosta for Dominique Badji. Sunday’s game marked the first matchup between the two teams since the trade and the two players would be facing their old clubs for the first time.

Badji wasn’t able to get on the scoresheet, but was able to provide the crucial assist on Dallas’ opening goal. He could use pace and energy to keep the Rapids’ defense honest.

“I think Dominique had a very good first half,” said FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja. “He found the actions that were needed to score the first goal and the connections there.”

But Acosta also had an important impact on the match, whipping in the cross and earning an assist on Tommy Smith’s set piece goal, which turned out to be the game winner.

In possession, it proved to be an active afternoon for the 23-year-old midfielder:

At the end of the day, the trade still looks even between the two teams.

Don’t let this distract you from the fact…

Lost in all the self-congratulatory tweets and comments internally from the club following the defeat of a playoff-bound team on Sunday, is the fact that Colorado has been poor all season.

Both head coach Anthony Hudson and GM Padraig Smith promised the fan base that 2018 would be “playoffs or bust” but a club record losing streak in the first half all but mathematically eliminated the team from playoff contention as early as late June and early July. For mathematical sticklers, the Rapids were officially eliminated from playoff contention with six games remaining back in September.

Before the team’s three-game unbeaten streak to close out the season, they were likewise on a seven-game losing streak. When it came to the most important matches, Colorado was outplayed and outclassed, like in the historic 6-0 defeat to Rocky Mountain Cup rivals Real Salt Lake.

Even with Sunday’s win, and seven points earned in the Rapids’ final three matches, Colorado’s point total of 31 points marks the worst points total in a 34-game season in club history.

But it’s not just the losing. The Stefan Aigner situation was a quagmire of disastrous proportions on both a player personal and media/fan relations level.

Following Sunday’s win, Anthony Hudson put forth another playoff guarantee.

“I am completely, 100 percent, dedicated and focused on nothing but making sure we are a playoff team and a team people can be proud of,” Hudson told media on Sunday. “I have nothing else in my life other than that total focus.”

Fans and media need to hold the Colorado Rapids accountable to that promise.

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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – The Colorado Rapids ended a disappointing 2018 campaign on a high note, defeating FC Dallas 2-1 and spoiling the visitors’ opportunity to earn a Knockout Round bye in the upcoming MLS Cup playoffs.

Colorado came out in the first half dominating possession with 65 percent of the ball in the opening stanza. Despite this, the visitors struck first, as Maxi Urruti’s goal in the 18th minute gave Dallas a 1-0 lead.

“I felt the first half, we were good without being dangerous,” said Rapids coach Anthony Hudson. “We gave away a really poor goal, but other than that, they didn’t give us too much troubles.”

In the second half, FCD’s lead evaporated as Colorado midfielder Cole Bassett cored in the 80th minute to level the match at 1-1. It marked a debut MLS goal for the Rapids’ 17-year-old Homegrown, who was signed to the team this summer.

“He shouldn’t have been in the box,” Hudson laughed. “There were some moments there where Cole received the ball in certain situations and showed a lot of bravery and a lot of character. I think he showed an incredible amount of desire to get on the end of that cross.”

With the score tied at 1-1, it only took four minutes for Colorado to take its first lead of the game, as defender Tommy Smith scored the go-ahead goal to put the hosts in front 2-1 just a few moments later.

“Once we got that goal, I felt we had a chance,” Hudson continued. “I thought we played very well without giving them problems. It’s strange because [Dallas] are at the top of the league. At 1-0 down, it would’ve been easy to go the other way.”

For the visitors, it marked disappointment. With an opportunity to lock down the No. 2 playoff seed in the Western Conference leading into the match, the loss dropped Dallas to fourth. FCD will now host Portland in a midweek Knockout Round game on short rest.

“It was a good first half, but the second half wasn’t good at all for us. We gave up two goals from situations that we controlled,” said FC Dallas coach Oscar Pareja. “First, it’s just to get our heads in the right place. This is a result that’s hard to absorb.”

With the win, Colorado ended the 2018 campaign with points earned from its final three games, finishing 11th in the Western Conference. However, with 31 points on the year, 2018 marks the franchise’s worst ever total for points earned in a 34-game season, bested only by Pablo Mastroeni’s debut season in 2014 (32 points).

Despite the trials of his debut campaign as head coach of the Colorado Rapids, Hudson remained upbeat in his final postgame press conference of the season.

“It’s been an incredibly tough year,” said Hudson. “There’s been periods where it’s been painful, but I’ve loved every single moment of it. Through all the difficult times, I haven’t seen or witnessed anyone going on a different path or direction. I think everyone has stuck together.”

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Here is how to watch all Major League Soccer matches live for Week 35, Decision Day, on TV or streaming. You can follow along with our live scores and stats as well.

Sunday, Oct. 28

TIME(EST)	TEAM	TV	Live stream
4:30 p.m.	Chicago v DC United	DC: NewsChannel 8; CHI: ESPN+	ESPN+, Direct Kick, MLS LIVE on DAZN
4:30 p.m.	Colorado v FC Dallas	COL: Altitude; DAL: TXA-21	ESPN+, Direct Kick, MLS LIVE on DAZN
4:30 p.m.	Columbus v Minnesota	CLB: CW Columbus, Spectrum Sports OH, BCSN2; MIN: Fox Sports North	ESPN+, Direct Kick, MLS LIVE on DAZN
4:30 p.m.	LA Galaxy v Houston	LA: Spectrum SportsNet; HOU: KUBE 57	ESPN+, Direct Kick, MLS LIVE on DAZN
4:30 p.m.	New England v Montreal	NE: NBC Sports Boston; CAN: TVAS, TSN5	ESPN+, Direct Kick, MLS LIVE on DAZN
4:30 p.m.	NYCFC v Philadelphia Union	NYC: YES2; PHI: PHL17	ESPN+, Direct Kick, MLS LIVE on DAZN
4:30 p.m.	NY Red Bulls v Orlando City	RBNY: MSG; ORL: TV27, YouTube TV [Orlando region only]	ESPN+, Direct Kick, MLS LIVE on DAZN
4:30 p.m.	Seattle v San Jose	SEA: JOEtv, YouTube TV [Seattle region only]; SJ: NBC Sports California	ESPN+, Direct Kick, MLS LIVE on DAZN
4:30 p.m.	Sporting KC v LAFC	USA: FS1, FOX Deportes; CAN: MLS LIVE on DAZN	FOX Sports GO
4:30 p.m.	Toronto v Atlanta	ATL: Fox Sports South; CAN: TSN4	ESPN+, Direct Kick

4:30 p.m.	Vancouver v Portland	POR: ROOT Sports NW; CAN: TSN1	ESPN+, Direct Kick

The post How to watch MLS Decision Day on TV, live stream appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – In six seasons of playing in Major League Soccer, midfielder Kellyn Acosta has face every team in the league — with one exception. That will change on Sunday afternoon when he faces former club FC Dallas for the first time in his career and the first time since being traded to Colorado in exchange for forward Dominique Badji back in July.

“A special moment for me,” Acosta said of the chance to face his former team. “It’s going to be weird and a little awkward in a sense, but I’m definitely looking forward to it and it’s going to be a huge one.”

Colorado has been eliminated from playoff contention for more than a month, but the “Decision Day” match still has important implications as the Rapids look to establish a positive identity heading into next season and hope to spoil the visitors’ chance at a first round bye in this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs.

“We want to finish the year strong, and it’s going to be imperative to do so,” explained Acosta. “They need a strong result for their circumstances in the playoffs. For us, it’s going to be sweeter if we can push them away from their goals.”

The Rapids have been playing arguably some of their better soccer of late, earning points from back-to-back road matches following a win over Minnesota United FC and a draw at San Jose last weekend. It’s boosted the mood in what has otherwise been a disappointing debut campaign for Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson.

“There were two strong performances on the road, and they showed a lot of character,” Hudson said of his team’s recent form. “The mood is good in the camp. The manner of the performances have been positive for me.”

Sunday’s draw at San Jose marked Acosta’s return to the team following his most recent call-up to the United States men’s national team for friendly matches against Columbia and Peru. It was good experience for the 23-year-old, who notched a goal, an assist and an appearance in the starting XI from both matches.

“Definitely playing in high level games like that, I want to bring my experiences back to [the Rapids] and help out in any way possible,” Acosta said. “I got that energy boost and carried it on to the next game and into last weekend against San Jose.”

The Rapids have largely been pleased with the acquisition of Acosta, but are still coming to terms with losing Badji, who remains Colorado’s leading scorer for the 2018 season.

“Badji is a top player. In a perfect world, we’d have Kellyn and Badji,” Hudson said. “But in order for us to progress towards the team we want to be, that had to happen.”

While Hudson and the coaching staff wish their former forward all the best with his current club, Colorado is in full preparation to contain Badji and the rest of the offensive threat that Dallas will bring this weekend. It must start with playing the kind of possessive soccer Hudson has been trying to implement; a style Acosta also thrives on.

“With a guy like Badji, he has some wheels on him,” Acosta explained. “So, you’ve got to be mindful when he wants the ball in behind. Dallas in general is a very counterattack oriented team, so we need to be more mindful when we have the ball. It’s imperative that we have the right numbers in the back to sustain our attack, being mindful of the little details.”

Details and reunions aside, Acosta insists the focus remains unchanged.

“It’s the same mentality,” he said. “Every game we’re looking at getting a result.”

The post Kellyn Acosta: Facing former club FC Dallas will be ‘weird and a little awkward’ appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

The 2018 Major League Soccer season concludes Sunday with Decision Day, which means 12 teams advance to the MLS Cup playoffs and the planning for 2019 begins for the 11 others, in addition to expansion side FC Cincinnati.

Here are some of the key postseason and preseason dates leading to the start of the 2019 MLS season. Please check back often for updates and other key dates, which will be added in the coming months. 

2018 Caribbean Combine

Oct. 15-18 — Kingston, Jamaica Oct. 22-25 — Bridgetown, Barbados

Decision Day

Oct. 28 — See full schedule of games and live scores here.

MLS Cup Playoffs

Knockout Round

Oct. 31 — East No. 6 at East No. 3
— West No. 6 at West No. 3 Nov. 1 — East No. 5 at East No. 4
— West No. 5 at West No. 4

Conference Semifinal Series

Nov. 4 — Eastern and Western Conference Leg 1 (hosted by lower seed) Nov. 11 — Eastern and Western Conference Leg 2 (hosted by higher seed)

(International break — USMNT vs. England Nov. 15; vs. Italy Nov 20; CAN vs. St. Kitts and Nevis Nov. 17)

Conference Championship Series

Nov. 25 — Eastern and Western Conference Leg 1 (hosted by lower seed) Nov. 29 — Eastern and Western Conference Leg 2 (hosted by higher seed)

2018 MLS Cup

Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m. (location TBD)

Half-day trade window

Dec. 9 — Following a three-month roster freeze, this takes place the day after MLS Cup every year.

Expansion Draft for FC Cincinnati

December date TBD

MLS Waiver Draft

December date TBD

MLS Re-entry Draft

Stage 1 — December date TBD Stage 2 — December date TBD 

2019 MLS Player Combine

Jan. 3-9 — Orlando City Stadium

2019 MLS SuperDraft

Jan. 11 — Chicago, Ill.

2019 MLS preseason begins

Dates are not yet confirmed, but preseason training typically begins the third or fourth week of January.

2019 MLS regular season begins

Date TBD. The regular season typically kicks off at the beginning of March.

The post MLS offseason calendar: Decision Day 2018 to Opening Day 2019 appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

D.C. United star Wayne Rooney, who arrived from Everton in July, has not dethroned Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco as Major League Soccer’s top earner, according to updated salary information released Tuesday by the MLS Players Association.

The new salary figures take into account players who, like Rooney and the Montreal Impact’s Bacary Sagna, were acquired during the summer transfer window.

The Players Union’s previous version of the salary guide, which was released May 11, stated there were 46 players in the league making at least $1 million. New figures show the number of MLS millionaires has increased to 53.

Giovinco leads the way with $7,115,555 in guaranteed compensation for 2018.

New members to the league’s millionaires club include Rooney, who has MLS’ ninth-highest salary at $2,776,730 in guaranteed compensation. Seattle’s Raul Ruidiaz ($2 million), New England’s Michael Mancienne ($1.37 million), Montreal’s Rod Fanni ($1.225 million), Los Angeles FC’s Andre Horta ($1.198 million), Sporting Kansas City’s Andreu Fontas ($999,999) and Johnny Russell ($1,131,578) are all in the latest batch of high earners.

Sagna, who joined Montreal in August, is pegged at $525,000 while Mancienne remains the league’s highest-paid defender.

Portland Timbers defender Jorge Villafaña, who landed in the Rose City via allocation, is at $617,500.

Take a look at all MLS player salaries in the sortable table below:

#salary-table{
width: 100%;
height: 915px;
}

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After more than eight months, the Major League Soccer regular season comes down to one day — Decision Day — with still so much to play for.

There is no hotter team in the league than D.C. United, which clinched a playoff berth with a 3-1 win over New York City FC, their fifth straight win. It is also a victory that moved the Black-and-Red up to a season-high third place in the Pro Soccer USA Power Rankings. The Portland Timbers are the biggest movers, jumping four spots after a playoff-clinching win over Real Salt Lake.

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) New York Red Bulls (21-6-6, 68 points): Kaku scored the game’s lone goal from the penalty spot as the Red Bulls beat the Philadelphia Union for their fourth consecutive win heading into a regular season finale at home against Orlando City SC. (2) Atlanta United (21-7-5, 69 points): The Five Stripes clinched a berth in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League and inched closer to the Supporters’ Shield, which they can clinch in Toronto, with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire. (6) D.C. United (14-11-8, 50 points): Wayne Rooney struck for a brace and Luciano Acosta added a goal and a ridiculous assist on Senor Wayne’s first goal in a 3-1 win over NYCFC. That’s nine games without a loss and five straight wins for D.C., which plays at Chicago Sunday with a chance to clinch a home playoff game. (3) Sporting Kansas City (17-8-8, 59 points): Daniel Salloi, Roger Espinoza and Johnny Russell scored and Tim Melia came up with a penalty-kick save in a 3-0 win over FC Dallas that moved Sporting into first place in the Western Conference heading into a big Decision Day showdown with second place LAFC. (4) Seattle Sounders FC (17-11-5, 56 points): Nico Lodeiro had a hat trick of assists, serving in perfect corner kicks headed home by Chad Marshall and Gustav Svensson, as well as Raul Ruidiaz’s eighth goal of the season in a 3-2 win at Houston. (5) Los Angeles Football Club (16-8-9, 57 points): Diego Rossi struck for an early brace, but LAFC conceded a pair of goals to settle for a 2-2 draw with the Whitecaps before a showdown with Sporting KC that will likely determine the top seed in the Western Conference. (11) Portland Timbers (15-9-9, 54 points): The Timbers booked a postseason berth with a 3-0 home win over Real Salt Lake on goals by Larrys Mabiala, Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco. Portland heads to Vancouver with a chance to lock up a home game in the Knockout Round. (6) FC Dallas (16-8-9, 57 points): If FC Dallas is forced to play a Knockout Round game, they’ll know exactly where their fate turned, losing at home to Sporting Kansas City, 3-0, on Sunday. That’s back-to-back defeats going into a regular-season finale at Colorado. (8) Philadelphia Union (15-13-5, 50 points): The Union played well and can hold their heads up following a 1-0 home defeat to the Red Bulls. A win over struggling New York City FC Sunday will lock up the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. (9) LA Galaxy (13-11-9, 48 points): Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a goal and assisted on Romain Alessandrini’s tally, which came one minute after Ola Kamara scored to lead the Galaxy to a 3-1 win over Minnesota United. An LA win over Houston Sunday books their playoff ticket. (10) Montreal Impact (14-15-4, 46 points): Ignacio Piatti struck for a brace to lead the Impact to a 2-0 win over rival Toronto FC and keep him team’s playoff hopes alive. Montreal will need to beat the Revolution and hope the Crew falter against the Loons. (13) Real Salt Lake (14-13-7, 49 points): A win over the Revs gave RSL hope, hope that was all but crushed with a regular-season ending 3-0 loss at Portland on Sunday. Now they need the Dynamo to draw or beat the Galaxy to get into the playoffs. (14) New York City FC (15-10-8, 53 points): Yangel Herrera looked good in his return and David Villa scored a goal. Outside of those two positives, NYCFC fell to D.C. United, 3-1, and will need a win or draw against the Philadelphia Union Sunday to clinch a home Knockout Round game. (12) Columbus Crew SC (13-11-9, 48 points): It’s now consecutive losses and three games without a win for the Crew after a stunning 2-1 defeat at Orlando. The Crew will need a win over the Loons to insure a playoff spot. If not, they will need to hope the Revs beat the Impact. (15) Vancouver Whitecaps FC (12-13-8, 44 points): The rally was inspiring, as Yordy Reyna and Jordon Mutch equalized, but a 2-2 draw against LAFC eliminated the ‘Caps from playoff contention. (16) Toronto FC (9-18-6, 33 points): Toronto FC can still impact the Supporters’ Shield race. A win over Atlanta United would not only snap a three-game losing streak, it might also mean avoiding seeing the Five Stripes celebrate winning the Shield on their field. (21) Minnesota United FC (11-19-3, 36 points): More than 50,000 fans packed TCF Bank Stadium. That and Angelo Rodriguez’s 54th-minute goal were about the only positive to draw from a 3-1 loss to the LA Galaxy in their home finale. (17) Houston Dynamo (9-16-8, 35 points): The Dynamo conceded twice off set pieces — their bugaboo all season — in a 3-2 loss at home to the Sounders, their third consecutive defeat. Kevin Garcia and Mauro Manotas scored second-half goals for Houston. (18) New England Revolution (9-13-11, 38 points): Kelyn Rowe scored in the 69th minute, but it came after the Revs conceded four times in the opening 50 minutes in a 4-1 loss to Real Salt Lake. (19) Chicago Fire (8-18-7, 31 points): Michael de Leeuw made 70,000 Atlanta United fans squirm in their seats with a 24th-minute equalizer, but an own goal by Johan Kappelhof put Atlanta in front for good in a 2-1 win. (22) Orlando City SC (8-21-4, 28 points): After three consecutive losses and 13 games without a win, the Lions roared in their home finale, beating Columbus, 2-1, with Yoshi Yotun and Sacha Kljestan scoring from the penalty spot. (20) Colorado Rapids (7-19-7, 28 points): The Rapids drew the Earthquakes, 0-0, Sunday and close out what has been a miserable season at home against FC Dallas. (23) San Jose Earthquakes (4-20-9, 21 points): The Quakes have but one thing to play for Sunday in Seattle — get Chris Wondolowski to break the league’s all-time record for goals. Oh, and winning for the first time since late August.

Pro Soccer USA’s writers Dylan Butler and Emily Olsen contributed to this report.

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During their first visit to Avaya Stadium of 2018, the Colorado Rapids battled the San Jose Earthquakes to a 0-0 draw, earning a point on the road. The result gave the Quakes points in consecutive matches following last weekend’s 2-0 win at Minnesota United FC. The Rapids will now return home to face FC Dallas in their penultimate game of 2018 and final home match of the season next week.

Here are some takeaways from the Rapids’ 0-0 draw with San Jose:

Homegrown cookin’

Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson’s starting lineup once again featured three Homegrown players: midfielders Dillon Serna and Cole Bassett, as well as defender Kortne Ford. In the second half, defender Sam Vines, recently recalled from Charlotte Independence, subbed in for Deklan Wynne.

“It feels amazing,” Vines said. “Getting your MLS debut is always a great thing for young players. For myself, it’s exciting. Homegrown team, Homegrown club — it’s exciting just to get the debut.”

At times, Vines very much looked like a player making his first leap to MLS action. But at the end of the day, Colorado’s defense preserved the clean sheet.

The second half marked the first time in Colorado Rapids history that four homegrowns were on the pitch at the same time.

“The youth is important to us,” said Hudson. “We’ve had young players training with us all season, and we’ve been looking at them and watching them, and making sure that the ones that do the right thing and things we are looking for, we are going to give them chances. That’s important to us and today I think you’ve got to credit those four players because they all did very well, especially the lads that stepped in and made their debuts.”

Watching Wondo

With both sides long eliminated from playoff contention, the primary story heading into this match was San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski seeking the all-time scoring record in MLS. The man who has torched the Rapids many times before needed just a goal against a Colorado defense which has been suspect all season while playing in front of a home crowd.

But the Rapids had other plans. Hoping to spoil fan appreciation day, they did.

“It’s always motivation when there’s somebody out there like the instance with [Zlatan] Ibra [Ibrahimovic] when we were at L.A.,” said Rapids defender Kortne Ford. “We definitely have more grit because we’re not going to let it happen on our end. But more importantly, we’re going out to every single game with the mentality that we’re not going to let up a goal. So we just approach the game like we always do, to get out there, stay together, stay compact and keep a clean sheet.”

Added Hudson, “I think today turned into a defensive performance. I think just because how the game panned out, and a couple of injuries we’ve had and the changes we’ve had to make, it ended up turning that way. Obviously, they’re hunting the record for [Chris] Wondolowski, and they’re throwing everything at us. We’re finishing the game. Kortne Ford battled through the last 30 minutes because he was struggling [with cramping].”

Tidy cats

With a clean sheet Sunday, the Colorado Rapids earned back-to-back clean sheets for the first time under Anthony Hudson. It also marked the first time since the 2016 season the Rapids had earned back-to-back clean sheets and the first time since the start of the 2015 season in which Colorado earned a clean sheet in consecutive road matches.

“It was just grit,” Ford said. “Grit and mentality. You know, we went in that game saying we weren’t going to give up a goal and we’re going to nick one. Unfortunately, we didn’t nick one today, but we fought together, we stuck together, we kept the clean sheet.”

Colorado blocked 10 of San Jose’s 20 shots as the backline was peppered by the ‘Quake’s attack. Aiding the effort was one of the better performances from goalkeeper, captain and designated player Tim Howard. Howard recorded four saves in the match, including a header from point blank range from Anibal Godoy.

It was a solid performance in the wake of several players being suspended, including centerback Tommy Smith, following last weekend’s brawl against Minnesota.

Said Vines, “We just wanted to get a clean sheet and get a win on the road. We got one job done so we can’t wait for next week.”

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FRISCO, Texas — It was a memorable weekend for Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber as he was inducted in United States National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Commissioner of the league since 1999, Garber has overseen the growth of MLS from 10 teams and playing second fiddle in NFL stadiums to 26 and the growth of the soccer-specific stadium across the league. MLS has grown at a rapid pace and has attracted the attention of other sports owners, including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who complimented the league during a Reddit Q&A.

Garber was emotional on stage when talking about his relationship with MLS president Mark Abbott and his family, thanking them for the sacrifices they have given for him to reach this stage.

“If I had to do it all over again, I might’ve thought a little bit more how meaningful it would’ve been standing up there,” Garber said to ProSoccer USA. “I give a lot of speeches and I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of really positive things of late, but I never expected how emotional I would be. In 20 years of working in this sport and going through a lot of the challenges that we went through. It all kinda hit me at once. How important this was for me, my family. I never expected to be in a Hall of Fame growing up as a kid. I went to college in Oneonta [N.Y.]. Cooperstown was a few miles away, and the Soccer Hall of Fame’s first iteration was in that city and I never even knew that it was there. It’s an honor to be a part of it.”

In 2001, MLS was on the verge of falling apart as many teams were losing money. The league was preparing to shut down unless Garber had a plan for a meeting at LA Galaxy investor-operator Philip Anschutz’s ranch. Garber referred to the meeting as a critical point in the league’s history and an important part in his speech and talked about that moment after the ceremony.

“It really was,” Garber said when asked if that meeting was critical to the league’s success. “We acknowledged, really for the first time, that those were times when we were really thinking about shutting the league down. Everyone knew that we were going to make some tough decisions but we were really deciding whether or not we were going to go forward.

“It showed the commitment of our owners and the incredible belief in American soccer and what MLS could be. We put together a plan to give them some options to look at and that plan is the plan that made MLS what it is today. Soccer stadiums, great media partners, grassroots programming, academies, player investment that led to designated players and so many other things that made MLS a league that we’re so proud of.”

 

On Oct. 12, MLS announced it found a potential investor for the Columbus Crew in the Haslem family, also owner of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, to prevent the Crew from relocating to Austin. Nothing is official yet, but Garber is optimistic both sides will be happy with the outcome.

“We still have work to do with Columbus and Austin but we’re all very focused to try and see if we could thread the needle and hopefully come out of the situation where everybody is feeling really good,” Garber said. 

The continued expansion of the league is positive for Garber as he continues to see the sport grow year in and year out. He referred to the attendance figures of Minnesota United and Atlanta United this weekend and how the energy around the sport has continued to grow in the country. 

Even with his Hall of Fame induction, he knows he has more work to do as the Collective Bargaining Agreement is entering its final year and more teams enter the league.

“There’s been so much expansion in the league and so many positive things going on and the markets that are been so energized,” Garber said. “Whether it’s Nashville or Cincinnati or Minnesota that will have 55,000 people tomorrow, or Atlanta that will have 72,000 at a game. There’s just a lot of energy around the sport.”

 

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