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This Week in MLS - October 9, 2018

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October 9, 20185:56AM EDT

Giovinco’s return to Italy, Paraguayan youngsters highlight top MLS international call-ups

FC Dallas Homegrown Cannon ready for pressure with U.S. MNT call-up

D.C. run evokes similarities to 2016 MLS Cup-winning Sounders FC

MLS academy products look to lift Canada to new heights

MLS Week 33: Match Notes

Giovinco’s return to Italy, Paraguayan youngsters highlight top MLS international call-ups

Stars across Major League Soccer have been recognized for their quality in league play this season to earn call-ups to their respective national teams, ranging from young players representing their countries for the first time to veterans reentering the international fold.

Toronto FC forward Sebastian Giovinco returns to the Italy National Team thanks to a successful individual 2018 season with a combined 26 goals and assists, ranking as one of only three players across the league in the top 10 of both categories. Giovinco receives the call from new Italy boss Roberto Mancini. Giovinco, the 2015 Landon Donovan MLS MVP and 2018 Concacaf Champions League MVP will face Ukraine and Poland in this window and U.S. Men’s National Team fans should keep an eye on his performance, as repeat call-ups in the November window could see the Atomic Ant face Toronto teammates Michael Bradley and Marky Delgado, both called in for the U.S. camp.

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Johnny Russell has seen a resurgence with Scotland, having played in both matches during the September international window. With nine goals and nine assists for SKC, Russell will look to continue his strong production with Scotland when facing Israel and Portugal this week.

Young players across the league have also used their club play to break through for the first time in international play. Paraguay has seen three young MLS stars enter the program with high hopes for the first time this year, including 24-year-old Héctor Villalba (Atlanta United), 23-year-old Kaku (New York Red Bulls) and 20-year-old Cristhian Paredes (Portland Timbers). Kaku and Villalba have been instrumental to their squads, which are fighting for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and could each break the record for most points ever in an MLS season. Combined with fellow star Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United), the Paraguay National Team has three players age 24 or younger that have combined for 24 goals and 37 assists in MLS play this season.

FC Dallas Homegrown Cannon ready for pressure with U.S. MNT call-up

From virtually unknown to anchoring one of the best defensive units in MLS, 20-year-old FC Dallas Homegrown Player Reggie Cannon is bound for his first U.S. Men’s National Team camp as the USA prepares for No. 14 FIFA-ranked Colombia on Thursday in Tampa (7:30 p.m. ET / FS1, UniMas, UDN).

Cannon’s emergence under FCD head coach Oscar Pareja has helped catapult the club to the top of the Western Conference. After playing just one minute in 2017, Cannon this year has played in 31 games (all starts), logged 2,741 minutes and tallied a goal and three assists. He also was voted No. 7 on MLSsoccer.com’s 22 Under 22 rankings. Alongside the rising defender will be a former teammate, Colorado Rapids midfielder and former FCD Homegrown Player Kellyn Acosta.

“I’m looking forward to heading into this camp with solid confidence,” Cannon said. “Kellyn’s really going to help me with that. He’s my roommate and my best friend. He’s going to help me a lot with getting integrated into the system. It’s going to be a good trip.” (LISTEN HERE)

“I like to play the players when I know they’re going to have a good scenario,” Pareja recently told the Dallas Morning News. “With Reggie’s situation, that probably happened more than with anyone else.”

“You have that national team call-up, people are looking at you differently,” Cannon said. “People are expecting you to always be at that level. That bar you set, you always have to go above it.”

U.S. MNT roster:

Current MLS Homegrowns: Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas), Mark Delgado (Toronto FC), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)

Former MLS Homegrowns: Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

Additional MLS youth products: Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Tim Weah (New York Red Bulls)

D.C. run evokes similarities to 2016 MLS Cup-winning Sounders FC

D.C. United (11-11-8, 41 points) could be one step closer to the Audi 2018 MLS Cup playoffs this week with a potential slide into sixth place, moving the club above playoff line for the first time this regular season. With potential postseason qualification in view and a couple games in hand, D.C.’s turnaround is showing signs of mirroring the memorable U-turn of 2016 MLS Cup champions Seattle Sounders FC.

The 2016 Sounders went 6-12-2 (20 points) through July 24 of that season, then went on to post an 8-2-4 record (28 points) the rest of the way to advance to the postseason. This year’s United team posted a 3-9-5 record (14 points) through July 25 of this year and has since sported an 8-2-3 record (27 points) heading into Week 32.

2016 MLS Cup winners Seattle Sounders FC:

March 6-July 24, 2016: 6-12-2, 20 points

July 31-Oct. 23, 2016: 8-2-4, 28 points

2018 D.C. United:

March 3-July 25: 3-9-5, 14 points

July 28-present: 8-2-3, 27 points (4 games remaining)

The 2012 LA Galaxy were the trendsetters of comeback MLS champions. Through July 4, 2012, LA went 6-10-2 and was out of the postseason picture, but then went 10-2-4 over the remainder of the regular season, then would go on to defeat the Houston Dynamo in MLS Cup.

A postseason berth still needs to occur for D.C., which collides with Western Conference-leading FC Dallas this Saturday (4:55 p.m. / Univision, UDN) at Audi Field, where United have gone 4-0-1 in their past five home matches.

Since Sept. 1:

D.C. United: 4-0-2 (4-0-1 in past five matches at Audi Field)

FC Dallas: 3-0-2 (defense has posted three shutouts)

“Give credit to the team and all the fans, and the new stadium, for bringing in a new type of energy and feel to the organization,” D.C. midfielder Paul Arriola said. “It’s been fun, and the more that we can continue to win now, the easier it is for us to push ourselves into the playoffs.” (LISTEN HERE)

MLS academy products look to lift Canada to new heights

With nine current players called into the Canada National Team, Major League Soccer’s influence on coach John Herdman’s squad is undeniable. The strong contingent of particularly young players developed through MLS academies and features a world-class attacking trio that rivals the excitement and potential of any in North America.

Ballou Tabla, the 19-year-old midfielder who transferred to Barcelona from the Montreal Impact, could make his national team debut on Oct. 16 when hosting Dominica in Toronto. Tabla forms a talented attacking unit including 17-year-old Vancouver midfielder Alphonso Davies who is headed to Bayern Munich next year in a record transfer. Former Orlando City SC forward Cyle Larin also has emerged as a starter for Turkish power Besiktas and is the focus of Canada’s attack up top.

Along with Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, the 2018 Concacaf Champions League Golden Boot winner, Canada has a wealth of MLS-produced attacking talent that is set to lead the country in its quest to secure a spot in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.

MLS Week 33: Match Notes

Friday, October 12, 2018

Los Angeles Football Club vs. Houston Dynamo, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

LAFC became the fifth expansion team to clinch a playoff berth in its first season, following a 3-0 win against the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. It was LAFC’s seventh away win of the season, matching the all-time record for expansion teams, set by the Chicago Fire in 1998.

Adama Diomande netted a pair of goals, now with 11 goals for the season. LAFC now have three goalscorers with 10 goals or more, including Carlos Vela (11) and Diego Rossi (10), and is the first expansion team ever to achieve that feat.

The Dynamo had their three-game winless streak put to an end, falling 4-1 to Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on Monday evening. With the defeat, the Dynamo were eliminated from playoff contention. DaMarcus Beasley scored the Dynamo goal, his first in MLS since 2016.

The teams are meeting for the second time ever. LAFC held a two-goal lead as the clock hit 90:00, but stoppage-time goals from Mauro Manotas (94+) and Philippe Senderos (96+) hauled the Dynamo back into a 2-2 draw July 3 at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Minnesota United FC vs. Colorado Rapids, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

MNUFC saw their two-game winning run come to sudden halt, falling 5-1 to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening. Darwin Quintero netted his 11th goal of the season (to go with 13 assists).

The Rapids saw their losing streak reach seven games, falling 3-0 to the Los Angeles Football Club at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. The losing slide is one game away from the club record, set earlier this season (April 21-June 9).

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Tommy Smith netted the game-winner deep into second-half stoppage time as the Rapids came back for a 3-2 win on June 23 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The teams met twice in Minnesota United’s inaugural campaign. They reached a 2-2 draw in the first encounter on March 18 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; MNUFC then claimed a 1-0 win on April 18 at TCF Bank Stadium.

D.C. United vs. FC Dallas, 4:55 p.m. ET (Univisión, UDN, Twitter)

D.C. United extended their undefeated streak to six games with a second consecutive win, coming back for a 2-1 win against the Chicago Fire at Audi Field on Sunday afternoon. The six-game unbeaten run is United’s longest of the season and their longest since 2015; they now have a five-game undefeated streak alive at Audi Field.

Wayne Rooney scored both United goals vs. Chicago and now has nine goals in 16 appearances since coming to the club. It was a second consecutive two-goal game and his third in MLS; Rooney has goals in his past three contests.

FC Dallas extended their undefeated streak to five games with a third win in that time, defeating Orlando City SC 2-0 at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening. The win extended FCD’s home undefeated streak to four games, a second consecutive shutout in Frisco.

FC Dallas have won the past three meetings between the clubs, including a 4-2 win on July 4, 2017, at Toyota Stadium in their only matchup. D.C. United last won in Frisco on Sept. 1, 2007, a 4-0 victory. FC Dallas have won five of their seven home meetings since, with two draws.

FC Dallas concluded their RFK Stadium history with a 3-0 win there on March 26, 2016, FCD’s first win in the nation’s capital since 2010. United’s last win in the series came on East Capitol Street, a 4-1 win in 2014.

New England Revolution vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Revolution saw their winless streak extended to four games with a second consecutive defeat, falling 2-1 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Orlando City SC had their club-record winless run stretched to 11 games with a fourth consecutive defeat, falling 2-0 to FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening. OCSC has not scored a goal in its past four matches, the 360-minute goalless drought the second-longest in the club’s MLS history.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Orlando City’s Scott Sutter hit for the equalizer three minutes into second-half stoppage time, leaving the teams in a 3-3 draw on Aug. 4 at Orlando City Stadium.

The away team has never won in the all-time series, in eight meetings. The Revolution have won two of the three meetings at Gillette Stadium, including a 4-0 win in the last matchup there, last Sept. 2. Orlando City had won their last two home matches vs. New England, before this year’s draw.

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This Week in MLS – October 9, 2018 was originally published on 365 Football

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buergergeld · 7 years

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Sounders’ unbeaten streak to 13 after 0-0 draw at Dallas

FC Dallas midfielder Michael Barrios (21) avoids being tripped by Seattle Sounders defender Nouhou Tolo (5) during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in Frisco, Texas. (Stewart F. House/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Stefan Frei made a diving save in the 42nd minute and the Seattle Sounders extended their club record unbeaten streak to 13 matches with a scoreless draw against FC Dallas on Saturday night.

Frei stopped Kellyn Acosta’s low hard shot from just outside the top of the box, diving to his left and pushing it wide. He finished with three saves for his 10th shutout of the season.

FC Dallas midfielder Mauro Diaz (10) controls the soccer ball next to Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in Frisco, Texas. (Stewart F. House/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

The Sounders (11-7-11) were playing their first game since Jordan Morris injured his hamstring in the second half of a 1-1 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday. Head coach Brian Schmetzer indicated during the week that Morris could be out for weeks, possibly missing the rest of the season.

FC Dallas forward Maximiliano Urruti (37) watches as Seattle Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso (6) defends a scoring opportunity during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in Frisco, Texas. (Stewart F. House/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Jesse Gonzalez had two saves for his seventh shutout of the season, but FC Dallas (9-8-11) increased its winless streak to 10.

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devonhols · 7 years

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Sounders’ unbeaten streak to 13 after 0-0 draw at Dallas

Frei stopped Kellyn Acosta’s low hard shot from just outside the top of the box, diving to his left and pushing it wide. He finished with three saves for his 10th shutout of the season.

Jesse Gonzalez had two saves for his seventh shutout of the season, but FC Dallas (9-8-11) increased its winless streak to 10.

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yahoonewsdigest-gb-extra · 7 years

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Acosta scores in 69th, FC Dallas beats LA Galaxy 2-1

Technology

Acosta scores in 69th, FC Dallas beats LA Galaxy 2-1

Kellyn Acosta scored in the 69th minute and FC Dallas beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in a Major League Soccer opener Saturday. Defending MLS Supporters' Shield champion Dallas spoiled the debut of Galaxy coach Curt Onalfo, who replaced Bruce Arena. The Galaxy's Giovani dos Santos scored on a penalty kick in the 57th minute to make it 1-1, but Acosta split two defenders and shot to the bottom corner of the near post.

Maximiliano Urruti scored the opening goal in the 47th minute. Urruti split two defenders and fired his shot from outside the 18-yard box and into the back of the net.

#yahoo news digest #Technology

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newspaperupdates · 7 years

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Kellyn Acosta nets winner as FC Dallas beats new-look Los Angeles Galaxy

Kellyn Acosta scored in the 69th minute and FC Dallas beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in a Major League Soccer opener Saturday. Read more

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Seltzer: Counting down the top 10 Liga MX-MLS encounters in history

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

September 18, 201811:54AM EDT

Before Toronto FC and Tigres UANL reunite to scrap over the inaugural Campeones Cup on Wednesday night (8:15 pm ET | ESPN2, Univision in US; TSN, TVAS in Canada), we felt like taking a stroll down memory lane to revisit the most thrilling episodes involving MLS and Liga MX adversaries.

Those two clubs met earlier in the year, and that duel made the list. In fact, both clubs make multiple appearances in our top diez.

No. 10: MLS All-Stars top Chivas (2003)

Naturally, preference on this list was given to matches carrying the weight of competitive meaning, but we had to include one exhibition highlight. It was 15 years ago that the first ever All-Star Game to pit the league against a foreign opponent took place at the brand-spanking-new StubHub Center (then known as the Home Depot Center), and it’s the only time to date that foe came from south of the border.

With esteemed guests Chivas de Guadalajara dominating the first half, LA Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made some big saves to keep the game scoreless until Chicago Fire man Ante Razov could break the ice near the hour mark. The lead was short-lived due to Jair Garcia’s 66th-minute jailbreak strike, but Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz bagged the winner two minutes later and DaMarcus Beasley added a late insurance tally.

No. 9: TFC tame Tigres (2018)

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It didn’t play out that way in the end, but most observers considered this Concacaf Champions League elite eight matchup to be worthy of the final. The kings of MLS against their Liga MX counterparts, each entering the fray at the height of their reigns.

Major League Soccer’s treble winners took advantage of hosting the tie opener, overturning a second-half deficit to win thanks to Jonathan Osorio’s cheeky last-minute backheel winner.

In the away leg, the Reds traded second-half goals with Tigres before Sebastian Giovinco applied the dagger with 17 minutes to play. The Atomic Ant stuffed a pinpoint free kick into the top corner for what would prove to be the deciding away goal, rendering a late Andre-Pierre Gignac double as mere consolation.

No. 8: Galaxy drop SuperLiga final on PKs (2007)

After having to win a 6-5 road thriller against FC Dallas just to escape the group phase of the inaugural SuperLiga, the Galaxy eased through D.C. United to face Liga MX champs Pachuca in a title match at home. David Beckham led LA’s early charge in the final, but would depart with an injury late in the first half.

He was around just long enough to see a Peter Vagenas own goal put Pachuca in the lead. When all hope looked lost, Chris Klein bagged a stoppage-time bicycle kick to knot things up. The teams remained tied through extra time, taking the silver scrap to penalties.

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Vagenas’ night got even rougher when his shootout-opening try was saved, but two Joe Cannon stops later and Landon Donovan stepped up intending to win it. His attempt was also smothered, and Los Tuzos celebrated victory when Abel Xavier missed the target in the next round.

No. 7: Seattle’s CCL quarterfinal rally (2013)

Through the first four iterations of the CCL era, no MLS team had been able to knock out a Liga MX competitor. That all changed in 2013, when the Seattle Sounders fought back from two goals down on aggregate to bounce mighty quarterfinal foes Tigres at CenturyLink Field.

An easy Elias Hernandez finish doubled the visitors’ first-leg advantage midway through the opening frame, but Sounders hopes of a rally were boosted when Manuel Viniegra drew his second yellow card in eight minutes just before the break.

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DeAndre Yedlin sliced into the lead with a slightly-deflected 30-yard net-seeker in the 53rd minute, which was followed on the hour by a stunning Djimi Traore cracker from long range. That bomb put Seattle ahead on away goals before Eddie Johnson sealed the deal late.

No. 6: RSL’s home final heartbreaker

In the 2011 Champions League, Real Salt Lake cruised past Columbus and held off semifinal foes Saprissa to reach the championship round, where they faced a loaded Monterrey side. Thanks to some big Nick Rimando saves and Javier Morales’ 89th-minute equalizer, the MLS challengers rallied from behind twice for a hard-fought 2-2 share in Mexico.

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In the deciding game at Rio Tinto Stadium, Fabian Espindola narrowly missed on a couple of chances to give RSL their first lead of the final. That wastefulness was punished when Humberto Suazo tucked one inside the post from close range on the edge of intermission.

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The home side came close on several second-half occasions to leveling the aggregate with a potentially decisive away goal, but could not find a way past Rayados ‘keeper Jonathan Orozco.

No. 5: FC Dallas’ wild CCL semifinal (2017)

FC Dallas traveled south of the border for their Champions League semifinal decider away to local boy made good Omar Gonzalez and Pachuca, having rallied from an early deficit to take the first leg 2-1 on Kellyn Acosta’s free-kick gem.

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As he had done in the opener, Franco Jara started the second leg scoring in the first half, putting Pachuca ahead on away goals in the process. It appeared to be all she wrote when Lozano rolled one in short side to pad the lead with 10 minutes left, but unlikely source Cristian Colman squared the tie with a terrific header in the waning moments of regulation.

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It went for naught, however, as a chipped Chucky Lozano cross somehow found an untouched way into the net in stoppage time, sending Pachuca on to win the crown.

No. 4: Houston’s CCC classic at Pachuca (2007)

Before there was CCL heartbreak for MLS, the league’s entrants also experienced woes in its predecessor, Concacaf Champions Cup. The Houston Dynamo came in to this CCC semifinal capper at Estadio Hidalgo riding high after second-half goals from Brian Ching and Chris Wondolowski earned the defending MLS champs a 2-0 home leg win. However, the reigning Liga MX kings had the aggregate level within the first 15 minutes of the return.

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Instead of folding out of shock, Houston gathered themselves to eventually reclaim the tie lead through a well-worked Brian Mullan counter strike early in the second half. Only five minutes later, though, a second spot kick from Christian Gimenez evened things for a second time.

Unbowed, Ching responded with a 79th-minute restart tally to give the visitors another aggregate edge. Four minutes from defeat, Gabriel Caballero nodded Pachuca level for the third time, setting the stage for Gimenez to win the tie in extra time with an audacious long-distance blast.

No. 3: TFC lose 2018 CCL final on PKs

Having disposed of Tigres and Club America, Toronto looked poised to make it an unprecedented quadruple heading into this year’s Champions League final. After artfully creating the lion’s share of the chances, the Reds were surprised to be down 2-1 after the BMO Field leg.

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Their title outlook grew dimmer when Orbelin Pineda doubled Tigres’ aggregate lead 19 minutes into the decisive return, but the MLS champs weren’t done yet. Mere moments later, Jozy Altidore pulled the visitors back to within one from the doorstep to re-ignite the final. Just before the interval, Giovinco slotted one low to the short side from the left channel to even the tie.

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Despite losing Altidore to an injury, TFC created the best regulation chance to win it all, only to have Marky Delgado fire high from 16 yards in added time. The title bout went to spot kicks, with Chivas converting all four of their tries. However, Osorio hit the bar in round two and Michael Bradley skied over the fourth kick to set off home-side celebrations.

No. 2: Porter’s last-gasp quarterfinal flipper (2015)

Oftentimes, the most memorable episodes in soccer come down to a game phase or a full sequence of events. And sometimes, those intense dramatics can be crystallized into a single moment. Such is the case with the strike from Montreal Impact substitute forward Cameron Porter that turned a CCL battle on its head.

There were plenty of exciting incidents during Montreal’s run to the final (which they’d lose due to a late home collapse against Club America), but most of them would have never happened if weren’t for a 21-year-old with nine minutes of first team experience when Pachuca arrived for the quarterfinal’s second leg.

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The teams began that Montreal showdown with two goals apiece and the Impact up on what would prove to be killer away goals. The clubs traded chances until Laurent Ciman committed an 80th-minute area foul and German Cano bashed home the resulting penalty to give the Mexican giants their first lead of the tie.

Less than two months into his pro career, Porter entered with five minutes left to provide a moment Impact fans will never forget. Three minutes into stoppage time, the kid used the touch an of angel to chest a Calum Mallace long boot past his defender and poke home past the onrushing netminder. He snatched advancement from the jaws of defeat in a flash, sending Stade Saputo into hysterics.

No. 1: D.C. United make border-wars history (1998)

Thus far, only two Major League Soccer teams have managed to win Concacaf’s biggest club tournament, and only one of those bested a Liga MX side in the final to do it. In just the second year of MLS involvement, D.C. United took the Champions Cup home, shoving two Mexican clubs aside in the process.

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After blanking Leon behind Roy Lassiter’s brace in the semis, the Black-and-Red hosted a one-off championship final against a Toluca outfit in the midst of arguably the best multi-season run in club history.

After John Harkes had rattled the bar, the opportunistic Eddie Pope scored the only goal of the final when Toluca goalkeeper Mario Albarran spilled a 41st-minute restart save. The D.C. defender was in the right place at the right time to clean up the mess, and they held on the rest of the way to become the first MLS club to claim a major international prize.

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MLSsoccer.com News

Seltzer: Counting down the top 10 Liga MX-MLS encounters in history was originally published on 365 Football

#counting #down #encounters #history #Liga #MXMLS #Seltzer

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Kellyn Acosta has changed the narrative around the Rapids

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

September 14, 20184:06PM EDT

Since being acquired in a trade from FC Dallas, Kellyn Acosta has immediately improved the Colorado Rapids on multiple fronts.

The team has picked up points at a higher rate than they had all season since Acosta arrived. Colorado had won 0.85 PPG in 20 their first games and have won 1.00 PPG in the seven games since his debut. Those seven points came in a three-game stretch, tying their best three-game output all season. The Rapids picked up back-to-back home wins over the Galaxy and Earthquakes before drawing the Galaxy in Los Angeles. While not a league-changing boost, it matters.

More importantly, though, Acosta has changed the narrative on the Rapids.

Acosta has given the team a more positive identity – his influence on Colorado’s tactics is undeniable. In their first 20 games of the season, the Rapids attempted the least amount of passes per 90 minutes in the league and were 19th in passes in their own half per 90 minutes. Since he put on the No. 10 shirt, the Rapids have attempted the second most amount of passes per 90 minutes in the league and the most passes in their own half per 90 minutes.

That is a tectonic identity shift.

It hasn’t exclusively been Acosta, of course. The trade coincided with a tactical shift, as head coach Anthony Hudson switched from a back five to a 4-4-2 tight diamond in the midfield, helping control the game better. But the change wouldn’t have happened the same way – if at all – without Acosta.

More than anything else, he’s helped restore hope to an ailing Rapids’ side badly in need of it. They now have a franchise cornerstone to build around for next season. It’s a player to be excited about.

The arrangement has been more mutually beneficial. Hope has traveled in both directions as Acosta has played his way back into the US men’s national team while in burgundy-and-blue. He played 35 minutes on Friday night in USA’s 2-0 loss to Brazil then started and played 85 minutes in their 1-0 win over Mexico.

“It’s like a fresh start for me,” Acosta said at USMNT training last week. “I have another opportunity to prove myself. Just being uncomfortable has brought out positive things in me. I’m excited for the opportunity and it’s been great so far.”

Acosta being uncomfortable stems not only from life off the pitch, but on it as well. He’s playing further up the field in Colorado than he did with Dallas and it has helped improve his end product. In six starts with the Rapids, Acosta has scored twice and added two assists. He had just a goal and two assists in 13 games with FCD this season.

On Saturday against Atlanta (3:30 pm ET | Univision, Twitter – full TV & streaming info), Acosta and the Rapids will welcome the league’s best attack. A few months ago, the Rapids would have sat as deep as they could, hoped to frustrate ATL and survive long enough to grab a late goal on a counter or set-piece. Now, with Acosta, they might try and play. What do they have to lose?

It’s another chance for player and club to continue growing together, piecing together building blocks for next season.

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Kellyn Acosta has changed the narrative around the Rapids was originally published on 365 Football

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Los Angeles Football Club vs. Colorado Rapids | 2018 MLS Match Preview

August 16, 20184:56PM EDT

LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids 2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 25 Banc of California Stadium — Los Angeles August 19 – 10 pm ET WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

After a big midweek win against Real Salt Lake, LAFC have a chance to climb level on points with first-place FC Dallas in the Western Conference with a win Sunday. But they face a Colorado Rapids side unbeaten in their last three following a 2-2 draw against the LA Galaxy on Tuesday.

This will be the first-ever meeting between LAFC and the Rapids. Both clubs have picked up 12 points since July 1, tied for the fourth most of any Western Conference team, per Opta.

LAFC

All LAFC (11-7-6) needed to put an end to a five-match winless streak in league play was to call on Superman.

Christian Ramirez, who arrived back home in Southern California in a trade with Minnesota United on August 6, struck for a brace in his first start for his new club in a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake. Ramirez, who actually had an additional goal called back for offside, opened his account in the 13th minute and doubled LAFC’s lead on the half-hour mark in a comprehensive win.

“Tonight, before the game, I challenged for more concentration, more intensity, more helping each other on the field, more leadership, and all of those things,” Bob Bradley said. “At halftime, I said we needed a shutout, so rather than coming in and talking a lot about football, I want to say that the players responded really well to the challenges.”

Suspended: None

Suspended after next caution: M – Eduard Atuesta, D – Walker Zimmerman

International duty: None

Injury Report: OUT: GK – Quillan Roberts (right fibular fracture), M – Mark-Anthony Kaye (fractured ankle); QUESTIONABLE: F – Adama Diomande (left hamstring irritation)

Projected Starting XI (4-3-3, right to left) GK: Tyler Miller — Steven Beitashour, Danilo Silva, Laurent Ciman, Jordan Harvey — Benny Feilhaber, Andre Horta, Lee Nguyen — Carlos Vela, Christian Ramirez, Diego Rossi

Notes: LAFC now have four different players with multi-goal games in MLS play this season, tied for the most of any club. … LAFC’s 2-0 win on Wednesday snapped a five-game winless run of the club in which they allowed 2+ goals in four of the five matches. They have not won consecutive MLS games since June.

Colorado Rapids

Ten days after beating the LA Galaxy in Commerce City, the Colorado Rapids (6-12-6) rallied to earn a 2-2 draw in Carson Tuesday night.

Ashley Cole put the hosts in front in the 59th minute, but Edgar Castillo leveled in the 74th minute. After Sebastian Lletget put LA back in front four minutes later, Castillo set up Niki Jackson’s dramatic equalizer in the 82nd minute.

“Obviously incredibly pleased, I’m just incredibly proud of how the team have been working over the last five or six games,” Anthony Hudson said. “I think it was important when we came into this game tonight that, and I’ve said this for quite some time, we have to start backing ourselves and believing in what we’re doing, showing confidence and I think we did that tonight.”

Suspended: None

Suspended after next caution: F – Jack McBean, D – Danny Wilson, D – Kortne Ford

International duty: None

Injury Report: OUT: D – Axel Sjoberg (knee injury); QUESTIONABLE: F – Giles Barnes (ankle injury); PROBABLE: M – Kellyn Acosta (ankle injury), F – Shkelzen Gashi (Achilles injury), D – Edgar Castillo (hamstring injury), F – Jack McBean (hamstring injury), D – Danny Wilson (illness), M – Jack Price (groin injury), F – Yannick Boli (illness)

Projected Starting XI (4-3-1-2, right to left) GK: Tim Howard — Kortne Ford, Danny Wilson, Tommy Smith, Edgar Castillo — Kellyn Acosta, Jack Price, Johan Blomberg — Dillon Serna — Sam Nicholson, Jack McBean

Notes: Jack Price attempted 110 passes against the LA Galaxy on Tuesday, the most by any Colorado player in league play since 2010 (inc. playoffs). He completed 95.5% of his passes, the second-highest completion percentage for a Rapids player since 2010 (min. 70 pass attempts). … Colorado have scored two goals in three straight MLS matches (2W-1D), their longest multi-goal streak in MLS play since doing so in four straight in April 2016 (83 league games since).

All-Time Series

This is the first all-time meeting between Los Angeles Football Club and the Colorado Rapids.

Officials

Referee: Nima Saghafi Assistant Referees: Eric Weisbrod, Jose Da Silva 4th Official: Daniel Radford VAR: Alex Chilowicz

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This Week in MLS - August 13, 2018

USA Today Sports Images

August 13, 20183:19PM EDT

Could Atlanta’s Josef Martinez be the best MLS finisher of all-time?

Lodeiro, Sounders pursue sixth straight win against former coach Schmid

Toronto seeks CCL berth, hosts Whitecaps FC in Canadian Championship

Heineken Rivalry Week on the horizon: Aug. 22-26

MLS, FOX Sports to feature all-women’s broadcast team Sunday

MLS Week 25: Match Notes

Could Atlanta’s Josef Martinez be the best MLS finisher of all-time?

Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez is making a case for himself not only as this year’s MVP, but also as potentially the greatest goalscorer MLS has ever seen. In 2018, the Venezuelan international has already netted 26 goals in 24 games, approaching Atlanta’s match against Columbus Crew SC on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, TSN / FOX Sports Southeast).

With sights set on reaching and surpassing the all-time single season scoring record, Martinez is only one goal away from hitting the mark of 27 held by Roy Lassiter (Tampa Bay Mutiny), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), and Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls).

Finding the back of the net has become almost an expected occurrence for Martinez, who in the last seven games has scored 12 times to nearly average two goals per outing over that span. This season, the 25-year-old has notched his sixth career hat trick to eclipse the league record, and his 45 goals are the most in MLS history over a two-season span, equaling David Villa’s 45 goals over 2016 and 2017.

With 10 games remaining and one goal shy of the single-season record, will Martinez crown himself the best scorer in MLS history?

Lodeiro, Sounders pursue sixth straight win against former coach Schmid

Seattle Sounders FC have already matched a club record with five consecutive regular-season victories. If Seattle earns its sixth straight on Saturday, it would be against the Sounders’ former head coach.

The LA Galaxy’s Sigi Schmid, who coached in Seattle for eight seasons, travels to face Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer’s club at CenturyLink Field (4 p.m. ET / ESPN, ESPN Deportes). Schmetzer took the head coaching reins in Seattle to lead the host side to a 2016 MLS Cup title and a runner-up performance at the 2017 MLS Cup against Toronto.

Sounders FC are red-hot with an eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2), with Uruguayan international Nicolás Lodeiro leading the way. Lodeiro has tallied five goals and two assists over his past six games. He leads Seattle with seven assists and shares the team lead of six goals with Will Bruin. Lodeiro’s latest magic included providing the game-winner – a 63rd-minute free kick that eluded FC Dallas’ defense – en route to a 2-1 victory against the Western Conference leaders on Sunday.

Seattle (9-9-5, 32 points) enters Week 25 just two spots shy of a postseason spot in the West standings, continuing to build on its impressive turnaround from two victories over the first 11 games of 2018. A club-record sixth straight win against Schmid’s star-studded Galaxy roster would certainly add to this potential moment.

Toronto seeks CCL berth, hosts Whitecaps FC in Canadian Championship

Toronto FC are in the midst of their most trying stretch of the 2018 MLS Regular Season, but an opportunity to clinch a berth in the Concacaf Champions League is the type of incentive and moment that could turn things around. Toronto hosts Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Leg 2 of the Canadian Championship on Wednesday at BMO Field (7:30 p.m. ET), with the series currently tied at 2-2.

“We have a massive one on Wednesday night, to win another trophy and to get back into the Concacaf Champions League,” Toronto defender Drew Moor said following Sunday’s 3-2 loss to New York City FC. “We’ll have to put this one behind us and look to go win a trophy.”

Toronto has garnered plenty of hardware over the past year, winning the 2017 Canadian Championship, the 2017 Supporters’ Shield and 2017 MLS Cup, to go along with a runner-up performance at the 2018 Concacaf Champions League in April. CCL Most Valuable Player Sebastian Giovinco and tournament Golden Boot winner Jonathan Osorio will once again lead the TFC offense. Osorio has scored three goals to lead all Canadian Championship players.

Will Toronto rekindle its home-field advantage and defend its Canadian Championship crown, or will Alphonso Davies, Kei Kamara and Vancouver play spoiler to earn a Concacaf Champions League berth?

MLS, FOX Sports to feature all-women’s broadcast team Sunday

For the first time in the history of major North American professional sports leagues, the TV broadcast crew will be comprised of all women during this Sunday’s MLS match between D.C. United and the New England Revolution on FS1. Coverage kicks off from the brand-new Audi Field at 7:30 p.m. ET, featuring a veteran broadcast team that includes seasoned play-by-play announcer Lisa Byington alongside domestic and international soccer analyst Danielle Slaton, and Emmy Award-winner Katie Witham on the sidelines.

All three women have extensive knowledge of the game, having each played at the collegiate level and from covering competitions, ranging from MLS and the U.S. Men’s National Team to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Heineken Rivalry Week on the horizon: Aug. 22-26

The most intense rivalries in North American soccer will be on display next week as nine must-see matchups highlight an action-packed Heineken Rivalry Week from Aug. 22-26. The exciting games feature world-class talents facing off as the final stretch of the season nears, with clubs battling for both bragging rights and postseason positioning. Among the top storylines to watch out for include:

Josef Martínez is one goal shy of tying the MLS single-season goals record of 27 and could eclipse the mark when Atlanta United face Orlando City SC on Friday – Orlando City SC vs. Atlanta United (Aug. 24 | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN).

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the LA Galaxy play host to Carlos Vela and LAFC on Friday in the third ever El Trafico matchup following dramatic comebacks led by Ibrahimovic in the first two matchups this season. Ibrahimovic is two goals away from joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the only active players to reach the elusive 500-goal mark in their careers – LA Galaxy vs. LAFC (Aug. 24; 10:30 p.m. ET | ESPN).

Wayne Rooney has reignited D.C. United since his arrival and helped create marquee moments at brand new Audi Field. Now the legend will travel to face the rival New York Red Bulls for the first time where he will square off against fellow British star Bradley Wright-Phillips as the team looks to continue its climb up the Eastern Conference – New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United (Aug. 26; 7 p.m. ET | FS1).

Domènec Torrent faces the New York Red Bulls for the first time since leaving Pep Guardiola’s side to take over NYCFC. Torrent will look toward the recently returned David Villa to overpower a record-breaking Bradley Wright-Phillips as both clubs battle for the best record in MLS – NYCFC vs. New York Red Bulls – (Aug. 22; 7 p.m. ET | FS1).

In the midst of a five-game winning streak, red-hot Seattle Sounders FC will hit the road to face a Portland Timbers squad that recently set a franchise record with a 15-game unbeaten mark. Seattle, led by Nicolás Lodeiro, is looking to once again use a late season run to clinch a postseason berth against the Timbers in a rivalry that dates back to the 1970s – Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC (Aug. 26; 9:30 p.m. ET | FS1).

MLS is teaming up with world famous art event Secret Walls to bring three Heineken Rivalry Week-themed murals to fans across the country. Secret Walls will host live freestyle art events in Los Angeles and New York ahead of the highly anticipated Heineken Rivalry Week matchups, in addition to a third artwork in Portland. For more information on MLS-themed Secret Walls events, click here.

MLS Week 25: Match Notes:

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Galaxy made it five games without loss at StubHub Center, reaching a 2-2 draw with Minnesota United FC on Saturday evening.

The Rapids won a second consecutive game, both at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 on Saturday evening. Bismark Adjei-Boateng scored the game-winner three minutes into second-half stoppage time, his first career MLS goal.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. The Rapids got second-half goals from Kellyn Acosta and Sam Nicholson, the latter a game-winner in the 90th minute, for a 2-1 win on Aug. 4 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The Rapids’ victory snapped a four-game winless streak, and two-game losing streak, in league play in the series, their first vs. the Galaxy since a 1-0 win at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, on March 12, 2016.

The Galaxy have a five-game undefeated streak in Carson in the series, with two wins and three draws over the span. The last Rapids win there was on May 3, 2014, a 1-0 victory.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

D.C. United vs. Portland Timbers, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

D.C. United extended their undefeated streak to three games with a second win, getting a remarkable goal from Luciano Acosta deep into stoppage time for a 3-2 win against Orlando City SC at Audi Field on Sunday evening.

The Timbers saw their undefeated streak end at 15 games – equaling the club’s record in its MLS history – falling 2-1 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Providence Park on Saturday evening. It was the first home defeat after 16 matches, the second-longest home undefeated run in the club’s MLS history.

Luciano Acosta netted a hat trick, completing it with the game-winner in the 96th minute, the latest goal in stoppage time to complete a hat trick in MLS history. Acosta has three goals and two assists over the past three games.

The Timbers won the lone meeting the teams last season, a 4-0 win on Oct. 15, their third consecutive victory at home in the series.

D.C. United won the final meeting between the teams at RFK Stadium, a 2-0 win on Aug. 13, 2016, their first home win ever vs. the Timbers in three matches all-time. The win ended a Timbers three-game winning streak and five-game undefeated streak in the series, United’s last win in the series coming on May 29, 2011, in the first meeting ever between the teams.

Los Angeles Football Club vs. Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, TSN)

LAFC saw their winless streak extended to five games in league play, suffering a second consecutive loss in their 2-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday evening, the first home loss in club history.

Real Salt Lake extended their undefeated streak to four games with a third draw in that time, reaching a 1-1 draw with the Montréal Impact at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening.

Joao Plata scored his seventh goal of the season; he has four goals and three assists over his past six matches.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Diego Rossi scored two goals and added three assists. He is the seventh player in league history to be involved in five goals in a single game when LAFC cruised to a 5-1 win on March 10 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Seattle Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

Sounders FC extended their undefeated streak to eight games with a fifth consecutive win – tying the club’s record in their MLS history – defeating FC Dallas 2-1 at CenturyLink Field on Sunday evening. Nicolas Lodeiro scored the game-winner directly from a free kick, his fifth goal in the past six games.

Romain Alessandrini scored for a third consecutive game in the Galaxy’s 2-2 draw with Minnesota United FC at StubHub Center on Saturday evening. Alessandrini has a goal or an assist now in his past six games, with five goals and four assists in that span.

Sounders FC have not defeated the Galaxy at CenturyLink Field in league play since 2014. Three of the past four meetings in Seattle have ended in draws, with the Galaxy winning there 1-0 on July 9, 2016. Over that timeframe, Sounders FC did win twice at home in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Sounders FC have come away with points on their past three trips to StubHub Center, with wins in two, over each of the last two years. The win in Carson in the final meeting in 2016 was their first victory at the Galaxy since 2009, ending an 11-game winless streak there in league and MLS Cup play.

The teams have met four times in the past eight seasons in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Galaxy advancing on three occasions before Sounders FC won in the Knockout Round in 2015.

Philadelphia Union vs. New York City FC, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Union completed a three-game road swing with a second win over that time, defeating the New England Revolution 3-2 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening.

Jack Elliott scored a pair of goals – the second and third of his MLS career – both coming in the opening 24 minutes. Elliott is the first defender in Union club history to net two goals in a game.

NYCFC turned around a brief two-game winless run, getting a late goal for a 3-2 win against Toronto FC at BMO Field on Sunday afternoon.

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi scored a pair of goals for his third multiple-goal game, and he now has 10 goals in his first MLS season, tied for ninth in the MLS Golden Boot standings.

NYCFC won both meetings in 2017, a 2-0 victory on April 14 at Talen Energy Stadium, and a 2-1 win on June 3 at Yankee Stadium. NYCFC have won the past three meetings between the teams.

NYCFC have won on two of their four visits all-time to Chester, also winning there in 2015, NYCFC’s first season in MLS. NYCFC have won the last two meetings in the Bronx.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. New York Red Bulls, 7 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

Whitecaps FC extended their undefeated streak to three games with a second win in that time, defeating the Portland Timbers 2-1 at Providence Park on Saturday evening. Kei Kamara netted his 10th goal of the season, the fifth time in his MLS career he’s reached double figures in goals.

The Red Bulls won their second game in a row, and it was their eighth victory in their past 10 league games, when they defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0 at Toyota Park on Saturday evening.

Bradley Wright-Phillips netted his 15th goal of the season. He is the first player in MLS history to score 15 goals or more in five consecutive seasons. The goal was the 101st of his league career, and he is now tied for ninth-most in MLS history with Taylor Twellman.

The Red Bulls have won the past two league meetings between the teams, including a 3-0 win last Oct. 7 at Red Bull Arena in the last encounter, their only two victories vs. Whitecaps FC in eight meetings all-time in league play.

Vancouver had won the three previous meetings, each year from 2013-15; the first three encounters between the clubs were all 1-1 draws.

The teams also met last year in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions League. The teams reached a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena in the first leg; in the return match, Whitecaps FC took a 2-0 win to advance 3-1 on aggregate.

Montreal Impact vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. ET (TVA Sports, ESPN+)

The Impact had their winless streak extended to four games with a third draw in that time, reaching a 1-1 deadlock with Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Fire saw their MLS club-record losing slide extended to seven games, falling 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls at Toyota Park on Saturday evening.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Kevin Ellis scored the game’s lone goal in the 89th minute as the Fire took the victory on May 9 at Toyota Park.

The Fire have won on two of their past three visits to Stade Saputo, winning once in each of the last two seasons, including a 1-0 win during their last Sept. 2 in the last meeting in Montréal.

The Fire win in the first meeting ended a two-game winless streak in the series on their home ground, their first Bridgeview victory vs. the Impact since 2015. The Impact’s 2-1 win there on April 16, 2016, was their first ever at Toyota Park; the visiting team had never won in the series before that season.

FC Dallas vs. Minnesota United FC, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

FC Dallas have suffered losses in back-to-back games for the first time this season, falling 2-1 to Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on Sunday evening. Dominique Badji scored the FCD goal, his first since coming over from the Colorado Rapids via trade, and his eighth of the season.

MNUFC ended a two-game losing skid, gaining a 2-2 draw with the LA Galaxy at StubHub Center on Saturday evening. Romario Ibarra scored his first MLS goal, while Darwin Quintero collected his ninth assist; he has a goal and/or an assist in six consecutive games, with four goals and seven assists in that span.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Roland Lamah scored the game’s lone goal in the 59th minute as FC Dallas took the victory June 29 at TCF Bank Stadium.

The teams met twice in Minnesota United FC’s inaugural campaign, each winning on their home ground. FC Dallas won 2-0 when the clubs first met on April 8 at Toyota Stadium; MNUFC returned the favor with a 4-1 victory on Sept. 23 at TCF Bank Stadium.

Sporting Kansas City vs. Portland Timbers, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Sporting won a second consecutive game on the heels of a five-game winless run, becoming the first visiting team to win at Banc of California Stadium in a 2-0 defeat of the Los Angeles Football Club on Saturday evening.

Diego Valeri scored his ninth of the season, a second consecutive game with a goal and his third in the last four games. Valeri has a goal and/or assist now in four games in a row, with three goals and two assists in that span.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. They reached a goalless draw on June 9 at Providence Park.

The road team has won five of the 13 meetings all-time in the series. Each team won on their home ground in 2016, the only team home-field advantage prevailed in a season series. Sporting have come away with points on six of their eight visits to Providence Park, including four victories; the Timbers have gained points on three of their past four visits to Kansas City (one win, two draws).

Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

The Dynamo suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, falling 1-0 to Columbus Crew SC at Mapfre Stadium on Saturday evening. The streak is one game shy of the club record, set in 2014.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Kyle Beckerman hit for a late game-winner to snap a tie and give RSL a 2-1 victory on May 30 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The Real win in the first meeting ended a three-game Dynamo winning streak in the series. The Dynamo’s win on Sept. 17, 2016, at Rio Tinto Stadium was their first ever in Sandy in seven visits all-time. It ended an eight-game undefeated streak for Real at home in the series (5-0-3).

The Dynamo have won the past two encounters at BBVA Compass Stadium, ending a two-game RSL winning streak in Houston – Real’s first wins ever there. Real suffered eight defeats and one draw in their first nine road games against the Dynamo.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Toronto FC, 10 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

The Quakes weren’t able to build upon a first victory in 13 games, falling 2-1 to the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening.

TFC saw their three-game undefeated run put to an end, falling 3-2 to New York City FC at BMO Field on Sunday afternoon. Sebastian Giovinco scored his eighth goal of the season, a fourth consecutive game with a goal. Giovinco has a goal and/or an assist in seven consecutive games, with five goals and four assists in that span.

Toronto FC won the lone meeting between the teams last season, a 4-0 win on Sept. 9 at BMO Field, their third consecutive home win in the series. The Quakes had come away with results in their first five trips to BMO Field (2-0-3), winning there last on March 24, 2012.

The Quakes are undefeated in the past three home meetings in the series, including a 2-1 win on July 16, 2016, in the first meeting in the series at Avaya Stadium. TFC last won in northern California in 2010, a 3-1 victory at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew SC, 4 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

Atlanta United return to action after a weekend off, extending their undefeated streak to five games last time out in a 2-2 draw with Toronto FC on Aug. 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Josef Martínez scored both ATLUTD goals and now has 26 for the season, one away from the all-time MLS single-season goalscoring record. Martínez has scored goals in seven consecutive games, and has scored each of the past eight goals scored by Atlanta United.

Crew SC won their third game on the trot, defeating the Houston Dynamo 1-0 at Mapfre Stadium on Saturday evening. Gyasi Zardes scored for a third consecutive game and now has 14 goals on the season, sitting in fourth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Martínez and Hector Villalba scored on either side of halftime, leading Atlanta United to a 2-0 win June 13 at Mapfre Stadium.

The teams met twice in league play in Atlanta United’s inaugural season, the games coming two weeks apart, and the expansion side won both, taking a 3-1 win on June 17 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, and a 2-0 victory on July 1 at Mapfre Stadium.

The teams also met in the Knockout Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, with Crew SC advancing via a dramatic penalty kick shootout after the teams played to a scoreless draw over 120 minutes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

D.C. United vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)

Wayne Rooney collected two assists in D.C. United’s 3-2 win against Orlando City SC at Audi Field, his first assists in MLS. Rooney has a goal and two assists over the past three games.

The Revolution had their winless streak extended to six games with a fourth loss in that time, falling 3-2 to the Philadelphia Union at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Cristian Penilla scored twice, including converting a late penalty kick for the game-winner, overcoming a pair of goals from Yamil Asad, leading the Revolution to a 3-2 win on June 30 at Gillette Stadium.

This marks the teams’ first meeting at Audi Field; United won the final five league meetings at RFK Stadium between the MLS Original clubs, including a 1-0 win last Aug. 26 in the final matchup on East Capitol Street. The Revolution have a seven-game undefeated streak alive at home in the series in league play (3-0-4); United’s last win there came in 2012.

The teams have also met four times in the MLS Cup Playoffs, with United winning three of the four series all-time, last a 2-1 win at RFK Stadium in the Knockout Round in 2015.

Los Angeles Football Club vs. Colorado Rapids, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

LAFC lost at home for the first time in their club history, after five wins and five draws in their opening 10 matches at Banc of California Stadium, in the 2-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening. The 10-game home undefeated streak is the second-longest by an expansion club in their first MLS season (Atlanta United, 12 games, 2017).

Kellyn Acosta recorded assists on both Colorado goals in the Rapids’ 2-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Since his arrival at Colorado, Acosta has been involved in four of the five goals the Rapids have scored.

The teams are meeting for the first time ever. They will face off again on Oct. 6 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Series:

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This Week in MLS - August 6, 2018

USA Today Sports Images

August 6, 20182:39PM EDT

Two-time Open Cup winner Curtin leads charge for Union

Fire’s Nikolic exudes consistent goalscoring prowess in Open Cup

Playoff-hungry clubs look for boost as Secondary Transfer Window closes Wednesday

MLS Week 24: Match Notes

Two-time Open Cup winner Curtin leads charge for Union

Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin, a two-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner as a defender for the Chicago Fire, is now looking to advance past his former side and reach this year’s final in a managerial capacity. The Union host Chicago on Wednesday in the Open Cup semifinals at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa. (7 p.m. ET). Curtin guided Philadelphia to runner-up performances in 2014 and 2015 as he hopes to get the Union over the hump in the 2018 edition.

The Union have outscored their opponents 8-1 in Open Cup play this year. In the quarterfinals, Philadelphia topped Orlando City SC 1-0, with Alejandro Bedoya tallying a fourth-minute goal, which proved to be the game-winner. Bedoya has enjoyed a strong Open Cup overall after assisting both goals in a 2-1 win against the New York Red Bulls in the Round of 16.

The Union are two victories away from becoming the seventh Pennsylvania-based team to win the Open Cup as the state has enjoyed some storied franchises in the tournament, including five-time winners Bethlehem Steel and four-time champions the Philadelphia Ukrainians.

Fire’s Nikolic exudes consistent goalscoring prowess in Open Cup

Chicago Fire striker Nemanja Nikolic cemented his place as one of the league’s top current goalscoring threats after winning the Golden Boot during the 2017 MLS season with 24 tallies. Nikolic now finds himself on the verge of potentially earning the same honor during the 2018 U.S. Open Cup.

Nikolic has scored four goals in this year’s tournament – tied for second among the field – and he looks to add to that total when Chicago travels to face the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET) in the semifinals. Nikolic scored the game-winners in both the quarterfinals (4-0 win against defending United Soccer League champions Louisville City FC) and the Round of 16 (1-0 victory against Atlanta United). He also netted a brace during a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew SC on June 6, with the Fire advancing 10-9 in the fourth-round penalty kick shootout.

Chicago is the winningest MLS team remaining in the tournament, having won the Open Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2003, 2006), and Nikolic serves as one of the brightest spots on a Fire roster itching to add to this trophy case. The 2018 ESPY Award winner for Best MLS Player has been consistent both in the Open Cup and in MLS action, having scored four goals in his past five regular-season starts.

Based on the Open Cup draw, if the Fire advance they would host the U.S. Open Cup Final on Oct. 3 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.

Playoff-hungry clubs look for boost as Secondary Transfer Window closes Wednesday

MLS teams approaching the MLS Cup Playoffs picture or strengthening their position in their respective conferences are looking for one final roster boost with the close of the Secondary Transfer Window this Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. CT. Some teams have already enjoyed the fruits of key signings during this July 10-Aug. 8 window, while others’ futures remain to be seen.

Seattle Sounders FC qualifies for the former as Peruvian international forward Raul Ruidiaz, in his short tenure, has contributed a goal and an assist in three starts. Seattle is 3-0-0 in Ruidiaz’s starts, and Sounders FC have compiled an impressive seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2) overall to inch closer to a postseason position.

Western Conference-leading FC Dallas bolstered their roster with new young talent to maintain their top spot. In July, Dallas signed 21-year-old Chilean midfielder Pablo Aranguiz, 24-year-old defender Marquinhos Pedroso of Brazil and 26-year-old defender Moises Hernandez, adding depth to a corps that touts the likes of Belgian Roland Lamah and Colombian Michael Barrios.

Will English Designated Player Wayne Rooney catapult D.C. United during the club’s remaining home-heavy schedule, or will 21-year-old Venezuelan Ronaldo Peña – a member of Venezuela’s runner-up squad at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup – provide an offensive spark for the Houston Dynamo? The movers and shakers will be defined in the coming weeks.

Week 24 News & Notes

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Columbus Crew SC vs. Houston Dynamo, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Crew SC return to action after a weekend off, winning a second game in a row last time out, defeating the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on July 28. Crew SC have won consecutive league games for the first time since winning three in a row from May 9-19.

The Dynamo suffered a third consecutive defeat in seeing their winless run reach five matches, falling 1-0 to Sporting Kansas City at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Dynamo won the lone meeting between the teams a season ago, a 3-1 victory on March 11 at BBVA Compass Stadium. The road team has not won in the series since 2011, when Crew SC claimed a 2-0 victory at Robertson Stadium in Houston. It is one of just two wins for the away team all-time in 23 meetings between the clubs.

Crew SC have not lost to the Dynamo in Columbus since June 10, 2007, a 2-1 Houston victory. Since then, Crew SC have won six of the nine meetings at home, with three draws. The Dynamo have won four of the past six meetings in Houston, with two draws.

New England Revolution vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Anthony Fontana and CJ Sapong scored on either side of halftime as the Union took a 2-0 win in the season opener for both clubs on March 3 at Talen Energy Stadium.

The Union have won four of the past five meetings between the clubs, all by shutout, outscoring New England 12-0 in those matches. The Revolution won the last meeting between the teams at Gillette Stadium, July 29 of last year, a 3-0 victory.

The Revolution put an end to a three-game losing streak, but still saw their winless run extended to five games, reaching a 3-3 draw with Orlando City SC at Orlando City Stadium on Saturday evening. Teal Bunbury scored a goal, his 11th of the season. He is tied for fifth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings.

The Union had their two-game road winning streak snapped, falling 3-0 to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Saturday evening.

Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Fire suffered their sixth consecutive loss – the club’s record streak in 21 seasons – falling 2-1 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening. Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the lone Chicago goal, his fourth of the season.

The Red Bulls won their seventh match out of their past nine in league play, defeating the Los Angeles Football Club 2-1 at Red Bull Arena on Sunday evening. Danny Royer scored both Red Bulls goals, his third career multiple-goal game in his MLS career.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Aleksandar Katai and Nemanja Nikolic each scored on either side of halftime as the Fire took a 2-1 win on April 21 at Red Bull Arena.

The Fire win in the first meeting ended a six-game undefeated streak for the Red Bulls in the series. It also ended a three-game winning streak in the series for the Red Bulls in Harrison.

The Red Bulls have come away with a result on their past three trips to Toyota Park (one win, two draws). When the Red Bulls won Oct. 25, 2015 at Toyota Park, it was their first win ever in Bridgeview. The Red Bulls’ last away win against Chicago had come May 14, 2005, a 3-0 win at Soldier Field; in between, the Fire were unbeaten in 14 home games in the league series (9-0-5).

Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 9 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Rapids snapped their five-game winless run, coming back for a 2-1 win against the LA Galaxy at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Kellyn Acosta scored his second goal in as many games since moving to Colorado from FC Dallas; then Sam Nicholson scored the game-winner in the 90th minute.

The Quakes put an end to their 12-game winless streak – the third-longest in club history – in a 3-1 win against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening. Vako Qazaishvili scored a pair of goals – his second two-goal game this season, with his first coming in the season opener.

The teams split their two meetings a season ago, each winning at home by shutout, the Rapids by a 3-0 scoreline May 13 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and the Quakes with a 1-0 triumph on July 29 at Avaya Stadium.

The Rapids are undefeated in the past six meetings with the Quakes in Commerce City, the last San Jose win there coming in 2013. The Rapids have won twice, with four draws. The Rapids win at home Oct. 13, 2016 ended a 14-game overall winless streak in the series.

The Quakes have won the three meetings all-time at Avaya Stadium, all by 1-0 scorelines. San Jose has not conceded a home goal to Colorado since a 1-1 draw on May 18, 2013, a span of 514 scoreless minutes for the Rapids in the Bay Area.

Real Salt Lake vs. Montreal Impact, 10 p.m. (TVA Sports, ESPN+)

Real Salt Lake put an end to a three-game winless streak while extending their undefeated streak to three games, defeating the Chicago Fire 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening. Damir Kreilach netted both RSL goals.

The Impact had their winless run stretched to three games with a second draw in that time, playing to a 1-1 result with D.C. United at Stade Saputo on Saturday evening.

The Impact won the lone meeting between the teams a season ago, a 3-1 win on Aug. 19 at Stade Saputo. The Impact have won all three meetings at Stade Saputo, scoring 10 goals in the process, including a 3-2 win in Montréal in 2013, and a 4-1 win in 2015.

The teams reached a 1-1 draw in their last meeting at Rio Tinto Stadium, July 9, 2016, the only time the home team did not win in the series. RSL won the first two meetings in Sandy, a 1-0 win in 2012, and a 3-1 win in 2014.

LA Galaxy vs. Minnesota United FC, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Galaxy had their nine-game undefeated streak put to an end, losing for the first time since May 30, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening.

Minnesota United FC suffered a second consecutive defeat on the heels of a three-game winning run, seeing Seattle Sounders FC score two goals in stoppage time for a 2-1 win at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday evening.

Darwin Quintero netted the lone MNUFC goal, his 10th of the season, his fifth consecutive game with a goal and/or an assist, with four goals and six assists over that span.

The teams met twice in Minnesota United’s inaugural season, and the Galaxy won both, once at each ground, a 2-1 win on May 21 at TCF Bank Stadium and a 3-0 win on Oct. 15 at StubHub Center.

Los Angeles Football Club vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

LAFC saw their winless streak reach a season-long four games, falling 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Sunday evening.

Sporting KC snapped their five-game winless run, their longest of the season, by defeating the Houston Dynamo 1-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday evening.

Gianluca Busio set up the 74th-minute game-winning goal from Diego Rubio, the second-youngest player in MLS history to record an assist (aged 16 years, 68 days).

The teams are meeting for the first time ever, the first of two meetings this season. They are also scheduled to meet on Decision Day, Oct. 28, at Children’s Mercy Park.

Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 11 p.m. (TSN, ESPN+)

The Timbers equaled their club record with a 15th consecutive match without loss after defeating the Philadelphia Union 3-0 at Providence Park on Saturday evening. The Timbers have not lost in their past 16 home matches, their second-longest undefeated run in Portland in the club’s MLS history (22 games, 2013-14).

Whitecaps FC snapped a three-game away losing streak, gaining a 2-2 draw with New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Saturday evening.

The teams met three times a year ago, and the Timbers won all three – all by 2-1 scorelines – winning April 22 and Oct. 22 at Providence Park, and July 23 at BC Place.

Whitecaps FC have won four times in 22 all-time MLS meetings between the teams, all coming in the past 14 meetings.

The Timbers now have a six-game home undefeated streak alive in the series, with four wins and two draws. The last Vancouver win in Portland came on June 1, 2014, a 4-3 victory. The Timbers win in Vancouver last season ended a three-game Whitecaps FC winning streak at BC Place, over the previous two seasons, their only league wins at home vs. the Timbers.

The teams first met on May 16, 1975 in the old North American Soccer League, the Timbers winning 2-0 at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. The teams have met 90 times in all, across a number of competitions – the Whitecaps hold a 37-35-18 advantage in the all-time record between the clubs. The teams met twice in the NASL playoffs, in 1978 and 1980, each team advancing on one occasion.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Toronto FC vs. New York City FC, 4 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, TSN)

TFC had a two-game winning run snapped but still made it three games without loss, coming back for a late 2-2 draw with Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Sebastian Giovinco scored for a third consecutive game, while Tosaint Ricketts scored the equalizer in added time.

NYCFC saw their four-game home winning streak end but have still gone 14 consecutive league matches at Yankee Stadium without defeat, following their 2-2 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday evening. Valentin Castellanos scored the second NYCFC goal on his MLS debut.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Jo Inge Berget scored a pair of second-half goals to lead NYCFC to a 2-1 win on June 24 at Yankee Stadium. NYCFC have won two of the five regular-season meetings in the Bronx, with three draws.

TFC won the last league meeting between the teams at BMO Field, a 4-0 victory on July 30 of last year, their only win in league play against NYCFC, in eight regular-season meetings. NYCFC had won two of the first six meetings all-time, with four draws.

The teams did also meet in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2016 – and Toronto FC won 7-0 on aggregate, winning 2-0 at BMO Field, then 5-0 at Yankee Stadium.

David Villa has scored seven goals with one assist in five league appearances vs. Toronto FC, five of those goals coming in meetings in the Bronx.

Sebastian Giovinco has six goals and two assists in league play vs. NYCFC, including a hat trick in a nine-minute span in a 4-4 draw on July 12, 2015, at Yankee Stadium; he also scored a hat trick and added an assist in the second leg of the MLS Cup Playoffs series.

D.C. United vs. Orlando City SC, 8 p.m. (FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN)

D.C. United had their road winless streak stretched to seven games, despite coming back for a 1-1 draw with the Montréal Impact at Stade Saputo on Saturday evening.

Orlando City snapped a three-game losing streak, Scott Sutter netting the game-tying goal in stoppage time to pull the club back into a 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution at Orlando City Stadium on Saturday evening.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Stefano Pinho scored in second-half stoppage time, canceling out a Yamil Asad first-half goal, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw in the season opener, March 3 at Orlando.

Orlando City have a four-game undefeated streak alive in the series, winning three meetings in a row before the draw in the opener this year. The first meeting result also ended a three-game home winning streak for OCSC in the series.

Orlando City ended their RFK Stadium history with a 2-1 win last Sept. 9, their only win ever at D.C.

The teams also met this year in the U.S. Open Cup fifth round, reaching a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes before Orlando City advanced 4-2 on penalty kicks.

Seattle Sounders FC vs. FC Dallas, 10 p.m. (FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN)

Sounders FC won their fourth consecutive match, defeating Minnesota United FC 2-1 in a dramatic comeback at TFC Bank Stadium on Saturday evening. The four-game winning streak is one game shy of the club’s record in its MLS history.

The goals by Nicolas Lodeiro (91+) and Will Bruin (97+) both came in stoppage time, the sixth time in MLS history (and second this season) a team scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals in second-half stoppage time. The LA Galaxy did it July 14 at New England.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Roland Lamah scored two goals and set up a third as FC Dallas claimed a 3-0 win on March 18 at Toyota Stadium.

Sounders FC have won the past seven league meetings between the teams in Seattle, and eight of the 10 meetings there all-time, after their 4-0 win in the second meeting between the teams last year on Oct. 15. The only FCD win at CenturyLink Field came in 2011, a 1-0 victory on May 25.

Over the past three seasons, Sounders FC have outscored FC Dallas 12-0 in three regular season meetings at CenturyLink Field. FC Dallas has not scored a goal in their last 408 minutes played in all competitions in Seattle, including the 2016 Western Conference Semifinals, which marked a third consecutive year the teams met in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

FC Dallas have a six-game home undefeated streak in league play vs. Sounders FC, with four wins, and a nine-game home undefeated streak in the series in all competitions. Sounders FC last won in Frisco on April 12, 2014.

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This Week in MLS – August 6, 2018 was originally published on 365 Football

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