By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Oct 23, 2019) US Soccer Players - Over the last two seasons, LA's Major League Soccer clubs have been all over the place. Los Angeles FC arose from nothing, pieced together a strong lineup and coaching staff, and has blossomed into one of the most successful teams in the league over the last two seasons. The LA Galaxy, meanwhile, reminded Angelenos that it has been . . .
Being the best in MLS requires lifting the Cup
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Oct 16, 2019) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer has seen some amazing players compete in the league and defend one of its clubs' colors. Ask ten different people, and you will get ten different Best XI lineups. Trying to narrow all those players down to one all-time best MLS player? Nearly impossible. There is one person, though, who seems quite certain about . . .
Mexico on the road in Concacaf
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Oct 9, 2019) US Soccer Players - Concacaf nations traditionally are not strong. That is no secret. Every four years, the world gets a reminder of the relative strength of the confederation. Only two Concacaf teams have reached a World Cup quarterfinal in the last eight World Cups. A Concacaf nation has never won the World Cup, and the prospects of that happening are . . .
MLS Power Rankings: The end of the regular season
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Oct 3, 2019) US Soccer Players - The playoffs are almost upon us. There is one matchday left in the regular season that will determine the final rankings of the bottom half of this table. Everything else will be left up to the postseason finish of most clubs. If form holds, LAFC will host NYCFC for MLS Cup. Of course, form never seems to hold in this league. Upsets . . .
The LA Galaxy then and now
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Oct 2, 2019) US Soccer Players - With one match left to go in the 2019 regular season, the LA Galaxy has a playoff berth secure for the first since 2016. Much has changed across the league since then. LAFC and Atlanta United had yet to debut. The league was at 20 teams. Toronto FC and Seattle hadn't gotten to an MLS Cup before 2016, let alone win one. The MLS Best XI . . .
The Galaxy, LAFC and the league need a playoff derby
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Sep 25, 2019) US Soccer Players - The playoff format in MLS has been as stable as the number of teams in the league. Over the years, the league has featured knockout matches, two-leg series, three-leg series, and various methods of how to determine seeding and who plays home or away. At the end of 2018, MLS changed the playoffs yet again. This season, the system will . . .
LAFC in the regular season
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Sep 18, 2019) US Soccer Players - The stretch run in MLS has arrived. Teams have a handful of matches left on their schedule and have scant few opportunities to snag points to make one last desperate push to make the playoffs or try and jockey for a better spot in the table. Then there's LAFC. The second-year club has four matches left and sits atop the Western . . .
Mexico needs the Nations League
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Sep 11, 2019) US Soccer Players - Everything was going just fine for Mexico and coach Tata Martino. Entering Tuesday’s matchup against Argentina, Mexico had gone 10-0-1 in Martino’s first 11 games in charge. Even that draw was a win on penalties during the Gold Cup. All of that came to a sudden and jarring halt. In a span of 16 minutes during the first-half, . . .
MLS Power Rankings: The problem with the East
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Sep 5, 2019) US Soccer Players - Every three months, there is a great number of coaching casualties. At least that's the trend that exists in MLS in 2019. It happened in May when three coaches got the sack. It happened again in August when another three coaches joined the MLS unemployed. MLS Teams have either become frustrated with the performance or, in the case of . . .
What Chicharito’s move means for MLS
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Sep 4, 2019) US Soccer Players - As the summer winds down and temperatures begin to drop, the frenetic pace of players switching teams also slows. There was one late move though that sent a ripple through Mexico and MLS. It sent a message that at least one of the two leagues is not quite the buyer's market that it appeared it was. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez bid . . .
