By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Mar 20, 2019) US Soccer Players - MLS received potential good news last week when FIFA opted to expand the Club World Cup. Under the current format, only seven teams participate with the Concacaf Champions League winner representing this region. That means Liga MX clubs in the Club World Cup. That could change. Concacaf will receive three of the 24 spots in the . . .
MLS and the March international break
The soccer news starts with the MLS schedule. Showing some respect to the international break, there are only five games in an abbreviated week 4. There's certainly an argument for that being five too many. In the league's own media roundup, they pointed to the "80 MLS stars set for National Team action" over the break. That's the standard reason for topflights taking the international break off . . .
Aaron Long: “How lucky am I that I have Tim on my right and Luis behind me in goal?”
By Clemente Lisi – HARRISON, NJ (Mar 18, 2019) US Soccer Players – Aaron Long is the latest talent to come out of the Red Bulls' system. Over the past few years, the Red Bulls have relied on many young talents like Tim Ream, Matt Miazga, Tyler Adams, Sean Davis, Conor Lade, and Tim Parker. Some have moved on. Others, like Long, are working hard to help RBNY win its first MLS Cup. Named MLS . . .
Atlanta United’s point
The soccer news starts with the obvious issue for Atlanta United. So far in 2019, it's not working. Atlanta split the points at home with Philadelphia in a 1-1 draw that required a comeback. This isn't the Atlanta we knew from 2018, adding pressure to a transition that was never likely to be easy. “I feel like we were finding some problems to really find our free man," Atlanta coach Frank de Boer . . .
MLS Week 3: DC United scores five, FC Cincinnati wins at home
Week 3 of the 2019 MLS season saw DC United shutout Real Salt Lake 5-0 at Audi Field and FC Cincinnati win their home opener. Seattle extended their run of form once again with help from Jordan Morris and Minnesota lost in Carson. Wayne Rooney had a hat-trick in DC's 5-0 win over RSL, converting a 34th minute penalty and scoring in the 41st and 65th minutes. RSL went a man down with a red card to . . .
FC Cincinnati’s home game
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 15, 2019) US Soccer Players - The truth is that for FC Cincinnati, Sunday’s home Major League Soccer debut wasn’t exactly “a long time coming”. At least not if we’re judging by the amount of time between MLS making the expansion announcement in May of 2018 and the upcoming game against Portland at Nippert Stadium on March 18, 2019. The fans of other recent . . .
Sporting Kansas City advances in the Concacaf Champions League
Friday's soccer news starts with the last MLS team standing in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League. Sporting Kansas City overturned a first-leg deficit to win 3-0 on the night and advance 4-2 on aggregate to advance past Independiente. Sporting plays Monterrey in the semifinals with Tigres vs Santos Laguna on the other side of the bracket. Krisztian Nemeth opened the scoring in the 74th minute . . .
Liga MX goes three for three in the Champions League quarterfinals
The soccer news starts with the polite way of saying that another MLS team lost to a Liga MX club in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals. Atlanta United took the second-leg against Monterrey 1-0 at home, losing 3-1 on aggregate. Atlanta is the third MLS team to lose to Liga MX, with all three of the Mexican teams in the quarterfinals advancing. Josef Martinez scored the game's only . . .
The Galaxy already needs to keep up with LAFC
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Mar 13, 2019) US Soccer Players - Los Angeles is a two-team sports town. Fans have a wide array of teams to choose from, be it Dodgers-Angels in Major League Baseball, the Lakers-Clippers in the NBA, Rams-Chargers in the NFL or Kings-Ducks in the NHL. What is less common though is having two LA teams to choose from come playoff time. For Southern California MLS . . .
The MLS forwards in USMNT camp
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 13, 2019) US Soccer Players - USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter picked 24 players for a pair of March friendlies on Tuesday. Included in the group are names returning after significant absences from the national team picture like Omar Gonzalez and Tim Ream. Berhalter also called in the young Bundesliga midfielders Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams. . . .
