By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 12, 2019) US Soccer Players - The LA Galaxy moved to strengthen its defense on Wednesday with the signing of Costa Rican center back Giancarlo Gonzalez from Serie A side Bologna. Gonzalez returns to MLS after nearly five years in Italy where he also played with Palermo. The defender played with the Columbus Crew for half a season back in 2014 before the club . . .
LAFC pushes the offense in year two
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Apr 10, 2019) US Soccer Players - For the start of its second season of existence, Los Angeles FC has taken a different approach. Instead of a sophomore slump, LAFC has propelled itself to even further heights. LAFC is flying so high and looking so good doing so that the team may not come back down to the ground any time soon. The class of the league through the . . .
MLS Power Rankings: Nowhere but up for San Jose
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Apr 4, 2019) US Soccer Players - After more than two decades of existence, MLS may have entered into a new era. The weight of the crown might finally be getting too big to carry. In the league’s first 21 seasons, the defending champions had only failed to reach the postseason twice. However, last year Toronto FC followed up its championship by missing the playoffs. . . .
MLS Power Rankings: Seattle on top, Cincinnati bottom
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Mar 6, 2019) US Soccer Players - The first MLS Power Rankings of the year can be tricky. Teams are starting from scratch, and yet they are not. It is not fair to rank teams based on their results from 2018, but it is difficult to know which offseason acquisitions will pay off and which ones will not. Throw in the fact that every team has already played one league . . .
Counting down to the 2019 MLS season
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 25, 2019) US Soccer Players – Those countdown clocks set to signal the start of the 2019 MLS season are about to hit all zeroes. Three months after Atlanta United FC lifted MLS Cup, here we are again. The start of a brand new season is less than a week away and there’s plenty to look forward to this year. There’s been plenty of action already. The National . . .
MLS Power Rankings: The 2018 MLS season
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Dec 6, 2018) US Soccer Players - Only two teams are left standing in what has been an entertaining and memorable 2018 MLS season. Atlanta United will host the Portland Timbers as one team will lock down immortality while the other will rue the day for years to come. The final will culminate a month-long march that has had moments of drama and surprise. While only a . . .
MLS Power Rankings: The contenders come in hot
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Nov 1, 2018) US Soccer Players - It’s finally playoff time, when MLS games carry an extraordinary amount of weight compared to the regular season. While teams have a vast amount of leeway during the regular season, now the margin of error is nonexistent. It's the stretch run that turns teams into playoff threats. The top three teams in this month’s power rankings . . .
MLS Power Rankings: Atlanta stays top, moves for the Galaxy and Sounders
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Aug 1, 2018) US Soccer Players - Surges by some and skids by others caused for some major movement in the MLS Power Rankings. The LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders decided to start playing soccer once more while Chicago and Sporting KC have forgotten how to do so, and all of that reflects in the table this month. Atlanta still dominates the table as Josef Martinez . . .
MLS Power Rankings: Time running out for struggling teams
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jul 5, 2018) US Soccer Players - Summer is well underway. In MLS, that means teams can still overcome early-season misgivings, but only by sorting out their issues now. Seattle reached MLS Cup the last two years despite carrying a poor record into July. The Sounders were 5-7-6 through June 2017 and 5-9-1 through June 2016 and yet both times were able to turn things . . .
MLS Power Rankings: The World Cup break
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jun 7, 2018) US Soccer Players - The unofficial halfway point of the 2018 MLS season - the World Cup - is nearly upon us. MLS teams will shut it down for the duration of the tournament’s group stage. During that time, teams will either try and get things right or continue building on what works. There are more teams mired in the muck than there are in the first . . .
