By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Aug 29, 2018) US Soccer Players - When LAFC began constructing the roster for its first-ever MLS campaign, the club fortified the defense first and foremost. Upon completion of the MLS expansion draft in December, LAFC had its first-ever center back pairing. The new club landed veteran defender Laurent Ciman after dealing away two expansion draft selections to . . .
Shuffling MLS rosters in August
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Aug 29, 2018) US Soccer Players - Laurent Ciman scored the first-ever goal in Banc of California Stadium history back on April 21. The center back hit a hard, low free-kick that Seattle’s Stefan Frei fumbled into his net. LAFC would go on to win the game, creating an indelible memory for the capacity crowd in the venue and for all of the new fans of Major League . . .
Game three of the LA derby
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Aug 22, 2018) US Soccer Players - Ask an MLS fan what the best rivalry in the league is, and the answer may depend on whether that fan is closer to the East or West Coast. The New York Red Bulls vs DC United is a long-standing rivalry considered by many to be the best derby in MLS. It's the same for Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders. Someday, perhaps even in the . . .
LAFC raises expectations
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Aug 8, 2018) US Soccer Players - For as great of a debut MLS season as LAFC is having, nothing is certain. LAFC seems poised for a playoff spot, but that is not a sure thing yet. If the playoffs do happen, the team is not guaranteed a spot in the conference final or MLS Cup. History says the expansion club will not even reach the playoffs. Right now, there is one . . .
Nemeth, Ramirez, and the MLS transfer window
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Aug 8, 2018) US Soccer Players - The MLS secondary transfer windows officially closes at midnight on Wednesday, meaning teams have just a few more hours to finish any business for the balance of the 2018 season. The deadline doesn’t often spur a flurry of trades and transfers as it might in other leagues. Still, a few transactions did go down on Tuesday that will . . .
LAFC trades for Christian Ramirez, Kroenke’s Arsenal move
The soccer news starts with LAFC making yet another major signing in their debut season. Christian Ramirez joins the club from Minnesota United. Heading in the other direction is what we've come to expect in this era of MLS, allocation money. Minnesota gets $250k in General Allocation Money over the next two seasons, $100k in Targeted Allocation Money this season, $200k in TAM in 2019, and . . .
NYCFC wins, draw in El Trafico
Friday's soccer news starts with more from MLS Week 22, with NYCFC shutting out Orlando City 2-0 on the road. Maximiliano Moralez opened the scoring in the 40th minute and assisted on Anton Tinnerholm's goal a minute into first-half stoppage time. Orlando's Shane O'Neill saw red for violent conduct in the 83rd minute. Sean Johnson made five saves to keep the clean sheet. "The biggest thing for me . . .
High stakes in the LA derby
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jul 25, 2018) US Soccer Players - Even though the club is very much in its infancy, LAFC has already played some very important matches. The club’s first-ever game on March 4 at Seattle was one. So was the first game against the LA Galaxy, on March 31. Banc of California Stadium’s christening was important as well, as the April 29 tilt against Seattle ushered in the . . .
Roster issues and the US Open Cup
UPDATE: In a statement released on Friday evening, US Soccer announced that Portland officially withdrew their protest. US Soccer released the following statement: "After a thorough review of the Portland Timbers' official protest, it has been determined that the inclusion of additional foreign players was a result of a good faith misunderstanding among U.S. Soccer, Major League Soccer and . . .
Big wins for the Galaxy and LAFC point to something more
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jul 11, 2018) US Soccer Players - The World Cup offered MLS teams a bit of downtime. A couple of weekends without league matches meant teams could focus on sorting out their issues, helping new players get acclimated to their teams, and work on getting ready for the summer and a push toward the playoffs. For the LA Galaxy and LAFC, the break also meant sending some . . .
