By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jul 20, 2018) US Soccer Players - The hope of March and April has given way to the despair of a season almost already lost in July for several MLS teams. Plans laid down in the dawn of the campaign have already gone up in flames in places like San Jose, Colorado, and perhaps Toronto and Seattle. Given their lack of games and a back-loaded home schedule, DC United is . . .
The simple math for the Sounders and Toronto
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jul 4, 2018) US Soccer Players - With the Independence Day holiday upon us and the 2018 MLS season no longer in its “early” phase, it’s time for some game theory. Strike that. Forget game theory. It’s time for simple math. This deep into the season, math is not the friend of several teams thought to be shoe-ins for the postseason when the campaign began. The math . . .
Will things change for Seattle or Orlando?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jun 29, 2018) US Soccer Players - The story at the start of Week 18 of the MLS season are teams going opposite directions in rivalry games. Namely, the two games on Saturday's schedule. Should viewers stick around after Fox's World Cup coverage, they'll see the Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers derby. A few hours later, ESPN has Atlanta United hosting Orlando . . .
Seattle is still in position in the Western Conference
The soccer news starts by trying to make the case for a struggling Western Conference MLS team. The Seattle Sounders are in 10th-place, 11 points out of the playoff spaces with 4th through 6th tied on points at 23. It's been a tough season with injuries and tactical issues working against the kind of soccer the club normally puts together. In other words, it's an across the board problem for a . . .
MLS at the 2018 World Cup break
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jun 15, 2018) US Soccer Players - Following a six-game burst of games on Wednesday night, Major League Soccer will pause for two weeks of World Cup group stage matches in Russia. The league’s decision to take a World Cup break seems like the type of thing worth celebrating, especially in light of the rising number of internationals plying their trade in the American . . .
MLS attendance is still complicated
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (May 21, 2018) US Soccer Players – MLS attendance has always been about looking at the bright side, especially in the league’s first decade. Seeing the glass half full has served the league well over the years. Boosters point to the fact that MLS now has a league-wide average that tops both the NBA and NHL. Despite that glowing talking point, there’s more to any . . .
Seattle or Toronto?
Friday's soccer news starts with what's becoming a recurring theme for the 2018 MLS season. Will the Seattle Sounders or Toronto FC become the first of the MLS Cup finalists to turn things around? 12 weeks into the season, Seattle is in last place in the Western Conference and Toronto is 10th in the East. There are very good reasons for both teams' situations, but there's also the expectation that . . .
Toronto vs Seattle on a Wednesday in May
The soccer news starts with a clear distinction. It doesn't take much to notice the difference between Toronto vs Seattle on December 9, 2017 and Toronto vs Seattle later tonight at BMO Field. The MLS standings does the job for us. Toronto won their first game of the 2018 season last Friday, shutting out Philadelphia 3-0 at home to move from bottom of the Eastern Conference to 10th-place. Seattle . . .
The Sounders create a challenge
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (May 4, 2018) US Soccer Players - If there are any cardinal sins for MLS general managers, the list has to begin with the one Seattle Sounders architect Garth Lagerwey committed. Speaking to Andrew Wiebe of MLSSoccer.com for a video under the Extra Time Live banner, Lagerwey candidly expressed the reality that the Sounders could no longer compete to be the league’s . . .
What will we learn in MLS week 3?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Mar 16, 2018) US Soccer Players - MLS might be a league of parity, but three weeks into the season not all games are even. A few might have more to teach us than others. Injuries, midweek games for Concacaf Champions League participants, and unusual conditions will play a role in the results and how we parse them. Here is a look at four games have the most potential . . .
