By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 16, 2018) US Soccer Players - There’s still more than a week to go before the FIFA international break is over and MLS resumes its playoff season with the conference final stage. The anticipation for one matchup, in particular, is already high. The Eastern Conference final, pitting the record-breaking New York Red Bulls team against the club the' beat to the . . .
Toronto’s letdown season and Sporting KC’s core
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Sep 5, 2018) US Soccer Players - Toronto FC was going to be a dynasty. At least, Toronto FC had all the ingredients to start a dynasty after back-to-back Eastern Conference titles and an MLS Cup in 2017. Praise flowed in the direction of the owners MLSE, club president Bill Manning, and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko as the one-time laughingstock established . . .
Q&A with Ike Opara: “Really you just need to be clicking on all cylinders”
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 13, 2018) US Soccer Players – MLS is often overlooked, even mocked, for its defending. In a league where backlines are often maligned and strikers soak up all the attention, it isn’t easy not to notice that some of the league’s best players can be defenders. Among this elite group is Sporting Kansas City center back Ike Opara. The 29-year-old defender 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 . . .
No more coach/GMs: Complexity and specialization in MLS technical staffs
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (May 24, 2018) US Soccer Players - One of American soccer’s quietly enjoyable traditions is Washington Post reporter Steve Goff’s annual sit down interview with Bruce Arena. An on-record meeting of two of the sport’s savviest and most grizzled old heads, it invariably features witty and instructive interchanges that reflect a decades-long relationship spanning . . .
A USMNT alum prospers on the prairie
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (May 10, 2018) US Soccer Players - Peter Vermes signed a contract extension with Sporting Kansas City this week, one that keeps him in his posts of technical director and head coach through 2023. Already the longest-tenured active head coach in MLS, his new deal stands to make him the longest-serving boss in the league’s history. It’s a major show of confidence . . .
Feilhaber to LAFC
The soccer news starts with another USMNT player traded between MLS clubs. This time, it's Benny Feilhaber making the move from Sporting KC to LAFC. Feilhaber joins the MLS expansion team in exchange for $200,000 in general allocation money and $200,000 in targeted allocation money, once again putting a dollar figure on an MLS player. Of course, this is MLS allocation money that isn't the same as . . .
Tim Melia wins 2017 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
Sporting Kansas City's Tim Melia is the winner of the 2017 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award. Melia started 31 games making 91 saves and recording ten shutouts. Those numbers had him well ahead across all voting categories, taking 50.29% of the total vote. Philadelphia's Andre Blake finished in 2nd-place with 10.13% of the vote. "Winning an award like this is one of the best compliments you can . . .
Ike Opara wins 2017 MLS Defender of the Year
Sporting Kansas City's Ike Opara is the 2017 MLS Defender of the Year, the league announced on Thursday. When Opara was on the field, Sporting Kansas City gave up 23 goals in 30 games and recorded 11 shutouts. He led the voting across all categories, taking the Player Vote with 31.42% with no other player reaching 14%. "Reflection, for me I think was the biggest one," Opara said when asked about . . .
Columbus and Houston advance from the knockout round
Columbus needed penalties to get past Atlanta United in the knockout round of the 2017 MLS playoffs. The two teams finished scoreless through 120 minutes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, but that says nothing about the quality of the game. Both teams had close chances, relying on the frame of the goal and quality play from their goalkeepers. The goalkeeping was the story in the penalty phase, . . .
