The soccer news starts with Houston becoming the first MLS team to advance and Toronto FC the first MLS team to exit the 2019 Concacaf Champions League. The Dynamo came back at home in the second-leg against Guastotoya to win 2-1, 3-1 on aggregate in the round of 16. Guastatoya scored in the 72nd minute to level the series. Mauro Manotas responded with goals in the 77th and 85th to send Houston to . . .
Toronto and Atlanta need CCL goals at home
The soccer news starts with mission improbable for at least a couple of the MLS teams trying to get to the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals. With the usual caveats that anything can happen with at least 90 minutes left to play, there are some obvious problems for Toronto FC and Atlanta United. Losing 4-0 at Independiente, Toronto faces a home leg later tonight where the scenario seems . . .
Houston wins, Toronto loses in Champions League
The 2019 Concacaf Champions League round of 16 first-legs opened with mixed results for MLS teams. Houston shutout Guastatoya on the road, but Toronto FC's 4-0 loss at Independiente took some of the shine off of the Dynamo's result. Houston went to Guatemala to open their round of 16 series, coming up with a late goal from a familiar face. DaMarcus Beasley scored in the 84th minute to give . . .
Atlanta, Toronto, and the Red Bulls in the Concacaf Champions League
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 18, 2019) US Soccer Players – Here we are again. MLS teams competing in the Concacaf Champions League need to dust off the winter rust and speed up their preseason preparations. At stake is a tournament that has been elusive to American and Canadian clubs. The Mexican clubs that have dominated this tournament for years have a decided edge in the region. Higher . . .
Toronto and Cincinnati in the new era of MLS squad building
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Feb 13, 2019) US Soccer Players - There’s plenty to pick from if you’re looking for something entertaining out of the Major League Soccer offseason. The kickoff to the 2019 campaign is less than a month away. The league’s chattering class has more than enough to talk about as clubs race to get their business done. It might take a deep interest in MLS to understand . . .
Toronto FC moves on from Sebastian Giovinco
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Feb 1, 2019) US Soccer Players - The end of Sebastian Giovinco’s time with Toronto FC came with a suddenness that caught everyone by surprise. Whatever the factors that led to Giovinco's exit from the club he helped turn into an MLS juggernaut, the rapidity of his transfer to Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia comes as a shock just a few weeks into preparations for the 2019 . . .
Seasoned rookie: A conversation with USMNT newcomer Daniel Lovitz
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 25, 2019) US Soccer Players - With a brand new coaching staff in charge, this year’s USMNT January camp is at least somewhat of a new experience for everyone involved, even a long-serving veteran like Michael Bradley. That said, it’s a different sort of scenario for Daniel Lovitz. This is the first national-team call-up of any kind, at any age level, for the . . .
Toronto and Columbus make front office moves
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jan 4, 2019) US Soccer Players - The nature of an “organization” means that success or failure is a function of a cooperative effort. It takes a small army to do anything moderately complicated, like, say, win a championship, meaning that no one person should get all of the credit when a team does just that. If we attempted to fairly divide the credit for the rise . . .
Toronto FC’s arduous 2018
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Nov 1, 2018) US Soccer Players - Michael Bradley had just played his second game in as many days, his third game in seven. After playing a substitute’s role in the USMNT’s 1-1 draw with Peru in Connecticut on Tuesday night, he’d caught a plane south and met up with his Toronto FC teammates for a Wednesday MLS visit to DC United at Audi Field on October 17. He . . .
What kind of a league is MLS?
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 8, 2018) US Soccer Players – It’s no secret that MLS aspires to be one of the world’s best domestic leagues. While the league still has a long way to go, they can claim something already. It's the competitiveness we see in October as teams maneuver for the playoffs. The road to MLS Cup makes North America's league somewhat unique in world soccer. Leagues and . . .
