The TFC captain said ‘we feel like we have the best team in the league’ – and on the evidence of a 1-0 victory that snapped Seattle’s home streak, it’s hard to argueToronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley chooses his words carefully.One of the most introspective stars in Major League Soccer, Bradley speaks slowly and takes long pauses between each sentence. You’re never quite sure if he’s finished his thought or whether he’s waiting for an interloper to jump in and keep the conversation going. Related: US soccer's coaching gap: 'I refuse to believe all the best people are white males' Continue reading...
Patrick Vieira and Tata Martino’s teams meet this weekend and they both provide a look at the future of football in the USWhen New York City FC host Atlanta United on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, it will mark the first ever meeting between the clubs and an opportunity to show just how much MLS has developed. Two teams, filled with depth, diversity and ambition, are the perfect advertisement for Major League Soccer and if there was ever a fixture that can speak for the face of America, this is it.Here’s why.¡OLA KAMARA! #CLBvNYC 2-1 pic.twitter.com/0dRL1aFg1h Continue reading...
Philadelphia last won a league game when Barack Obama was president. But not so long ago they appeared destined for successOn 27 August 2016, the Philadelphia Union beat Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on a cloudy night in Chester, Pennsylvania. Roland Alberg and Tranquillo Barnetta scored the goals, and goalkeeper Andre Blake kept his sixth clean sheet of the year. The mood around the team was buoyant. The Union, after years of mediocrity, were starting to turn their fortunes around. They had just secured back-to-back victories, and also set a team record for home wins in a season. They were third place in the East, and looking certain to make their first playoff appearance since 2011. Coach Jim Curtin couldn’t stop...
As Manchester United mourned the loss of their top scorer, those in Major League Soccer were contemplating what it meant for themThe sight of a player suffering suffering a season-ending injury is always a desperate one, particularly when the player in question is of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s quality. Indeed, the Swede will take no further part in the 2016-17 campaign, picking up a cruciate knee ligament injury that could sideline him until 2018. But as Manchester United mourned the loss of their top scorer, those in Major League Soccer were contemplating what it meant for them.Ibrahimovic has been heavily linked with a move Stateside, with recent reports claiming Los Angeles FC have offered the striker a deal worth $6.4m a year...
The Colorado Rapids goalkeeper remains a significant figure in American soccer culture, even if his best days are well in the pastGoalkeeping was not the Colorado Rapids’ problem this weekend. That is scant consolation regarding a match that was won by Real Salt Lake with goals in the 85th and 88th minutes, but it’s all that’s on offer. On the pitch, Colorado’s problem is still a near pathological aversion to converting chances into goals. With any semblance of competent finishing, they would have quickly dispatched RSL. Instead, the match only offered the Rapids a 90-minute reprieve from thinking about Tim Howard.Yes, that Tim Howard. The erstwhile US goalkeeper was serving the first leg of his three-game suspension due to what...