MLS

Zlatan Hits Post With Outrageous Flick But Delivers With Game-Winning Panenka Penalty

After missing two matches due to an Achilles tendon problem, Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to action on Sunday and scored a brace of penalties in the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers at Dignity Health Sports Park.

But the highlight of the night might’ve been an early attempt from Ibrahimovic that struck the base of the post. Using his right leg like the taekwondo expert he is, the 37-year-old flicked this effort on frame in the 14th minute only to be denied by the woodwork.  

Wayne Rooney Curls In A Free Kick From An Outrageous Angle

A meeting between Wayne Rooney’s D.C. United and Nani’s Orlando City on Sunday was dominated by the 33-year-old United captain, who scored with an outrageous free kick and contributed an assist in his side’s 2-1 victory. 

Rooney did all the damage in the first half, beginning with an assist on Steven Birnbaum’s opening goal in the sixth minute.

Brad Friedel Calls Out Major League Soccer Players' Mentality

New England Revolution manager Brad Friedel has called out his own players as well as the mentality of the entirety of Major League Soccer in his latest comments.

  

“The mentality of a player in this league, a lot of players, when they lose, it doesn’t hurt enough,” Friedel said. "There’s not relegation, they don’t get fined, they don’t have fans waiting by their cars, they don’t have people beating them up. They don’t have the pressure they have in other leagues.”

Carlos Vela Walks In Goal After Horrendous Goalkeeping Error

9+For many years, Carlos Vela toiled at Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, whether on the bench or out on loan. The Gunners of that era were often derided for trying to “walk it in.” After some good years at Real Sociedad and now thriving at LAFC, this Carlos Vela goal vs San Jose on Saturday gave the Mexican forward a chance to literally walk it in.

High School Soccer Vs DA: Why Academies Will Soon Rule The U.S. Soccer Landscape

Youth soccer in America is changing. Over the past few years, U.S. soccer has moved to profoundly address the exclusivity of high-level grass roots play. Talented footballers at the high school age can get offered to play for a program known as a Development Academy (DA). Both Major League Soccer and other youth clubs all over the U.S. have Development Academy teams, from the high school age all the way down to U-12. 

Nashville SC Released New Renderings For Its Soccer-Specific Stadium, But There's A Catch

Nashville SC was recently awarded MLS status for the 2020 season. Expansion clubs in the recent past have quickly worked to build soccer-specific stadiums (Orlando SC, LAFC and Minnesota United). Nashville's currently playing in the USL Championship, and the club announced that it will be building the biggest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. on the Nashville fairgrounds.

The initial renderings of the stadium looked pretty raw, but still interesting: full roofing and upper/lower decks and an assumed capacity of around 27,500.

Walker Zimmerman’s 25-Yard, Last-Minute Winner Triggers Will Ferrell-Led Celebrations

This is why they paid the man. After agreeing to a new four-year contract with Los Angeles FC back in January — one that’ll pay Walker Zimmerman more than the MLS max budget charge of $530,000 — the center back produced to goods for his side last night in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake at Banc of California Stadium.

The David Beckham-Inter Miami Empire Continues Toward Reality

The long march toward the existence of Inter Miami CF technically began over a decade ago. David Beckham arrived in MLS in 2007 to much fanfare, a new designated player rule, a massive contract — and an option to be an expansion franchise for $25 million after he retired. That last piece went from interesting expansion topic to reality in late 2013 when Beckham and Simon Fuller came forward as owners for a new team based in Miami-Dade County. 

100+ U.S. Clubs Send Letter To FIFA Asking For Pro/Rel In America

Miami FC and Kingston Stockade FC of the NPSL are currently in the middle of a case challenging how the U.S. Soccer Federation is run and has set up the soccer pyramid in America. The case is on-going in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Late last week more than 100 clubs from the lower divisions signed a letter in support of the two clubs and called for the introduction of promotion and relegation in the U.S. 

Given Their First MLS Starts, 2 U.S. Youth Internationals Score Their First Goals

It was a great weekend for teenage homegrown players in Major League Soccer as two academy products — Toronto FC’s Ayo Akinola and the Philadelphia Union’s Brenden Aaronson — marked their first starts with goals.

Akinola is a 19-year-old who’s recently been called-up for the U.S. pre-U-20 World Cup training camp in Spain. The Detroit-born forward appeared in four matches as a substitute for Toronto last year, totaling only 45 minutes. 

However, on Sunday he was given his first start, went 85 minutes in the 3-2 win over New England and scored his first goal.

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