Rivalry Week in MLS is a special time. Chaos wrapped in pandemonium served with a side of unpredictability. The best sides find a way to rise above the volatility, to keep their heads when all about them are losing theirs. Rivalry week separates the wheat from the chaff, and MLS Matchday 14 embodied that.
After conceding a late penalty that allowed the Philadelphia Union to take the lead, Los Angeles FC's Kellyn Acosta scored in second-half stoppage time as the teams played to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday at Chester, Pa., in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series.
The second and final leg of the total-goal series will be played Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The weather's warming, the flowers are blooming and your local MLS side is calling — it's tailgating season. If you're looking to schedule an outing, here are 10 players who are worth the price of admission.
There's no sound science behind this ranking so warning, some readers might be offended. But I really don't think you'll have a bad time watching any of these guys play live.
#10. Jordan Morris | Seattle Sounders
Position: Left winger
The league table is finally taking shape as the top teams separate themselves from the pack while the league's cellar dwellers cling to every point that will hopefully save their seasons. There were several struggling teams that earned massive wins while some top teams slipped up, making for another thoroughly entertaining matchweek.
Julián Carranza's second goal of the night, in the 78th minute, lifted the Philadelphia Union to a 3-2 aggregate victory over Atlas on Wednesday in Guadalajara, Mexico, at the conclusion of a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series.
The Union escaped with a 2-2 draw in Mexico after beating Atlas 1-0 in Chester, PA, on April 4 in the two-game, total-goal series. Philadelphia moves on to a semifinal series against Los Angeles FC, with the first leg scheduled for the last week of April and the second legs due to be played in the first week of May.
Philadelphia Union’s Twitter community manager, in the attempt to heat up their upcoming Concacaf Champions League match against Atlas in Guadalajara, made one of the most unfortunate and unprovoked social media posts from a professional soccer team we’ve seen in a while.
The Union arrived to Guadalajara, Jalisco on Monday to begin their preparations ahead of their CCL quarterfinal clash against Atlas. They will defend their 1-0 lead in the Estadio Jalisco on Wednesday.
Camilo Vargas es San Camilo para los aficionados del Atlas. Sus atajadas heroicas ayudaron a pavimentar el histórico bicampeonato rojinegro y desde entonces un halo sagrado rodea su figura. Sin embargo, Camilo Vargas también es humano y por ende no es inmune a los errores. Y ante el Philadelphia Union por la Concacaf Champions League vaya que cometió uno feo.
A week on from international matches and MLS has returned to full strength. The superstars have reappeared, replacing the excuses that swam in their wake and results are once again indicative of each team’s true ability.
Life under new manager Wilfried Nancy left a bit to be desired for the Crew. The former CF Montréal boss saw his new side secure just four points from its first four matches, but back-to-back dominant displays have given this marriage a new outlook.
A grain of salt. Perhaps the perfect idiom for MLS Matchweek 5. As teams traversed the FIFA-recognized international break, it became abundantly clear that some squads were better at handling life without their superstars than others. This imbalance made for some surprising results, but overall, a thoroughly entertaining week of games.
Damion Lowe scored just before halftime and the Philadelphia Union added three second-half goals to secure a 4-0 victory over El Salvador's Alianza FC on Tuesday in Chester, Pa., and a 4-0 win on aggregate in a CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 match.
Lowe headed home a corner kick from Kai Wagner at the start of first-half stoppage time for the first goal in the two-leg, total-goal series. The teams played a scoreless draw at San Salvador, El Salvador, last week.