Bastian Schweinsteiger’s comments regarding MLS the other week were less a criticism of the league than a dash of honesty — the Chicago Fire, World Cup hopefuls though they may be, are not as good as Manchester United or Bayern Munich. Dax McCarty isn’t Paul Pogba, David Accam isn’t Arjen Robben and Nemanja Nikolic isn’t Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
A pair of United States youth internationals are being given the opportunity to make their Bundesliga debuts for Schalke 04 this weekend. Haji Wright, 19, and Weston McKennie, 18, have received promotions to Schalke's first team squad for their final match of the Bundesliga season on Saturday against Ingolstadt.
48' > WESTON MCKINNIE!! FCD takes a 3-0 lead as the midfielder's volley dribbles over the line! pic.twitter.com/OASVUlv9Hg
When it comes to stadium plans, the first thing you'd think would be an absolute must would be the implementation of a parking area that adoring fans and staff can use to actually attend a match.
In the case of the proposed expansion MLS team in Miami, they decided to omit this extremely important aspect completely.
MLS has come under fire in the past for the gap between its stated goal of becoming an elite league and its current reality. Just last week, Chicago Fire midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger noted the stark difference between the quality of play in MLS and European leagues.
Andrea Pirlo was left out of the NYCFC lineup for the third straight week despite receiving a salary ($5.915 million) that’s greater than his entire club’s actual salary cap ($3.85m).
Bastian Schweinsteiger is having a tough time adjusting to how bad MLS soccer is. He doesn't come out and say it in so many words, but we know what he means. Speaking with German magazine Suddeutsche Zeitung, Schweinsteiger sounded off on his new league.
Via ESPNFC:
With three World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals, the U.S. Women’s National Team boasts an impressive history. Many players have contributed to the team’s accomplishments, but I’m attempting to narrow the focus to assemble an all-time roster. Soccer writers and historians voted on an all-time starting XI a few years ago, but this list will also include seven substitutes to simulate a roster during a major tournament.
Two of Major League Soccer’s biggest clubs threw down last night in a clash featuring the most expensive roster in the league (Toronto FC) and the third most expensive (Orlando City). Those numbers are, in large part, due to the fact that the Eastern Conference sides boast the only two players that earn above $7 million per season — Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco and Orlando’s Kaka. The two did not disappoint.
All novelty kits are great, but some novelty kits are greater than others. Check out this offering from the NPSL's Rafters FC (Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana), which bears a striking resemblance to the getup worn by Bob the Builder.
The Chicago Fire finally have their superstar and are gladly showing him off around town. Bastian Schweinsteiger seems to be adjusting well to life in the Windy City: he’s scoring goals on the field, sitting courtside at Bulls games, and even threw out the first pitch for the Cubs at Wrigley Field Tuesday night.
I’m guessing Schweinsteiger did not want to look foolish in front of the World Series champs, so he got some help from teammate Dax McCarty in preparation for his debut on the mound.