The 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League resumed last night, and a matchup between the New York Red Bulls and Vancouver Whitecaps guarantees that at least one MLS side in preseason form will advance to the semifinals of the competition.
MLS declined to revamp the scheduling of the tournament because the alternative was to hugely disrupt MLS playoffs, and it’s pretty obvious which knockout competition is more important to the league.
It’s been a busy, and at times hectic, offseason for the NWSL. But as a growing league, both should be expected and desired. The league courted controversy last year for substandard playing conditions, the WNY Flash vs. Seattle Reign playing on an undersized field and, as is course throughout professional sports, taking a stand in the tumultuous political situation of the country.
The 2015 MLS Cup champions took an unexpected turn in 2016, going from league champions to missing out on the playoffs entirely. The Timbers finished with a record of 12-14-8, just missing the playoffs in seventh-place in the Western Conference.
The Timbers will be looking to make it back into the postseason in 2017, and here are three areas that they will have to improve on to make that happen.
Without a World Cup, Olympics or a qualifying campaign, all the uSWNT's matches in 2017 matches will be friendlies. However, the collective bargaining agreement that is still to be agreed to with US Soccer remains the main talking point.
For the players, they will likely take the chance to focus instead on the game itself, especially the young players hoping to stand out in 2017. The USWNT’s next action comes in March against England, Germany and France in the SheBelieves Cup, a friendly tournament hosted by the USA and featuring top-10 FIFA-ranked teams.
After falling victim to a season-ending groin injury during a game against Mexico last year, Tim Howard will look to bounce back to start the 2017 season for the Colorado Rapids.
Last season, Howard compiled a record of 6-3-8 with the Rapids, with seven clean sheets, good for the ninth-most clean sheets in the MLS. Despite only playing half of the season, Howard was a finalist for the MLS goalkeeper of the year.
As you may know by now, there are 12 cities looking to possibly get MLS teams: Charlotte, Nashville, Indianapolis, Detroit, Phoenix, St. Louis, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, Sacramento, Cincinnati, Tampa and San Diego.
These three destinations in particular provide the most realistic options when it comes to the MLS.
Phoenix
Well folks, Nike really went all in on their latest jerseys for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s national teams. Now that Jurgen Klinsmann and his hatred for the color red is out the picture, the U.S. will rock their “Red to Toe” uniforms. Cool! Expect for the fact that three teams have already sported these same exact jerseys. See for yourself:
The signs have continued to add up for Hope Solo to miss the Seattle Reign season opener. Even with the regular season kick-off still two months away, it appears as though the team has moved on from the iconic keeper.
First, the club announced the acquisition and signing of Madalyn Schiffel from Europe. The club made moves with another NWSL club to be able to bring her in, signalling that she would, at a minimum, challenge for the starting spot.
The anticipation is building in Atlanta for their club’s inaugural season in MLS as they’ve now sold more than 40,000 tickets for their home opener against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, March 5. The match will be televised nationally on FS1 at 7:00 PM ET, and club president Darren Eales says they are on pace for a sell out.
Atlanta United will begin play at Georgia Tech’s 55,000-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium while construction on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is completed. United are slated to begin play there on July 30 against Orlando City, a match that will be broadcast on FOX.
Carli Lloyd has announced that she will join Manchester City Women’s Football Club on a short-term deal that could run as long as June 1, 2017. The captain of the USWNT will reportedly join the English club after participating in the SheBelieves Cup from March 1-7.