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.
John Brooks was one of several surprise inclusions on the 60-man United States men’s national team preliminary roster for the Concacaf Nations League. There could be a chance for a John Brooks USMNT reunion.
The Concacaf Nations League resumes in June with the United States vs. Mexico and Canada vs. Panama as the semifinals. The tournament requires teams to release preliminary rosters with up to 60 players and those were unveiled on Friday.
In a word, forgettable. Following one of the most exciting matchdays of the MLS season, the league’s first foray into midweek play definitely did not live up to the billing, but there were still a few moments that caught our attention. Despite MLS Matchday 13 being promoted as a continuation of Rivalry Week, there were few games that truly fit that description, and it showed both on the field and in the scorelines.
The latest Salary Guide has been released by the MLS Players Association (MLSPA), revealing the highest paid MLS players 2023. There could be a change when the Secondary Transfer Window opens from July 5 to Aug. 2, but for now 31-year-old Xherdan Shaqiri has reclaimed the top spot after Lorenzo Insigne's record 2022 salary of $14 million was almost cut in half (the Italian has scored seven goals and provided two assists in 17 all-time league appearances).
AC Milan forward Rafael Leão could be fit to face Inter Milan in their Champions League semifinal second leg, manager Stefano Pioli said on Monday, providing a major boost to his side's hopes of overturning a two-goal deficit.
Portuguese winger Leão, 23, missed the 2-0 first-leg defeat and also sat out Saturday's shock loss to Spezia in Serie A after sustaining a thigh injury in Milan's league win over Lazio earlier this month.
Leão has been one of Milan's most influential players this season and registered 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.
Winning is great, but it’s even better when it’s against a rival. Goals mean more, away games are more demanding and everything is personal. Though the matches count just as much in the table, it's a day the fans circled on their calendars as soon as the schedules dropped. MLS Matchday 12 featured red cards aplenty, late winners and fans who went home filled with an anger that can only be felt after a loss in Rivalry Week.
The culmination of this week’s midweek U.S. Open Cup matches ensured that 14 of the teams in the tournament’s Round of 16 will be from Major League Soccer, equalling a record set in 2015, 2016 and 2019 for the most MLS representatives at this stage of the competition. The two non-MLS representatives are USL Championship sides Birmingham Legion FC, who beat fellow USLC side Memphis 901 FC 3-0, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, who pulled off the round’s only “cupset” as they knocked off Bruce Arena’s New England Revolution 1-0.
The growth of the women's game has manifested in the biggest (32 teams), most audacious (co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand) World Cup yet. The individual talent pool, as evidenced by our following best players at the Women's World Cup list, has also never been more exciting.
There are some household names looking for one last legacy-defining tournament, but there's also an emerging next generation taking things to another level.
The 2023 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship has begun in the Bahamas with spots at this year's FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup on the line. There's always plenty of drama (the last three editions have provided three different winners), but even more captivating is the wild variety of bangers we see out on the sand.
Monday was only day one of the competition and things got rowdy.
The summer transfer window must be approaching because the Christian Pulisic transfer rumors are back. A week after Olivier Giroud said that AC Milan would love to have Pulisic, Napoli and Juventus are also showing interest.