It's no secret that soccer is growing in the United States. More children are playing the game, it's become much more accessible on TV with a myriad of different streaming options and soccer jerseys are almost becoming a fashion statement on the street.
It's no secret that the Seattle Sounders have been one of the best MLS teams of the past decade: The Sounders have collected the most points out of any team since joining the league in 2009, and they've made the playoffs each season.
But over the course of the club's first seven seasons in MLS, Seattle was known for having great regular seasons (picking up four U.S. Open Cups and a 2014 Supporters' Shield) followed by an annual collapse in the postseason.
Decision Day (or as some of the players call it, Judgment Day) is one of the best days of the year for MLS fans. Similar to Championship Sunday, every game kicks off at the same time while teams try to grab a playoff spot or jostle for home-field advantage in the postseason.
While some teams were already eliminated before Sunday's concluding matches, there was only one game that didn't affect playoff births and positionings across the league.
With Decision Day behind us, it’s time for the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs! Actually, we’ve got to make it through an international break, but then — it’s time for the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs! It’s our first taste of the newfangled MLS playoff schedule, with the top seven teams from each conference battling it out in single-elimination matches. Play begins on Saturday, Oct. 19, and concludes with MLS Cup 2019 on Sunday, Nov. 10.
Here’s a look at the MLS playoff schedule 2019, including match dates, times, TV information, previews and predictions.
The final day of the MLS regular season — dubbed “Decision Day” — is less than two weeks away (Sunday, Oct. 6). The picture in the Eastern Conference is clear with six of the seven playoff spots already decided, but the Wild West is only settled with regards to the top seed, Los Angeles FC.
West Ham painted an unflattering picture of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Manchester United on Sunday afternoon with a commanding 2-0 victory over the visitors at London Stadium.
Without the injured trio of Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw, Man United’s attack floundered and West Ham’s midfield trio of Declan Rice, Mark Noble and Felipe Anderson did a solid number on United’s ponderous pairing of Nemanja Matić, Scott McTominay and Juan Mata.
With this week's Champions League matchups done and dusted, you might be tempted to think European football is finished until the weekend. Well think again! The Europa League kicks of today and there are a ton of matches worth getting excited about. Here are the 10 I'm most excited about, and my corresponding predictions for each match.
Basel vs. Krasnodar
Major League Soccer announced a multi-year partnership with BodyArmor on Tuesday, making the brand the Official Sports Drink of MLS beginning in 2020. So instead of the customary Gatorade shower, Adrian Heath will be doused in a premium blend of coconut water-infused Knockout Punch after Minnesota United wins the MLS Cup next year.
108 days after Liverpool lifted the Champions League trophy in Madrid, we’re set to do it all over again with a competition that’ll reach its conclusion on May 30 in Istanbul. Matchday one begins tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 17) with a couple massive group stage encounters before carrying through to Wednesday with a couple more.
Below, we’ll highlight those four games while also breaking down the Champions League TV schedule on TNT.
Tuesday, September 17
It’s been an eventful week for building from the back. It began with Mexico’s beatdown of Gregg Berhalter’s longterm vision for the USMNT in East Rutherford, a result which led to a cry for abandoning the philosophy.
Things reached a crescendo yesterday with Arsenal — the masterful architects of their own downfall in recent times. Sokratis Papastathopoulos showed exactly why 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in football by passing the ball straight to Gerard Deulofeu in his own area.