LAFC coach Bob Bradley took his best player, Carlos Vela, off 22 minutes into the season opener against Austin FC on Saturday. Moments later he admitted to the national FOX broadcast he may have “jumped the gun.”
Sergiño Dest became the first U.S. international to start a Copa del Rey final and 90 minutes later became the first to lift the trophy as he helped Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on Saturday at Estadio Olímpico de la Cartuja in Seville.
Matías Almeyda comenzó su tercera temporada al mando de los San Jose Earthquakes de la MLS, con una derrota por 2-1 ante el Houston Dynamo. El partido fue una montaña rusa, tal como cada campaña del argentino al mando del club. Todo reflejo de su estilo directo y de marca al hombre que a veces puede salir horrible, como ocurrió en el primer tiempo, y que a veces regala momentos de brillantez única, como sucedió en el complemento.
Before Saturday’s FA Cup semifinal, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said he’d “lose the team” if he didn’t start American keeper Zack Steffen vs Chelsea. In the end, the decision may have lost the game.
Steffen made a positioning error to allow Chelsea to score the only goal in 1-0 defeat on Saturday at Wembley, costing the Citizens a chance at a rare quadruple. Steffen, who was otherwise faultless and moments later made a one-on-one save to atone, will no doubt rue his moment of indecision that allowed Hakim Ziyech a tap-in.
Last year, Darlington Nagbe flicked the ball up to himself and smashed a gorgeous volleyed goal that easily won 2020 MLS Goal of the Year honors. On the first day of the 2021 MLS season, João Paulo one-upped Nagbe with an even better version of the move, a stunning strike that will take some doing to prevent from being the 2021 MLS Goal of the Year.
The Seattle Sounders thrashed Minnesota United 4-0 on opening night in Seattle. The result was surprising given the intensity of the Sounders’ 3-2 stoppage-time win over United in the Western Conference Finals just a few months ago.
Chris Wondolowski is the greatest goal scorer in MLS history, and he likely will be for some time. But while his finishing ability in the box in unparalleled, so too is his country’s desire to scapegoat him for that one miss against Belgium at the 2014 World Cup. So it’s impossible to ignore another incredible Wondo miss, made in the first game of his 17th MLS campaign on Friday night.
Major League Soccer (MLS) has said that Inter Miami's signing of French World Cup-winning midfielder Blaise Matuidi last year was not in compliance with their roster and budget rules and that the club could face sanctions.
The side co-owned by David Beckham recruited Matuidi on a free transfer after he left Italian champions Juventus in August. The league said last month it would launch a formal review of the deal.
Austin FC has signed a Pulisic, but it’s probably not the one you’re thinking. William Pulisic, cousin of Chelsea star Christian Pulisic, signed a contract with the MLS expansion club a day before the new Texas club makes its debut.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Austin FC also announced it had signed defender Aedan Stanley, who was the club’s third draft pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft. Pulisic and Stanley were teammates for a year at Duke University.
Tobin Heath’s season at Manchester United is over, manager Casey Stoney confirmed on Friday, a disappointing end after a second Tobin Heath injury for the USWNT winger.
Heath had four goals and two assists in eight matches with United since joining (along with Christen Press) in September. She hasn’t played since Dec. 20, a two-goal performance against Bristol City.
As Major League Soccer’s 26th season begins this weekend, a record 27 teams will compete for the MLS Cup. That number will expand to 29 by 2023, with a 30th club in the works. While there are plenty of critics who say expansion is diluting the quality on the pitch and merely enriching current owners’ pockets with expansion fees, I for one want to see MLS expansion continue well beyond 30 teams. If you’re going to go big, go really fucking big. I’m talking 40, 50, 60 teams even.