Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning:
1. FIRE AWAY
MLS preseason activities roll on, including a Chicago Fire win in a friendly with EPL side Queens Park Rangers. One seemingly interested observer was QPR star Joey Barton. Meanwhile, Orlando City star Kaká spent the evening taking in a Magic show.
2. ONE TOO MANY IN TORONTO
Toronto FC themselves currently have one too many Designated Players on their books.
With Giovinco impressing in his first training session with his new team
, the club are pondering
what to do about Gilberto
. Also, while Steven Caldwell fully supports Michael Bradley,
he’s not impressed with the way the captaincy issue was handled
.
3. IMPACT MAKE MOVES
The Montreal Impact have parted ways with defender Krzysztof Krol in a move that frees up an international spot for the club. Could that lead to a bid for Lazio star Cristian Ledesma, as has been reported? Meanwhile, Toronto FC’s Tim Leiweke responded to recent comments from Impact owner Joey Saputo.
4. QUAKES TAKING SHAPE
Just as the San Jose Earthquakes new stadium comes together, so too is the roster for Dom Kinnear’s first season in charge. The club officially signed three players on Wednesday: offseason pickups Marvell Wynne, Sanna Nyassi, and Leandro Baarrera.
5. DC LET DRIVER GO
Former Houston Dynamo winger Andrew Driver was let go by D.C. United following the acquisition of Michael Farfan. On a separate note, did United’s sponsor play a role in the design of the team's new away kits?
6. BERRY ON THE MOVE?
The Philadelphia Union have lauded new defender Steven Vitoria as “someone to build our backline around,” an honor that once seemed destined for Austin Berry. The former MLS Rookie of the Year, meanwhile, has gone on trial with the NASL's New York Cosmos as he looks to jump-start his career.
7. ARENA AND GERRARD SET TO MEET
Steven Gerrard won’t join the LA Galaxy until the summer. But with the MLS side heading to Europe as part of their preseason preparations, head coach Bruce Arena is planning to meet with Gerrard to discuss their plans for 2015.
8. ORLANDO OPPORTUNITIES
While Northern Irishman Martin Paterson looks to revitalize his career with Orlando City SC, the club’s move to MLS also offers assistant coach Ian Fuller, a former New England Revolution draftee, his first real shot at the North American top flight.
9. VILLA, KREIS CALM ON LAMPARD ARRIVAL
Having scored the first goal in New York City FC history,
David Villa offered his thoughts on Frank Lampard’s delayed arrival
. Main takeaway: It's not a big deal. That view was echoed by head coach Jason Kreis,
who also talked about some more possible loan signings
.
10. RAMOS REMAINS CAUTIOUS
Despite being handed what appears to be a kind group draw for the U-20 World Cup, US head coach Tab Ramos isn’t taking anything for granted when it comes to the U20 competition, pointing out that none of their upcoming opponents have reached this stage by chance.
11. ALL THE BIG NAMES
The FIFA international date is coming up in late March, and US national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has made it clear he’ll call his best team for friendlies against Denmark and Switzerland. On the topic of US friendlies, the upcoming game against Mexico has broken a San Antonio record.
12. CHOICES, CHOICES
Shane O’Neill is still eligible to play for both the Republic of Ireland and the US national team. But having just completed a January camp with the US, folks in Ireland are starting to worry.
13. YEDLIN NEEDS TIME
With the USMNT January camp concluded, DeAndre Yedlin has headed back to England. However, for those hoping to see the former Seattle Sounders star break into Tottenham Hotspur’s first team anytime soon, manager Mauricio Pochettino is warning that these things take time.
14. GREEN STORIES UNTRUE
Despite initial reports to the contrary, both Julian Green and Hamburg moved to deny that the young US international has been relegated to the German side’s U-23 team. Meanwhile, meet another American who’s slowly climbing the German ladder, albeit in the coaching trade.
- TWO USMNT COACHES LINKED TO EPL JOB
Aston Villa fired their manager on Wednesday, and Jurgen Klinsmann is apparently a favorite to fill the vacant job. But former USMNT coach Bob Bradley has also been mentioned. Speaking of Bradley, the former Egyptian national team manager reflected solemnly on the latest soccer-related deaths in Egpyt.
MLSsoccer.com Musts
MLS Now: What are the secrets to reaching MLS Cup?
Preseason Tracker: Quakes set new season ticket record
FC Dallas allowing fans to vote on field design for upcoming friendly
Get the Kick Off delivered to you!
Enter your email address and favorite team below to sign up for The Kick-Off mailing list and get it delivered to your inbox every morning.
Email:
Favorite Team:
SELECT YOUR FAVORITE TEAM
Atlanta
Chicago Fire
Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew
D.C. United
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
LAFC
LA Galaxy
Montreal Impact
New England Revolution
New York City FC
New York Red Bulls
Orlando City SC
Philadelphia Union
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
San Jose Earthquakes
Seattle Sounders FC
Sporting KC
Toronto FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
I don't have a favorite team
