Here are the top 15 stories we're talking about today.
1. BE AWARE AT RED BULL ARENA
Tonight’s game between the New York Red Bulls and San Jose Earthquakes (7 pm ET, Unimas in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada) will also be Autism Awareness night at Red Bull Arena, inspired by the 7-year-old daughter of the club’s GM. The Quakes, meanwhile, are looking to end the Red Bulls' unbeaten run, boosted by a new look on the right flank.
2. ALL SQUARE AT YANKEE STADIUM
Having been injured in the season opener, forward CJ Sapong
showed Philadelphia Union fans what they’ve been missing
, scoring an
86th-minute goal
on Thursday to earn his side a 1-1 draw at New York City FC (
HIGHLIGHTS
). NYCFC continue to struggle
to string together a complete performance
, and star David Villa
came off at halftime with a reported hamstring injury
.
3. SOCCER IN THE "MANY-ANGLED CITY"
While some purists aren't into Yankee Stadium as as soccer venue, one skeptical Gothamite and New Yorker writer was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and vibe of the club's first two home games.
4. DYNAMO LOOK TO KEEP ROLLING
Fresh off a 3-0 win over the Montreal Impact last weekend, the Houston Dynamo travel to RFK Stadium to take on East leaders D.C. United on Saturday (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE) looking to keep that fine form going. The Orange are certainly happy with the progress their defense is making under head coach Owen Coyle.
5. COLUMBUS AND ORLANDO STARS SQUARE OFF
While Mohammed Saied is earning positive reviews and Kei Kamara is giving Columbus Crew SC exactly what they need, the two will have their work cut out on Saturday against Orlando City (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE). Lions midfielder Amobi Okugo, who specializes in stopping opponents, and promising right back Rafael Ramos are looking to grab another win.
6. AKINDELE DECISION BEFORE THE SUMMER
With FC Dallas struggling in the last couple of weeks, can Kellyn Acosta be the solution when they take on Toronto FC Saturday (8:30 pm ET, TSN5 in Canada, MLS LIVE in the US)? Or will TFC finally find their rhythm? Meanwhile, five TFC-affiliated players were named to Canada’s U-18 side, and FCD’s dual-eligible attacker Tesho Akindele insists he will soon decide whether or not to represent the senior side.
7. SOUNDERS STARS OF THE FUTURE
While a lot of attention is focused on academy product and future star Jordan Morris, the Seattle Sounders have another young star emerging: Cristian Roldan, who was called into the US U-20s' training camp. The Sounders are in Denver on Saturday to take on the Colorado Rapids (9 pm ET, MLS LIVE), whose head coach Pablo Mastroeni is taking the lessons learned from his first year in charge to help his side improve.
8. MIDFIELD MIX-UP FOR RSL, CAPS
Real Salt Lake welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday (9:30 pm ET, TSN1 in Canada, MLS LIVE in the US). The two sides are experiencing contrasting fortunes at the moment and missing influential midifelders. RSL’s Kyle Beckerman should be fine for the game despite his knock while on international duty, and the Caps' Pedro Morales lost his appeal against his red card from last week, leaving the 'Caps to assess their options.
9. CAN THE GALAXY STAY UNBEATEN AT HOME?
LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena says he is undecided on
how big a part his returning internationals will play against Sporting Kansas City
(Saturday, 10:30 pm ET,
MLS LIVE
). Sporting KC, meanwhile,
are looking to end the Galaxy’s impressive home streak
.
10. CHARLIE DAVIES DREAMS OF THE USMNT AGAIN
The Union face a quick turnaround as they host the New England Revolution on Sunday (5 pm ET, ESPN2 in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada). They are buoyed by their recent results; however, as an in-form Juan Agudelo rejoins the Revs, his midweek goal for the USMNT has fellow striker Charlie Davies dreaming of another US call-up.
11. TIMBERS LOOKING FOR GOALS
The Portland Timbers may be close to welcoming back playmaker Diego Valeri. But according to them, his absence is not the cause of their scoring problems. They take on NYCFC on Sunday (7 pm ET, Fox Sports 1 in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada). Although star striker David Villa is now a doubt for that game, MLS veteran Mehdi Ballouchy was thrilled to get his first goal.
12. IMPACT ENJOYING THE RIDE
There’s no game for the Montreal Impact this weekend, as they get ready for the first leg of their Champions League final against Club América down in Mexico (Wednesday, 9 pm ET). The team has already flown south for that match, and while owner Joey Saputo won’t be travelling with them, he did have a simple message for his side.
13. MLS WORLDWIDE
Did you know that, following the recent sales of foreign media rights, you can now watch MLS in more countries than Spain's La Liga? A number of factors, including MLS’ summer schedule, are making the league an increasingly attractive prospect for foreign networks.
14. SEE YOU AT THE GOLD CUP
Mexico
never like losing to the US
. And following another "
dos a cero
" on Wednesday, manager Miguel Herrera
is looking to address the issue in this summer’s Gold Cup
.
15. NEWS FROM CONCACAF CONGRESS
CONCACAF held its annual congress on Thursday. President Jeffrey Webb ran unopposed and was re-elected. Also in attendance were all the candidates for the FIFA presidency, including the incumbent, Sepp Blatter, who supported a guaranteed fourth World Cup spot for CONCACAF. After the event turned into something of a pro-Blatter rally, another candidate, Luis Figo, expressed his disappointment.
MLSsoccer.com Musts
The USA vs Mexico experience: Off Topic with Rachel Bonnetta
ExtraTime Radio: Herculez Gomez breaks down US vs Mexico | Is Kelyn Rowe next for a USMNT look?
MLS Insider: The magic of Mix Diskerud comes to New York City FC
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