Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning:
1. ALL-STAR WEEK IN FULL SWING
It's another busy day in Denver ahead of Wednesday night's AT&T MLS All-Star Game. The official All-Star Game press conference, featuring both MLS stars and Tottenham's big names, will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com at 5:30 pm ET. In addition, Spurs announced their full roster for the match, Benny Feilhaber is taking over the official MLS Snapchat all day, Landon Donovan answers your questions on Facebook and there's a concert with Colombian band Bomba Estereo at Skyline Park. Here is a rundown of all of Monday's events in one place.
2. PIRLO PARTY FOR NYCFC
Andrea Pirlo couldn't have picked a better match for his New York City FC debut, coming on in the second half to help NYCFC to a thrilling 5-3 victory against their expansion brethren Orlando City SC at Yankee Stadium on Sunday (HIGHLIGHTS). The win vaulted NYCFC into a tie for sixth in the East, with Pirlo's arrival prompting David Villa to proclaim the death of the long ball in the Bronx. They may have lost, but it wasn't all bad news for the Lions on Sunday, with rookie Cyle Larin entering the history books with his impressive hat trick for OCSC.
3. COOL AND CALM, UNITED COMPLETE A COMEBACK
After conceding two goals in the first four minutes, including the fastest goal in Philadelphia Union history, D.C. United were exceptionally pleased with the way they were able to bounce back and beat their rivals 3-2 on Sunday (HIGHLIGHTS). It was a different story for the Union, who were unhappy with the way they zoned out on certain plays.
4. SLOW START DOOMS SAN JOSE
The San Jose Earthquakes were left to point the finger firmly at themselves following a slow start in their 3-1 loss at the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday (HIGHLIGHTS). It was the first win in four for the ‘Caps and, while they’re still second in the Western Conference, they’re gearing up for a tough fight ahead.
5. TFC FIGHT BACK FROM THREE GOALS DOWN
After spotting Columbus Crew SC a three-goal lead on Saturday, Toronto FC fought back to earn a miraculous 3-3 draw at MAPFRE Stadium (HIGHLIGHTS). While TFC were pleased with the point, Crew SC were downtrodden after the match, apologizing to their fans for throwing away such an assured lead.
6. SOUNDERS SUNK BY IMPACT
Seattle's rough stretch continued on Saturday, when the Sounders dropped their third in a row and seventh in their last 10 with a 1-0 loss at the Montreal Impact (HIGHLIGHTS). The skid has dropped the Sounders all the way to fifth in the West, and they know their season could be in peril if they don't get things figured out soon. The win pushes the Impact into the playoff places, with the performance of Laurent Ciman giving Montreal plenty of reason to hope moving forward.
7. CONFIDENT DALLAS CONTINUE TO SURGE
While Seattle is sinking, FC Dallas is surging, with the Supporters' Shield leaders beating the Portland Timbers 4-1 on Saturday (HIGHLIGHTS) to win their fifth match in a row. Portland manager Caleb Porter didn't quite feel the scoreline was a fair reflection of how things went, but he still offered an apology to fans after his club's lopsided defeat.
8. BRUIN GIVES DYNAMO A BOOST
The LA Galaxy’s problems on the road continued on Saturday, as they fell 3-0 to the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium (HIGHLIGHTS). Despite missing several key players, LA manager Bruce Arena was typically honest in his assesment, stating that “[the Dynamo] played a good game, we did not.” One player who showed particularly well was Houston’s Will Bruin, with the striker continuing to silence his critics with yet another goal.
9. FIRE RUE MISTAKE, REVS QUESTION A CALL
Neither team was particularly happy following the Chicago Fire’s 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution on Saturday (HIGHLIGHTS), with the Revs disputing the legitimacy of the Fire’s penalty kick and Chicago lamenting a huge defensive error from Adailton.
10. MORALES LEADS THE WAY FOR RSL
Real Salt Lake earned back-to-back wins for just the second time this season when they beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Friday night (HIGHLIGHTS). It was another fine performance for RSL's Javier Morales, with the club hailing their midfield maestro after he picked up another important goal. The match was the third in seven days for Sporting, who just didn't have enough gas in the tank to keep up in Utah.
11. US FINISH FOURTH
The USMNT's Gold Cup campaign ended in disappointing fashion on Saturday, with the Americans falling to Panama in a penalty kick shootout after getting thoroughly outplayed by Los Canaleros after 120 minutes at PPL Park. DaMarcus Beasley missed a PK in what was supposed to be a celebratory farewell, leading the Dynamo defender to have second thoughts on calling it quits on his international career. Though the finish left many upset with Jurgen Klinsmann, US Soccer President Sunil Gulati has reaffirmed his support for his embattled coach.
12. MEXICO LEAVE WOES BEHIND
After benefitting from some questionable calls to make it to the Gold Cup final, Mexico didn't need any help from the officials on Sunday in Philadelphia, delivering a strong 3-1 victory over Jamaica to take home the CONCACAF title. It was a happy evening for El Tri, with manager Miguel Herrera – himself the subject of some vitriol this summer – saying Sunday's performance “left all of the negativity behind.” It wasn’t the finish Jamaica were hoping for, but the Reggae Boyz can still be proud of all they accomplished.
13. SHOWDOWN IN SOCAL
Mexico's victory on Sunday sets up a massive showdown between El Tri and the US this fall, with the longtime rivals set to face off in a one-game playoff for CONCACAF's lone Confederations Cup slot at the Rose Bowl on October 9. USMNT striker Clint Dempsey will no doubt have a large part to play in that match, especially after he won the Golden Boot as the Gold Cup’s top scorer.
14. CONCACAF QUALIFIERS SET
CONCACAF's World Cup qualifying picture took further shape over the weekend, with the remaining countries learning their potential opponents for the confederation's upcoming rounds. The US got a relatively kind fourth-round draw, while Canada – who still need to beat Belize in Round 3 – got what could be described as the complete opposite. Don't get gloomy though, Canada fans – there's still plenty of reason for hope.
15. TRANSFER TALK
It seems as though there could be a few more big names heading to MLS. Reports on Sunday suggested that Didier Drogba’s future could be in Quebec, after the Montreal Impact reportedly acquired the rights to the Ivorian striker from Chicago. The Fire won't be walking away empty handed, however, with Chicago reportedly set to use some of the money acquired in the Drogba deal to land former TFC DP Gilberto. Meanwhile, Shaun Wright-Phillips is set to join his brother Bradley at the New York Red Bulls.
MLSsoccer.com Musts
Armchair Analyst: Pirlo Party, the age of youth and more from Week 21
WATCH: Capital Cities rock Denver with All-Star concert
Plays of the Night: Toronto’s comeback and a raft of cheeky passes in Week 21
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