Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning:
1. WHITECAPS DIG DEEP
It wasn’t always easy, but the Vancouver Whitecaps dug deep to earn a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids at BC Place on Wednesday night (HIGHLIGHTS). The result moves Vancouver back to the top of the Supporters' Shield standings and snaps the Rapids’ winning streak at three games, with head coach Pablo Mastroeni attributing the loss to a lack of concentration from his team.
2. TIMBERS HELD AT HOME
Despite their best efforts, the Portland Timbers couldn’t find a way past Sporting Kansas City, drawing their West foes 0-0 at Providence Park (HIGHLIGHTS). SKC 'keeper played a huge role in keeping the Timbers off the board, making seven saves and getting singled out by Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes as the man of the match.
3. THE DROGBA EFFECT
Didier Drogba hasn’t been with the Montreal Impact long, but he's already having a major effect on his new teammates, with one key Impact player going as far as to set his sights on MLS Cup now that the Ivorian legend is in the fold.
4. WILL GIOVINCO RETURN ON SUNDAY?
Toronto FC endured a tough loss against the Seattle Sounders last weekend, falling 2-1 at CenturyLink Field thanks to some magic from Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins. The good news for TFC? Their own Designated Players should all be available this weekend, with Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore set to return from USMNT duty and Sebastian Giovinco looking likely to come back from injury.
5. A RED BULL ON THE MEND
The already strong New York Red Bulls may be getting a reinforcement along their backline before the end of the season, with defender Chris Duvall eyeing a return from injury in October. Meanwhile, fellow Red Bull fullback Connor Lade shares details of his recent engagement.
6. BECKERMAN READY TO REBUILD
Kyle Beckerman has been with Real Salt Lake through the good times and the bad but now, with the club enduring their toughest season in quite some time, the US international is clear on what they need to do, stating “we broke it down, so now we’ve got to build it back up.”
7. LLETGET LIVES UP TO OWN EXPECTATIONS
Sebastian Lletget is thriving after moving from West Ham United to the LA Galaxy and, while his impressive form may have caught some by surprise, the 23-year-old has always been confident that he'd be able to break through.
8. YOUNG AT HEART
While it may be easy for Orlando City SC to feel a little despondent following their recent run of form, morale in training is still high, thanks in no small part to the youthful exuberance of one 58-year-old goalkeeping coach.
9. NO LOAN FOR GERRARD?
LA Galaxy supporters wondering whether Steven Gerrard would be contemplating a return to Liverpool on a short-term, offseason loan this winter will surely have taken notice of the comments made by MLS Commissioner Don Garber which suggest that such a move is unlikely.
10. LOOK TO THE FUTURE
Garber spoke at the Soccerex global convention on Wednesday in London, sharing his thoughts on promotion-relegation, outlining his vision for MLS within the next 10 years and floating an idea about a competition between MLS and EPL clubs.
11. CAN THE USA REFOCUS?
Following a crushing defeat at the hands of Brazil, will the US national team be able to refocus ahead of the all-important Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico? The foundations of the team look to be in place but the result of that CONCACAF Cup match –tickets for which went on sale yesterday– will be crucial.
12. MEXICO FIND THEIR FORM
While the USA are still experimenting, Mexico seem to have rediscovered their own identity. The biggest question at the moment for El Tri is whether or not the federation should extend Ricardo Ferretti’s tenure, despite the fact that the interim manager already ruled himself out of the running for the full-time position.
13. CARL GETS OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE
How has Carl Robinson transformed the Vancouver Whitecaps from the team that missed the playoffs in 2013 to the young, vibrant side currently atop the Supporters' Shield standings? For the 39-year-old Welshman, now in his second-year leading the 'Caps, it's all about getting himself into some unusual, scary situations to unearth new talent.
14. FROM OHIO TO AUSTIN
Columbus defender Sergio Campbell won’t be playing any role for the MLS side in the immediate future, with the rookie joining Crew SC teammate Romain Gall on loan at the Austin Aztex.
15. COPY & PASTE
Former Chicago Fire and Mexican national team star Cuauhtémoc Blanco is getting set to assume the seat of Cuernavaca mayor after he was recently elected to the post. It appears the El Tri legend got an assist from Wikipedia during his campaign, turning to the popular site when registering his candidacy.
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