Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning:
1. SOUNDERS ELIMINATE DEFENDING CHAMPS
The Seattle Sounders knocked the defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy out of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs following an entertaining 3-2 victory (HIGHLIGHTS) late Wednesday night. The Sounders are relishing their postseason success over their Western Conference rivals, especially game-winning hero Erik Friberg, but LA believe they basically gave the game away.
2. UNITED MAKE A COMEBACK
In an earlier but similarly wild Knockout Round game, D.C. United came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution (HIGHLIGHTS), with United goalkeeper Bill Hamid playing a large part in United’s success by continuously denying the Revs. After D.C. United failed to take advantage of one penalty kick, the Revolution thought they should have had one of their own in the dying minutes of the game, and the no-call led to Jermaine Jones seeing red in more ways than one.
3. CAN TFC STOP DROGBA?
The Montreal Impact host Toronto FC in the first of tonight’s two Knockout Round games (7 pm ET, UniMás in the US, TSN 1/4/5, RDS1 in Canada). TFC manager Greg Vanney may be doing a great job of bringing out the best in some of the club's Canadian players but they’ll certainly have their hands full tonight trying to contain Didier Drogba – once again voted Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month. Montreal, meanwhile, hope Sunday's second half is a blueprint for success.
4. CONFIDENT TIMBERS READY FOR THE PLAYOFFS
In the final game of the Knockout Round phase, the Portland Timbers host Sporting Kansas City (10 pm ET, UniMás in the US, TSN 1/4/5 in Canada). The Timbers enter the game full of confidence following their recent explosion in front of goal, while for Sporting KC, Matt Besler is continuing to grow into his role as captain and identified Darlington Nagbe as Portland's danger man.
5. MIAZGA LOOKING TO MAKE HIS MARK
The New York Red Bulls are looking to advance all the way to the MLS Cup final this season, and recently returned Matt Miazga will likely be key to their postseason fortunes. The club also have goalkeeper Ryan Meara back from New York City FC– although he isn’t eligible for the playoffs – and still expect big things from Gonzalo Verón in the future.
6. WASTON HAUNTED BY LAST YEAR’S EXIT
Wednesday's Knockout Round handball controversy was reminiscent of last year, when the Vancouver Whitecaps were dumped out of the playoffs on a penalty kick, and the player at the center of the decision, Kendall Waston, is determined not to let something like that happen again this year.
7. CATCHING FIRE
Reports have indicated Mike Petke is one of the names, but apparently the Chicago Fire have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of applications they’ve received for the vacant head coach position, and general manager Nelson Rodriguez is more than happy with the available candidates.
8. ZLATAN FOR MIAMI?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is once again being linked with a move to Florida, although this time it’s apparently to join up with David Beckham’s yet to be confirmed MLS club in Miami.
9. ANOTHER UNION ANNOUNCEMENT
It’s been a busy week for the Philadelphia Union in terms of announcements, and the Eastern Conference side had one more in store for us yesterday, revealing that Brendan Burke will become the first head coach of the new Bethlehem Steel.
10. MAKE MORE OF THE RIVALRY
The quarterfinals of the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League see four MLS vs. Liga MX showdowns, but the two leagues still need to do more to capitalize on the USA vs. Mexico rivalry, according to Mexican soccer federation president Decio de Maria.
11. MEXICO MARCH ON
While the US Under-17 World Cup adventure may have come crashing to a halt last week, Mexico are still going strong, beating hosts Chile 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
12. JOHANNSSON SET FOR LAYOFF
Aron Jóhannsson seems likely to miss the start of World Cup qualifying after the US international underwent surgery this week. There is no timetable currently set for the Werder Bremen forward’s return, however.
13. CARTER-VICKERS EXTENDS HIS STAY IN LONDON
There was good news for one US national team prospect, though, as Cameron Carter-Vickers signed a contract extension with Tottenham Hotspur that will keep him at the club until 2018. Might we see him one day teaming up with DeAndre Yedlin in the Spurs defense?
14. EL SALVADOR HAVE ISSUES
The next stage of Canada’s World Cup qualifying campaign gets underway next month, but one of their group opponents, El Salvador, appear to be falling apart at the worst possible time.
15. BLATTER WEIGHS IN ON 2022
Was the 2022 World Cup supposed to come to the US? It was if you believe a recent interview with beleaguered FIFA president Sepp Blatter, although it seems there may have been a slight problem with the translation.
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