Kick Off: MLS documentary airs on FS1 tonight | NY teams tune up for derby

Greg Seltzer

Here are the top soccer stories everyone’s talking about this morning:

East Topper

New York City FC boss Patrick Vieira was pleased with the way his team managed a difficult road match on Wednesday night, as they posted a 1-1 draw against Toronto FC to claim sole possession of first place in the East. Kwadwo Poku had the stunning opening goal, as NYCFC look ahead to Saturday afternoon's clash against their rival Red Bulls (3 pm ET, FOX).

Red Bullish

The New York Red Bulls, for their part, ably tuned up for their weekend derby clash with NYCFC by blanking the Chicago Fire on Wednesday. It was a well-worked goal by Mike Grella which got the job done.

Gotham to Ghana

There are no MLS matches on Thursday, but there's a new MLS documentary film premiering on FS1 tonight at 8 pm ET: Gotham to Ghana tells the story of NY rivals and fellow Ghanaians Kwadwo Poku (NYCFC) and Lloyd Sam (NY Red Bulls) as cameras follow them on a trip to Africa, where they rediscover their family roots.

Puzzle Pieces

Back to NYCFC for a moment, our Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle says they'll have quite the midfield dilemma once the returning Frank Lampard is fit to start.

And The Award Goes To...

Major League Soccer beat back quite the competition to claim the Sports League of the Year honor at the Sports Business Awards.

Injury Reports

Portland are breathing a sigh of relief ahead of Sunday's Cascadia match vs. Vancouver (4:30 pm ET on ESPN in USA and TSN in Canada), what with strike ace Fanendo Adi's hamstring being deemed minor. The news is not so good for Orlando City, who will lose midfielder Darwin Ceren for 5-6 weeks. Ahead of their grudge match with San Jose, the Galaxy have seen Nigel de Jong return to full training.

Clasico Conditioning

Staying on the topic of the Cali Clasico, there will be several intersecting storylines when San Jose visits LA on Sunday (7 pm ET, FS1 in USA and MLS LIVE in Canada). Galaxy attacker Giovani dos Santos says he's improving every week for boss Bruce Arena. Speaking of Da Bruce, Quakes head coach Dom Kinnear denies the existence of a personal rivalry with his Los Angeles counterpart; he's just aiming to take the points home.

A Changed Man

Vancouver forward Erik Hurtado says his attitude was altered by last season's loan stint in Norway.

That Was Then, This Is Now

Though Philly Union striker C.J. Sapong happily admits growing up as a D.C. United fan, he'll surely aim to show that's all in the past when the Eastern rivals clash in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday night (7 pm ET, UniMás in USA and MLS LIVE in Canada).

One Goes Out, One Comes In

With strike star Kei Kamara now out the door, Columbus are turning to a new model for goals: confident replacement Ola Kamara. He'll have the chance to play hero when the Crew re-ignite the Trillium Cup rivalry with Toronto this Saturday (5 pm ET on MLS LIVE).

Personnel Files

Boca Juniors playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro was already linked with Montreal Impact interest, and now a Uruguayan report claims he also has a Seattle Sounders offer. Also, Stoke City defender Dionatan Teixeira has begun an Orlando City trial.

A Matter Of Heart

Fresh D.C. United recruit Alhaji Kamara has been given a new lease on soccer life after being told by European doctors that he was unfit to play.

International Business

Toronto FC star Sebastian Giovinco is still waiting by the phone to see if a Euro 2016 call will come from Italy. The summons has already come for FC Dallas midfielder Carlos Gruezo, who has been named to Ecuador's final roster for Copa America.

Camp Tales

Though still as motivated as ever, USMNT veteran ace Clint Dempsey's perspective has changed. On the other end of the experience spectrum, young defender Matt Miazga is hoping to make a Copa America contribution. Meanwhile, Hertha Berlin are not exactly tickled about another summer of international duty for fellow back liner John Anthony Brooks.

On The Move

English club Barnsley, who have one leg in the League One promotion final, are (along with Portsmouth) showing great interest in signing impending Huddersfield Town free agent American Duane Holmes.

Special Guest

On Sunday, Sporting KC welcomed a 10-year-old cancer survivor to Children's Mercy Park, giving him the red carpet treatment as part of the club's Victory Project.