Friday will be spent preparing for clubs' final preseason games to be played on the jam-packed Saturday schedule below:
- Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United (12:30 pm, Tucson, AZ)
- Toronto FC vs. Costa Rica U-23s, IMG Suncoast Pro Classic (2:30 pm, Bradenton, FL)
- Columbus Crew SC vs. OKC Energy, IMG Suncoast Pro Classic (5 pm, Bradenton, FL) | STREAM
- San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy (5 pm, San Jose, CA)
- Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo, Carolina Challenge Cup (5 pm, Charleston, SC)
- Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Chicago Fire, Simple Invitational (5:30 pm, Portland, OR)
- New England Revolution vs. FC Tucson, Desert Diamond Cup (6:30 pm, Tucson, AZ) | STREAM
- Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle Sounders, Desert Diamond Cup (7 pm, Tucson, AZ) | STREAM
- New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union, IMG Suncoast Pro Classic (7:30 pm, Bradenton, FL) | STREAM
- New York City FC vs. Charleston Battery, Carolina Challenge Cup (7:30 pm, Charleston, SC)
- FC Dallas vs. San Antonio Scorpions (8 pm, San Antonio, TX)
- Portland Timbers vs. Stabaek, Simple Invitational (8 pm, Portland, OR)
- Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake, Desert Diamond Cup (9 pm, Tucson, AZ) | STREAM
For now, you can follow all of today's news and updates from MLS training camps below, and for the entire preseason schedule, click here.
RAPIDS RE-SIGN THREE
The Colorado Rapids have undergone plenty of turnover in the last few months, but on Friday confirmed the presence of three more holdovers on the 2015 roster when they announced they had re-signed midfielders Carlos Alvarez and Nick LaBrocca, and signed defender Marc Burch to a new contract.
LaBrocca, 30, was originally drafted by the Rapids in 2007, and spent time with Toronto FC and Chivas USA before returning to Colorado in 2013. He made his 200th MLS appearance on June 28, 2014. Alvarez, 24, was the second overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft by Chivas USA and arrived in Colorado in a trade in July 2014. Burch, 30, has been in the league since 2006, playing for the LA Galaxy, Columbus, D.C. United and Seattle before arriving in Colorado in Stage One of the 2013 Re-Entry Draft, and is known for his accurate service from either the left back or left midfield positions.
LIGA MX IN DALLAS
FC Dallas' Toyota Stadium is set to play host to an intriguing friendly matchup of Liga MX teams, as it was announced Friday that Puebla and Queretaro would meet in Frisco on March 29. Puebla boast soon-to-retire Mexico legend Cuauhtemoc Blanco, plus American duo Herculez Gomez, while Queretaro currently employ the services of former FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho. Tickets are available online at ToyotaStadiumDallas.com.
BOB BRADLEY IN DEPTH
The Portland Timbers welcomed Norway's Stabaek IF to the Rose City this week for the Simple Invitational, and did not miss the opportunity to have a fascinating chat with head coach Bob Bradley.
The US Soccer Hall of Famer and former US national team coach sat down with Timbers broadcaster Jake Zivin to discuss a variety of topics, including his experience in Norway, his preseason visit to Portland, soccer culture in the Rose City and more. Watch it here.
WRAPPING UP IN BRADENTON
Toronto FC worked through the final training session of their preseason camp in balmy Bradenton, Florida on Friday morning, as their countdown to next weekend's season opener at Vancouver intensifies.
Friday was a relatively quiet occasion for the Reds, who had a busy Thursday marked by the unveiling of their new home kits and a scrimmage against their "little sister" club Toronto FC II (see below). On Saturday they'll face off against the Costa Rica U-23 national team in their final preseason match, then jet out of Southwest Florida and train their full focus on the Whitecaps.
