The MLS regular season is almost here. How do we know? Well, the annual Portland preseason tournament -- this year it's called the Simple Invitational -- took centerstage on Sunday with a doubleheader at Portland's Providence Park.
- Chicago Fire 0, Stabæk 0 | RECAP | REPLAY
- Portland Timbers 0, Vancouver Whitecaps 1 | RECAP | REPLAY
Follow all of today's news and updates from MLS training camps below, and for the entire preseason schedule, click here.
INJURY BLOW TO TIMBERS
He was supposed to be Will Johnson's replacement to start the 2015 season, but defensive midfielder Ben Zemanski will be nursing an injury of his own after what transpired in the first half of Sunday's match against Vancouver when he hit the deck clutching his knee. The worst-case scenario materialized:
EX-TIMBER DOWNS TIMBERS
And to rub salt into the Timbers' wound was ex-Portland center back Pa Modou Kah, who headed home a Mauro Rosales cross to give the Whitecaps the 1-0 win at Providence Park on Sunday. Kah's celebration was measured, but that didn't prevent the Timbers faithful from dishing out the boos.
KAKA IN FOCUS
Orlando City drew 1-1 with their expansion brethren New York City FC in Charleston last night, and while we've already shared the full match video (see below), those with a single-minded devotion to OCSC's Brazilian superstar playmaker may also be interested in this footage.
It attempts to showcase every touch by Kaka, who was active and inventive "in the hole" for Orlando. Are we seeing more hints of just how dominant the former FIFA World Player of the Year could be in his debut MLS season? Answers in the comments section below, please...
SAVOR THE SHIELD
Let's be honest: As much as it's grown in the consciousness of players and fans alike over the years, the Supporters' Shield is probably still underrated.
The prize given to the best club in the MLS regular season, the Shield is a fan-driven creation, and those who understand the daily grind of a long, tough year know how sweet it is to lift this particular trophy after that 34-game marathon.
Last season the Seattle Sounders got to claim this honor for the first time, inspiring powerful emotions throughout the Rave Green nation. Longtime MLS veteran Marco Pappa recently sat down to explain those feelings:
FRESH-FACED FIRE
The Chicago Fire put in plenty of hard work across the pond in the England-based phase of their preseason, and on Sunday they'll get a chance to showcase their preparations in front of a domestic audience.
The Fire are ready to meet Norwegian club Stabæk at Providence Park in the opening match of the Simple Invitational tournament in Portland, a reunion with the club's first-ever and perhaps most successful manager, Bob Bradley (5:30 pm ET, live stream on Chicago-Fire.com and CSNChicago.com). Bradley helped write Chicago's rich history -- history that Fire rookie Matt Polster tapped into with his choice of jersey number -- with unprecedented achievements in their early years, including the MLS Cup title as an expansion team in 1998.
However, much of the current focus centers on the club's high-powered threesome of attacking newcomers David Accam, Kennedy Igboananike and Shaun Maloney, who might appear together for the first time this evening:
RIGHT BACK AT IT
It's the day after Orlando City tied their expansion counterparts New York City FC 1-1 at the Carolina Challenge Cup (watch FULL MATCH here) and it's time for the reserves are to get some action as they face the College of Charleston on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Brek Shea, who played on Saturday, stayed active in his own way:
FOUR MORE YEARS
Steven Caldwell may be 34, but he has no plans of retiring any time soon. In fact, he thinks he has several more seasons left in him.
“By no means do I think this will be the last,” Caldwell told the Toronto Sun. “If Toronto wants me, fantastic. I don’t want to leave this place. I love the club, I love the city. If Toronto does want me to leave then I’ll go somewhere else to a team that appreciates me more.”
Caldwell featured in Saturday's 1-0 preseason win over HB Koge. Read the full interview with the Sun's Kurt Larson here.
48 HOURS TO GO
The first competitive match of the season is nearly 48 hours away when the Montreal Impact take on Pachuca in Mexico in the opening leg of their Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series.
Pachuca won their Liga MX match on Saturday, beating Leon 2-1 (watch the highlights here). The Impact no doubt had their eyes on it, as they apply the final touches to their preparations today in Mexico:
