Kick Off: US begins with clean slate in Portugal | NYCFC moving for Toure?

Greg Seltzer

Here is everything you need to know about MLS and North American soccer this morning:

USMNT: Turning the page in Portugal

The US national team will start trying to put their World Cup 2018 qualifying failure in the rearview mirror when they visit Portugal for a friendly on Tuesday night (3:45 pm ET | FS1, UniMas, UDN). READ MORE

As usual, Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle gets you set up for the match by running down a few things to watch for as well as his preferred US lineup. READ MORE

Part of the new youth movement is New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams, who thinks he'll probably contribute in midfield. FC Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez is also hopeful that he can claim the No. 1 jersey against Portugal.

Next opponent lined up for USA

Meanhwile, the US national team has already set up their next friendly date. They will host Bosnia at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 28. READ MORE

Svensson, Sweden heading to Russia

You can add Seattle's Gustav Svensson to the list of MLS players with a shot at playing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The defensive handyman worked 71 important minutes of injury relief as the visitors knocked out playoff foe Italy with a clinching 0-0 draw in Milan on Monday night. READ MORE

USL season comes to a close

Sporting Kansas City's USL side Swope Park Rangers fell short for the second year in a row in their bid to claim the USL Cup, falling 1-0 to Louisville City in front of a sold-out crowd at Louisville Slugger Field. READ MORE

For a comprehensive breakdown of how the USL season impacted MLS in 2017, Charlie Boehm recounts the most influential cases and runs through all the numbers. READ MORE

Best stories of the year (so far)

Continuing our look back at the season that was, Sam Stejskal offers up his list of the top 10 MLS stories of 2017. READ MORE

Of course, one of those big stories was the start of the Video Review era in MLS. Breaking down the numbers since its August inception, PRO Manager of VAR Operations Howard Webb is encouraged by the results so far, but still sees room for improvement. READ MORE

Report: NYCFC chasing Toure?

According to freelance journalist Jeff Rueter, New York City FC have begun discussions with sister club Manchester City over midfielder Yaya Toure. READ MORE