This Week in MLS - February 26, 2018

This Week in MLS – February 26, 2018

• MLS is Back: MLS remains North America’s most competitive sports league
• LAFC preps for first ever MLS regular season action in hostile Seattle territory
• Toronto FC begin title defense in rematch of 2017 Eastern Conference Championship
• Captivating offenses on display when Houston hosts Atlanta
• FS1 doubleheader to feature impenetrable SKC defense, top finisher, MVP, and new-look Galaxy
• Five-team MLS group looks to extend CONCACAF Champions League stretch
• MLS Week 1: Match Notes

MLS remains North America’s most competitive sports league
MLS is Back with all 23 teams kicking off during an action-packed Opening Weekend that will feature six games on Saturday and four on Sunday, including the debut of expansion side the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), and an influx of both South American and young talents – all with a shot at capturing the coveted MLS Cup by season’s end.
With an unprecedented nine different champions in the past 11 seasons, MLS is set to begin yet another season as one of the most competitively balanced leagues in all of sport. Over the past 11 years, MLS ranks No. 1 in diversity of champions with more parity of title winners than the Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), Ligue 1 (France), the Bundesliga (Germany) and Serie A (Italy).

LAFC preps for first ever MLS regular season action in hostile Seattle territory
Los Angeles Football Club, Major League Soccer’s 23rd and newest expansion team, will play its first ever regular season match on Sunday at the unfriendly confines of Seattle Sounders FC’s CenturyLink Field (5 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN Deportes). LAFC enters the league with tremendous expectations, thanks to a star-studded and robust ownership group (including
Peter Guber, Magic Johnson
and
Will Ferrell
), a decorated head coach in
Bob Bradley,
and dynamic and young world class talents like Mexico’s
Carlos Vela
and 19-year-old Uruguayan
Diego Rossi
.
The expansion side will face an imposing first opponent in Seattle, the reigning two-time MLS Cup participants that narrowly lost out on a repeat title last season. Making matters even tougher will be the home crowd at CenturyLink Field, where Sounders FC has led MLS in attendance in seven of the previous eight seasons, last year finishing second in the league with 43,666 fans per game.
Seattle will rely on midfielder
Nicolás Lodeiro
to create a spark offensively for a club that finished third in the Western Conference last season with 52 goals. The defense, meanwhile, led by Román Torres, a potential participant in the 2018 FIFA World Cup for Panama, finished second in the Western Conference last season with 39 goals allowed. 
Toronto FC begin title defense in rematch of 2017 Eastern Conference Championship
The 2017 MLS Cup champions Toronto FC begin defense of their crown with a rematch of the 2017 Eastern Conference Championship as they host Columbus Crew SC on Saturday at BMO Field (1 p.m. ET / TSN 1/4/5). The match represents the first of 10 opening-week games.
TFC rewrote the history books last year with a record-breaking 2017 that included a league-best 69-point regular season to win the Supporters’ Shield, a Canadian Championship title and the club’s first MLS Cup with a 2-0 victory against 2016 champions Seattle Sounders FC. The Reds return the main crux of their championship squad, led by Italian forward Sebastian Giovinco and U.S. Men’s National Team staples Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley. Head coach Greg Vanney will have some added depth in 2018 that includes 22-year-old Brazilian outside back
Auro
, Dutch international
Gregory van der Wiel
, and the recent signing of 24-year-old Spanish midfielder
Ager Aketxe
.
Columbus hopes to play the role of spoiler and rebound from its 1-0 aggregate loss to Toronto in the 2017 conference final. Crew SC have added several key pieces this offseason, including a trade for 26-year-old U.S. MNT forward
Gyasi Zardes
, who produced 34 goals in 131 regular-season games with the LA Galaxy in his previous five seasons.
Crew SC closed out the 2017 regular season with a 10-game unbeaten streak and impressed with a deep run in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Toronto’s memorable 2017 included a league-leading 13 regular-season victories, setting up for one of the most anticipated Week 1 clashes of the 2018 MLS Regular Season.
Captivating offenses on display when Houston hosts Atlanta
Making a huge splash during the offseason, Atlanta United isn’t slowing down its fast-paced offense anytime soon as the second-year club travels to face a confident-at-home Houston Dynamo on Saturday at BBVA Compass Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET, Univision). Boasting a nearly unblemished home record last season (12-1-4), the Dynamo are returning the attacking Honduran duo of Alberth Elis (10 goals, 4 assists) and Romell Quioto (7 goals, 3 assists), who collectively accounted for 17 goals and seven assists during the 2017 season. The Dynamo will be met head-on by Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez, whose 19 goals were the fourth-best in MLS last season, alongside midfield architect Miguel Almirón, who is now controlling the center of the park with veteran midfielder Darlington Nagbe and 18-year-old Argentine Ezequiel Barco.
FS1 doubleheader to feature impenetrable SKC defense, top finisher, MVP, and new-look Galaxy
Closing the weekend with a Soccer Sunday doubleheader on FS1, Sporting Kansas City’s rock-solid defense featuring 2017 MLS Defender of the Year Ike Opara and Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Tim Melia will welcome New York City FC and one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers David Villa to the always raucous Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday, March 4 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1 / TSN). Melia, who held opponents to a league-low 26 goals in 34 regular games, and Opara, an influential factor in all 11 of the club’s shutouts last season, could have their hands full with Villa’s world-class finishing that includes 63 goals in the last three seasons, including at least 22 in each of his last two campaigns.
The FS1 doubleheader continues with the new-look LA Galaxy ready to redeem their dead-last finish in MLS last season, when they play host to the Portland Timbers, 2017’s Western Conference regular season No. 1, and reigning 2017 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Diego Valeri, who led the way with 21 goals and 11 assists last season – one of only two MLS players to ever score 20 goals and add 10 assists. The Timbers look to return forward Fanendo Adi to the lineup, but the Galaxy could have a strong attack of their own with the return of U.S. National Team midfielder Sebastian Lletget and newly acquired Ola Kamara, who put away 18 goals last year to finish the season among the top-five finishers last season.
Garde preps for Impact coaching debut, heads to Vancouver for Canadian derby
New Montreal Impact head coach
Rémi Garde
will be thrown into the fray with a tough Canadian rival when his side visits Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Sunday at BC Place (6 p.m. ET / TVA Sports and TSN 1/3). The fifth coach in the Impact’s MLS history, Garde played and coached for Lyon in France’s Ligue 1, managed Aston Villa in the Premier League and capped off his playing career with Premier League powerhouse Arsenal.
The French coach is among a number of offseason changes after the Impact missed the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2014. The organization brought in a mix of international talent and MLS championship experience. Following the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft, the Impact made a trade with the Los Angeles Football Club to acquire 2017 MLS Cup winner
Raheem Edwards
(formerly of Toronto FC) and Finnish defender
Jukka Raitala
(formerly of Columbus Crew SC). The Impact also garnered Algeria national team midfielder and France native
Saphir Taïder
and former Queens Park Rangers defender
Michael Petrasso
to help turn around a Montreal defense that conceded the third-most goals in the Eastern Conference last year.
Vancouver is coming off a third-place finish in the Western Conference that saw the club advance to the conference semifinals for the second time in three years. Whitecaps FC return a solid corps from last season, led by a couple of players who are likely to feature prominently in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Peruvian striker
Yordy Reyna
and Costa Rican defender
Kendall Waston
. Vancouver also acquired some substantial experience in Mexican midfielder
Efraín Juárez
and forward
Kei Kamara
who enters the season just two regular-season goals shy of 100 during his illustrious MLS career.
Five-team MLS group looks to extend CONCACAF Champions League stretch
The five MLS sides competing in the CONCACAF Champions League hope to extend their tournament in the second leg, which takes place this week.
Toronto FC
host the
Colorado Rapids
on Tuesday while
FC Dallas
(Wednesday), the
New York Red Bulls
(Thursday) and
Seattle Sounders FC
(Thursday) return home in their respective Leg 2 matches. The tournament winner qualifies for the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup hosted by the United Arab Emirates in December:

• Toronto FC vs. Colorado Rapids (Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET / univisiondeportes.com; Galavision (tape delay) – Looking to add to their trophy case, Toronto FC got off to a strong start in CCL action when they traveled to bitterly cold Commerce City, Colo., to earn a 2-0 victory against the Colorado Rapids last Tuesday in Leg 1. Second-half goals from Jonathan Osorio and Sebastian Giovinco, combined with a clean sheet from goalkeeper Alex Bono, put the Reds in prime position to advance to the quarterfinals in front of their home fans at BMO Field.
  
• FC Dallas vs. Tauro FC (Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET / univisiondeportes.com; Galavision (tape delay) – FC Dallas return to Toyota Stadium needing to make up for a one-goal deficit following the opening leg against Panamanian side Tauro FC. FC Dallas created multiple chances but dropped a 1-0 decision last Wednesday at Estadio Rommel Fernandez. Tauro’s Edwin Aguilar headed home the lone goal as FC Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez got his gloves on the shot but watched the ball trickle over the goal line in the 57th minute.
  
• New York Red Bulls vs. CD Olimpia (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET / UDN) – New York heads back to Red Bull Arena following a 1-1 draw against CD Olimpia at Estadio Nacional in Costa Rica last week. Bradley Wright-Philips lifted the Red Bulls with a perfectly placed long-distance cross, with Daniel Royer elevating to finish a header and giving New York a crucial away goal in the 31^st minute. A victory or scoreless draw would see the Red Bulls advance through to the CCL quarterfinals against either Honduran club F.C. Motagua or Liga MX side Club Tijuana.
  
• Seattle Sounders FC vs. Santa Tecla FC (Thursday, 10 p.m. ET / UDN) – After dropping Leg 1 against Santa Tecla FC 2-1 in El Salvador, Sounders FC look to rebound in front of its home fans on Thursday at CenturyLink Field. Midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro scored the game’s opening goal in the 15^th minute to give Seattle an important away goal heading into Leg 2. Sounders FC could use more of Lodeiro’s magic to overcome the one-goal deficit, needing at least a victory to advance to the quarterfinals where Seattle would face the winner of Chivas de Guadalajara and Dominican club Cibao FC.
  

MLS Week 1: Match Notes
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew SC, 1 p.m. (TSN)

• The teams met in a gripping Eastern Conference Championship last year, Toronto FC winning the tie 1-0 on aggregate, with a goal from Jozy Altidore in the second leg at home that booked TFC’s place in MLS Cup.
  
• The teams also met three times in the regular season a year ago, TFC winning two, once on each ground. TFC have won the last two league meetings at BMO Field, including a 5-0 win there last May 26 in the only regular season encounter. Crew SC have not scored in their last four visits to Toronto in all competitions, now 360 minutes since their last goal at BMO Field.
  
• TFC face their regular season opener after the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League round-of-16 series vs. the Colorado Rapids. TFC took the first leg 2-0 in Commerce City, behind goals from Jonathan Osorio and Sebastian Giovinco.
  
• Crew SC won the Carolina Challenge Cup for a second consecutive year to close out their preseason, including a 3-1 win against Atlanta United and a 2-0 victory against Minnesota United FC.
  

Houston Dynamo vs. Atlanta United, 3:30 p.m. (Univisión)

• The teams met once in Atlanta United’s inaugural season. Miguel Almíron scored a hat trick and Julian Gressel added a fourth as ATLUTD claimed a 4-1 win May 20 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
  
• The Dynamo finished their preseason campaign undefeated, despite losing on penalty kicks to the New England Revolution following a 1-1 draw in the final of the Mini Sun Cup in Tucson, Ariz. Over the preseason, the Dynamo also defeated the New York Red Bulls 5-0, and drew 1-1 with the Portland Timbers.
  
• Atlanta United concluded the Carolina Challenge Cup with a goalless draw with the host Charleston Battery of the USL. ATLUTD played to a 1-1 draw with Minnesota United FC, also falling 3-1 to Columbus Crew SC.
  

Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution, 7 p.m.

• Union recorded a win with two losses in the Suncoast Invitational preseason tournament in Tampa, including a 5-0 win against the Montréal Impact and a 2-1 loss to D.C. United.
  
• The Revolution concluded the preseason by winning the Mini Sun Cup in Tucson, Ariz., defeating the Houston Dynamo on penalty kicks in the final after a 1-1 draw. Leading up to the final, the Revs drew 1-1 with FC Dallas and defeated Sporting Kansas City, 2-1.
  
• The teams met twice a season ago, each winning by a 3-0 scoreline on their home ground. CJ Sapong, Ilsinho and Roland Alberg scored for Union in their win July 2 at Talen Energy Stadium; Kei Kamara netted twice and Juan Agudelo scored in the Revolution win July 29 at Gillette Stadium.
  
• The Revolution win in the last meeting ended a three-game Union winning streak in the series, where they had outscored New England 10-0.
  

Orlando City SC vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.

• Orlando City SC has a three-game winning streak alive in the series, winning both meetings a year ago, a 2-0 win May 31 at Orlando City Stadium, then a 2-1 triumph Sept. 9 at RFK Stadium.
  
• Orlando City SC have won their last three home meetings in the series, since D.C. United claimed a 1-0 win in the first encounter ever between the clubs, April 3, 2015 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.
  
• OCSC ended their preseason with a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Fire at Orlando City Stadium in a closed-door scrimmage. Orlando City also faced Real Salt Lake in a pair of 75-minute practice matches on the same day Feb. 17, winning both (3-2, 2-0), and also defeated Philadelphia Union in a pair of 75-minute tuneup contests.
  
• D.C. United closed out its preseason campaign with a 4-2 win against Las Vegas Lights FC at Cashman Field in Las Vegas. United ended the preseason 3-1-0, including a 2-1 win against Philadelphia Union in the Rowdies Suncoast Invitational in Tampa.
  

FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake, 8 p.m.

• FC Dallas make their 2018 Toyota Stadium debut Wednesday in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League round-of-16 series vs. Tauro FC of Panamá, looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. The FCD preseason campaign also included a 2-1 win against the Portland Timbers and 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution, both in Tucson, Ariz.
  
• RSL ended their preseason with a 2-1 win against New York City FC on Feb. 22 in Orlando. RSL’s preparations also included a pair of losses in 75-minute closed-door matches at Orlando City SC, and a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes in Tucson, Ariz.
  

• The teams met twice a year ago, and FCD rolled to a pair of victories. Maximiliano Urruti scored a pair of goals as FCD cruised to a 3-0 win, May 6 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Then on June 3 at Toyota Stadium, FC Dallas matched their club record in a 6-2 win as Roland Lamah scored a hat trick in the opening 31 minutes of the game, matching the second-quickest three goals by a player from the start of a game in MLS history.
  
• RSL is 1-13-2 at FC Dallas all-time in league games between the clubs, FCD winning the last four meetings there. FC Dallas has also won a home game in the MLS Cup Playoffs (in 2010) and a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal (in 2011). The lone RSL win in Frisco came July 13, 2013, a 3-0 victory.
  

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Minnesota United FC, 10:30 p.m.

• The teams met twice in Minnesota United’s inaugural campaign, the Earthquakes winning both. Florian Jungwirth scored the game’s lone goal in a Quakes win April 29 at TCF Bank Stadium; on Decision Day, Marco Ureña scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time to give the Quakes a dramatic 3-2 victory that secured their place in the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs.
  
• The Quakes ended their preseason schedule with a pair of closed-door scrimmages against USL affliliate Reno 1868 FC, preparations which included a 4-2 win against the LA Galaxy on Feb. 17 in Irvine, Calif. and draws with the Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake.
  
• MNUFC completed their preseason calendar with a 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew SC in the final match of the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, S.C., also reaching a 1-1 draw with Atlanta United in the event.
  

Sunday, March 4, 2018
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

• Sounders FC will open their 2018 MLS campaign after the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League round-of-16 series with Santa Tecla FC of El Salvador. Sounders FC dropped the first leg 2-1 on Feb. 22, the Seattle goal coming from Nicolas Lodeiro.
  
• Sounders FC also played a pair of preseason matches against MLS competition, winning both, defeating the Portland Timbers and Columbus Crew SC both by 2-1 scorelines.
  
• LAFC concluded its inaugural preseason campaign with a 1-0 win against USL side Sacramento Republic FC on Sunday afternoon. LAFC’s preparations also included a 4-4 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, a 1-1 draw with New York City FC and a 2-2 draw with Toronto FC.
  

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Montreal Impact, 6 p.m. (TSN)

• Whitecaps FC completed their preseason schedule with a 2-1 win Saturday against the LA Galaxy at StubHub Center. The ‘Caps ended their preparations with five wins and a draw in seven preseason matches, including a second win against the Galaxy earlier last week, and three wins against Japanese clubs while claiming the Pacific Rim Cup in Hawai’i in early February.
  
• The Impact closed out their preseason with a 2-2 draw with New York City FC in the Rowdies Suncoast Invitational in Tampa last weekend. The Impact also suffered a 5-0 defeat by Philadelphia Union in the event, also defeating the host Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-1.
  
• Whitecaps FC won the lone league meeting between the teams a year ago, a 2-1 win April 29 at Stade Saputo. The Impact have come away with points on each of their last two league visits to BC Place; Whitecaps FC have won two of the three league encounters in Montréal in MLS play.
  
• The teams also met in the Canadian Championship semifinals, the Impact winning the tie 5-4 on aggregate, thanks to a 4-2 win in the second leg at Stade Saputo. It was the third time in five years the clubs had met in the Canadian Championship, the previous two coming in the finals, with each team winning once (Montréal in 2013; Vancouver in 2015).
  

Sporting Kansas City vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. (FS1; TSN)

• Sporting ended their preseason with a 4-2-1 record, following a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers in their final match in the Mini Sun Cup in Tucson, Ariz. Sporting’s run in the event also included a 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution and a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls.
  
• NYCFC concluded their season preparations with a 2-2 draw with the Montréal Impact on Saturday in their final match in the Rowdies Suncoast Invitational in Tampa. During their preseason schedule, NYCFC also defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1 and drew 1-1 with LAFC, also defeating Real Salt Lake 2-1 in a closed-door scrimmage.
  
• New York City FC won the lone meeting between the clubs a year ago on Sept. 6 at Yankee Stadium, their first win in the all-time series between the teams. The game’s lone goal came from Jack Harrison.
  
• Sporting won each of the first two years in the first meetings in the series, including a 3-1 in 2016 in the only encounter at Children’s Mercy Park.
  

LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers, 10 p.m. (FS1; TSN)

• The Galaxy completed their preseason efforts with a 2-1 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday at StubHub Center. The Galaxy ended the preseason with a 2-4-0 record, defeating NYCFC 3-0 before also suffering defeats by Vancouver (0-2) and the San Jose Earthquakes (2-4).
  
• The Timbers ended their preseason work in Tucson, Ariz. with a 2-2-1 record against MLS sides, concluding the stretch with back-to-back wins vs. New York Red Bulls (4-1) and Sporting Kansas City (3-2).
  
• The teams met twice a year ago, and the Timbers won both matches. Diego Chara scored the game’s only goal as the Timbers took the victory March 12 at StubHub Center, then on Aug. 6, Valeri netted again – the second game in his MLS-record nine-game goalscoring streak – as the Timbers claimed a 3-1 triumph at Providence Park.
  
• The win at StubHub Center was just the second all-time in Carson for the Timbers, the only previous a 5-2 win Oct. 18, 2015, which also snapped a five-game winless streak vs. the Galaxy.
  
• The Timbers’ win at Providence Park was their first in a home game vs. the Galaxy since Sept. 29, 2013, ending a three-game winless streak in Portland in the series (0-1-2).