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They lifted the Rocky Mountain Cup for a fourth consecutive year on Saturday, climbed to second in the Western Conference, and Real Salt Lake are also the biggest movers in the Pro Soccer USA Power Rankings in Week 25. They move up seven spots after beating the Colorado Rapids 2-0 in convincing fashion.
Conversely, the New York Red Bulls have the most precipitous drop, falling five spots following a Hudson River Derby 2-1 defeat to New York City FC, who remain unchanged at No. 3 behind rivalry week winners LAFC and Atlanta United.
The Major League Soccer Power Rankings are created by averaging the rankings submitted by a committee of Pro Soccer USA’s editors and writers.
(1) Los Angeles Football Club (19-3-5, 62 points): After pounding the San Jose Earthquakes, LAFC rallied from an early 3-1 deficit to earn a 3-3 El Trafico draw with the LA Galaxy. (2) Atlanta United (15-9-3, 48 points): Josef Martinez extended an MLS record to 12 consecutive games with a goal and Atlanta United remained undefeated against Orlando City SC, winning 1-0 at Exploria Stadium. (3) New York City FC (13-5-8, 47 points): A six-point week was highlighted by a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls with Maxi Moralez and Heber scoring unanswered goals as NYCFC remained one point out of first place in the East. (4) Philadelphia Union (14-8-6, 48 points): Kacper Przybylko, Brenden Aaronson and Ilsinho scored inside the opening 36 minutes en route to a 3-1 home win over D.C. United which kept the Union level on points with first-place Atlanta United. (12) Real Salt Lake (13-10-4, 43 points): Joao Plata struck for a stoppage-time penalty kick and Jefferson Savarino added an insurance goal in a 2-0 win over rival Colorado as RSL have won four out of five and secured points in seven of eight. (7) Seattle Sounders FC (12-8-7, 43 points): It’s back-to-back Cascadia Cups for the Sounders, who defeated the Portland Timbers, 2-1, at Providence Park Friday on goals by Cristian Roldan and Raul Ruidiaz. (9) LA Galaxy (13-11-3, 42 points): Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored an early brace and Carlos Pavon added a goal as the Galaxy remain unbeaten against LAFC in a 3-3 draw at Banc of California Stadium. (5) Minnesota United FC (12-9-6, 42 points): Fielding a rotated lineup ahead of Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup final against Atlanta United, the Loons suffered a 1-0 loss at Sporting Kansas City on Thursday. (8) New England Revolution (10-9-8, 38 points): Gustavo Bou scored the winning goal four minutes from full time to lift the Revs to a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire. Bruce Arena’s squad has points in 14 of the last 15 games. (10) San Jose Earthquakes (12-10-5, 41 points): The Quakes bounced back from a lopsided loss at LAFC to defeat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Avaya Stadium as Judson, Chris Wondolowski and Andres Rios scored a goal apiece. (6) New York Red Bulls (12-11-5, 41 points): A win at D.C. United was followed by a loss at NYCFC as the Red Bulls’ search for consistent results continues. (13) FC Dallas (11-10-7, 40 points): Reto Ziegler and Jesus Ferreira scored five minutes apart midway through the first half, Zdenek Ondrasek struck for a second-half brace and Michael Barrios scored in second-half stoppage time in a 5-1 rout of rival Houston. (11) Portland Timbers (11-11-4, 37 points): Diego Valeri scored on a deflected free kick in the 54th minute, but the Timbers couldn’t find an equalizer and fell to the Sounders 2-1 at home, their second straight home defeat. (15) Toronto FC (10-10-7, 37 points): Marky Delgado and Justin Morrow scored second-half goals as Toronto FC extended an unbeaten run to three straight games and moved above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 win over the Montreal Impact. (14) D.C. United (10-10-9, 39 points): A pair of rivalry week defeats to the New York Red Bulls and the Philadelphia Union make it three straight defeats ahead of a trip to Montreal in a pivotal match for both sides. (19) Sporting Kansas City (9-11-7, 34 points): Erik Hurtado scored the lone goal two minutes from full time to secure a second straight win for Sporting, which moved within six points of the playoff line in the Western Conference. (17) Chicago Fire (8-12-9, 33 points): The Fire’s playoff hopes took a huge hit Saturday night, losing 2-1 to the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Next up is a must-win game against Columbus Crew SC. (18) Montreal Impact (10-14-4, 34 points): Wilmer Cabrera’s debut went as well as Remi Garde’s final game in charge as the Impact fell to Toronto FC 2-1 in the Canadian Classique. (16) Orlando City SC (9-12-7, 34 points): The Lions weren’t able to put away a bevy of chances and were again punished by Josef Martinez in a 1-0 loss. (20) Columbus Crew SC (8-15-6, 30 points): Gyasi Zardes scored a first-half brace and Luis Diaz added a goal in the first minute of first-half stoppage time in a 3-1 Hell is Real win at FC Cincinnati. (21) Colorado Rapids (7-14-6, 27 points): Winless in their last three, including a 2-0 Rocky Mountain Cup defeat at Real Salt Lake, the Rapids have hired Robin Fraser to right the ship as head coach. (22) Houston Dynamo (9-14-4, 31 points): Memo Rodriguez scored the Dynamo’s lone goal in a 5-1Texas Derby defeat at FC Dallas, extending Houston’s winless streak to six games. (23) Vancouver Whitecaps FC (6-13-9, 27 points): Maxime Crepeau set a dubious MLS record by making 16 saves as 43 shots were fired in his direction with 19 on target — also league records — in a 3-1 loss at San Jose. (24) FC Cincinnati (5-19-3, 18 points): Kekuta Manneh scored in the 89th minute, but it wasn’t enough to make up for three goals conceded in the opening 45 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Columbus, extending a winless run to seven games.Pro Soccer USA writers Dylan Butler, Julian Cardillo, Marco Cummings, Chris Fuhrmeister, Robert Jonas and Joe Tansey contributed to this report.
The post MLS Power Rankings Week 25: Real Salt Lake rise, New York Red Bulls fall appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Dylan Butler, Pro Soccer USA
The Colorado Rapids traveled to Sandy, Utah on Saturday night facing a two-goal deficit in the Rocky Mountain Cup.
After going scoreless for nearly the entire match, the game changed when Kei Kamara was issued a straight red card in the 89th minute for a high, lunging tackle against RSL’s Brooks Lennon.
Two minutes later, the hosts appeared to notch a game-winner, but Damir Kreilach’s goal was ruled offside following video review. In the 95th minute, a handball in the box was called on Rapids defender Lalas Abubakar, and Joao Plata buried the effort despite Tim Howard getting a hand on the shot. Finally, Jefferson Savarino capped the match at 2-0 with his goal in the 99th minute.
Here are three takeaways from Colorado’s 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake:
The last battle of the Titans
Saturday’s game marked the last time fans will see the faceoff between close friends and former bunk mates Nick Rimando and Tim Howard. Both are set to retire at the end of this season.
Rimando has proven to be arguably the best goalkeeper in MLS history with 220 wins and nearly 1,700 saves in his two decades in the league. Howard is also considered by many to be the greatest U.S. goalkeeper in history based on his longevity and performances with the U.S. Men’s National Team, including his 16-save performance against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup.
Rimando shined brighter on Saturday with five saves to Howard’s four, including a back-to-back save effort in the 27th minute which kept the score 0-0.
Who’s your Unkel?
Rapids fans feel hard done by head referee Ted Unkel, and it’s true that Colorado was handed more yellow cards than the hosts.
But on the decisions that mattered – Kamara’s red, Abubakar’s yellow and the offside call on what looked to be the first RSL goal – the referees got it right.
Kamara’s challenge on Lennon was high and towards the knee area of the opponent. Similar to Nana Boateng’s Rocky Mountain Cup red card last season, it was a dangerous challenge.
Abubakar was also deserved of the handball call – his arm stuck out in an unnatural position while in the box.
“I’m happy with the way that they played,” Rapids interim head coach Conor Casey said of the players. “There was a lot of character and mentality tonight. Unfortunately, the last five minutes don’t go our way and we’re on the wrong end of the result.”
Casey’s last match in charge?
With the hiring of Robin Fraser as the Colorado Rapids next manager, Rapids fans have potentially seen their last match with Casey at the helm.
Casey brought back an attractive attacking style to the Rapids during his time in charge for Colorado, with little regard for defense. That being said, Colorado did manage to shore up some of the defensive issues the team experienced earlier in the season under Hudson
Casey has posted a 6-7-4 record as interim head coach and the Rapids have earned all their wins with the former Rapids’ striker at the helm.
It remains to be seen whether Casey (or any of the other Rapids assistants) will remain in the Fraser regime or ply their trade elsewhere, but Casey has put forth a strong showing of what kind of management abilities he can bring to a team this season.
The post Last Rimando-Howard showdown and other takeaways from Colorado’s 2-0 loss to RSL appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Marco Cummings, Pro Soccer USA
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a brace to help LA Galaxy end their losing run in MLS, while Real Salt Lake claimed an impressive win on Wednesday. Ibrahimovic struck twice in the second half to see Galaxy beat Dallas 2-0 at Dignity Health Sports Park in California. The superstar striker side-footed in a Jorgen Skjelvik cross to […]
The post MLS Review: Ibrahimovic leads Galaxy with brace, Real Salt Lake win comfortably appeared first on Soccer News.
The post MLS Review: Ibrahimovic leads Galaxy with brace, Real Salt Lake win comfortably appeared first on Soccer News.
Frank de Boer celebrated his first piece of silverware as Atlanta United head coach after the MLS champions overcame America 3-2 in the Campeones Cup. Former Inter and Crystal Palace boss De Boer replaced Gerardo Martino, who guided Atlanta to their first MLS title in 2018 before taking charge of Mexico. De Boer claimed his […]
The post De Boer wins first title with Atlanta as MLS champs claim Campeones Cup appeared first on Soccer News.
The post De Boer wins first title with Atlanta as MLS champs claim Campeones Cup appeared first on Soccer News.
Competition: MLS Market: Real Salt Lake win Odds: 1/1 @ Bet 365 Handed the chance to climb as high as second in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake will welcome Seattle to the Rio Tinto Stadium on Thursday morning. Starting with the hosts, putting in yet another impressive display in their 2-1 win away at Sporting Kansas last […]
The post Real Salt Lake 1/1 to beat Seattle Sounders in Thursday’s MLS matchup appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Real Salt Lake 1/1 to beat Seattle Sounders in Thursday’s MLS matchup appeared first on Soccer News.
There appears to be some separation at the top of the Pro Soccer USA power rankings after Week 23.
LAFC remain the class of the league, making yet another second-half statement in a 4-2 win over the New York Red Bulls Sunday night. It wasn’t pretty, but the Philadelphia Union did enough to eek out a win over the Houston Dynamo to remain atop the East. Hot in pursuit of the Union is Atlanta United, which comes in No. 3 after an impressive 2-1 win over NYCFC.
As for the biggest movers this week, that honor is shared by the Seattle Sounders at No. 7 and the Chicago Fire at No. 17. Both moved up three spots, while the San Jose Earthquakes had the stiffest drop — also three spots to No. 6.
The Major League Soccer Power Rankings are created by averaging the rankings submitted by a committee of Pro Soccer USA’s editors and writers.
(1) Los Angeles Football Club (17-3-4, 55 points): After a two-goal lead evaporated, LAFC regrouped at halftime and had a sensational second-half response in a 4-2 win over the New York Red Bulls. Carlos Vela led the way with a goal and two assists. (2) Philadelphia Union (13-7-6, 45 points): It was a clunky goal, but one that counts the same as a bicycle kick from outside the area as Jack Elliott’s 78th-minute goal was the difference in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo. (4) Atlanta United (13-9-3, 42 points): Josef Martinez scored two more goals, Julian Gressel was a threat out wide and the Five Stripes imposed their will on NYCFC in a 2-1 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (7) Seattle Sounders FC (11-7-6, 39 points): Harry Shipp struck for a brace and Nico Lodeiro added the go-ahead goal in the 66th minute. But the Sounders settled for one point after conceding three minutes from full time. (6) New York City FC (10-5-8, 38 points): NYCFC ceded possession and played uncharacteristically long in the first half. Heber pulled the Cityzens to within a goal, but that came in the 81st minute. Too little, too late. (3) San Jose Earthquakes (11-8-5, 38 points): The Earthquakes suffered their second loss in the last 13 games when they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Colorado Rapids. Vako scored the lone goal for San Jose, a 62nd-minute equalizer. (5) Minnesota United FC (11-8-5, 38 points): The Loons had a seven-match unbeaten streak snapped Saturday, losing 5-3 to FC Dallas. Ethan Finlay struck for a first-half brace and Hassani Dotson added a 73rd-minute equalizer before Brandon Servania scored twice in the final five minutes. (6) New York Red Bulls (11-10-4, 37 points): After quickly conceding twice, the Red Bulls rallied to level Supporters’ Shield leaders LAFC 2-2 on goals by Cristian Casseres and Brian White. But set piece defending proved to be their undoing. (11) New England Revolution (9-9-7, 34 points): Michael Mancienne and Gustavo Bou scored first-half goals and, after conceding twice one minute apart midway through the second half, Carles Gil netted the dramatic equalizer in the 87th minute in a 3-3 tie with the Seattle Sounders. (9) Portland Timbers (10-9-4, 34 points): Marvin Loria and Jeremy Ebobisse struck for second-half goals after Sebastian Blanco opened the scoring in a 3-1 Cascadia Cup win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. (13) FC Dallas (10-9-6, 36 points): Ryan Hollingshead, Santiago Mosquera and Reggie Cannon scored first half goals and Servania struck for a late brace in a 5-3 win over Minnesota United. (10) LA Galaxy (12-11-1, 37 points): Zlatan Ibrahimovic set an MLS record with 14 shots, but only one was on frame and that was saved by Bill Hamid. Favio Alvarez scored the lone goal three minutes into the second half in a 2-1 loss to D.C. United. (14) D.C. United (10-7-9, 39 points): No LuchoRoo, no starting defensive midfielders, no subs, no problem. D.C. United battled defensively and took their chances on the other end with Lucas Rodriguez scoring the 73rd-minute winner. (12) Real Salt Lake (11-9-4, 37 points): It’s now five consecutive games without a loss and two straight wins for RSL, which defeated Sporting Kansas City 2-1 thanks to a goal in each half by Corey Baird. (15) Toronto FC (9-10-6, 33 points): Toronto FC squandered a chance to move above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference when they settled for a 1-1 home draw with Orlando City SC. Patrick Mullins scored the 77th-minute equalizer for the Reds. (16) Orlando City SC (8-11-6, 30 points): Benji Michel broke the scoreless stalemate in the 69th minute, but the Lions concede eight minutes later and settled for a 1-1 draw at Toronto FC ahead of a critical double-game week. (20) Chicago Fire (7-10-9, 30 points): For the second time this season the Fire have consecutive wins, beating the Montreal Impact 3-2. Bastian Schweinsteiger netted the winner two minutes from full time. (18) Montreal Impact (10-13-3, 33 points): The Impact rallied from a two-goal deficit to pull even on goals by Saphir Taider and Bacary Sagna, but they conceded the late winner and lost Nacho Piatti to another injury in the process. (17) Sporting Kansas City (7-10-7, 28 points): A screaming free kick by Johnny Russell in the 31st minute put SKC in front, but Felipe Gutierrez put a penalty kick off the post and Daniel Salloi was sent off in the second half for a harsh challenge on on Damir Kreilach in a devastating defeat. (21) Colorado Rapids (7-12-5, 26 points): Kellyn Acosta scored one minute from halftime and Diego Rubio netted the winner in the 74th minute as the Rapids upset the Earthquakes 2-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. (19) Columbus Crew SC (7-14-5, 26 points): Hell is Real and so are the nightmares Gyasi Zardes is having after coming agonizingly close to a late winner against FC Cincinnati. Instead, they settled for a 2-2 draw at MAPFRE Stadium. (22) Houston Dynamo (9-13-3, 30 points): The Dynamo have mastered the art of playing well enough to make the opponent sweat before conceding late. It happened twice in a pair of road losses to Eastern Conference opposition. (24) FC Cincinnati (5-17-3, 18 points): Darren Mattocks and Emmanuel Ledesma got FC Cincinnati off to a rousing start and staked the expansion side to a two-goal lead after 23 minutes. But Zardes and Pedro Santos responded as the Ohio rivals shared the points. (23) Vancouver Whitecaps FC (5-12-9, 24 points): The plus is Theo Bair scored a stunning 38th-minute equalizer for his first MLS goal. The bad news was the two goals conceded after halftime and a sixth loss in the last eight games.Pro Soccer USA writers Dylan Butler, Chris Fuhrmeister, Robert Jonas, Emily Olsen and Joe Tansey contributed to this report.
The post MLS Power Rankings Week 23: Seattle Sounders, Chicago Fire make big jumps appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Dylan Butler, Pro Soccer USA
By now, we have come to expect at least three players from Los Angeles FC to land in the Pro Soccer USA Major League Soccer Player Rankings.
This week is no different with a quartet of players led by Carlos Vela dominating one-fifth of the spots on the list of the top 20 in-form players in MLS.
Some of the other top teams across the league have multiple players on the list as well, including Atlanta United, New York City FC and the New England Revolution.
FC Dallas also put a duo on the list after Week 23 after scoring five goals in a victory over Minnesota United.
Our player rankings take into account a player’s form over the last four games, with the most recent performance carrying a bit more weight.
20. Eduard Atuesta, M, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 9
Aug 11, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles FC midfielder Eduard Atuesta (20) and New York Red Bulls midfielder Cristian Casseres Jr (23) battle for the ball in the second half of the game at Banc of California Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Eduard Atuesta is typically one of the most consistent performers in the Los Angeles FC midfield, but his numbers dropped off a bit Sunday in a 4-2 win over the New York Red Bulls.
The 22-year-old completed 76.7 percent of his 90 passes, almost 10 percent less than the 86.5 percent pass-success rate he has put together in 2019.
Atuesta also committed four fouls while making three interceptions and a tackle in the defensive half.
19. Kei Kamara, F, Colorado Rapids
Previous Ranking: 6
Aug 10, 2019; Commerce City, CO, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Magnus Eriksson (7) and midfielder Luis Felipe (96) and Colorado Rapids forward Kei Kamara (23) collide in the second half at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Kei Kamara failed to follow up his Week 22 hat-trick with a goal in Colorado’s 3-1 win over San Jose.
Kamara struck the post with one of his two shots, but that was the closest he would get to hitting the target at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Since the Gold Cup break, the Sierra Leone international only has three tallies, all of which came against Montreal last week.
18. Jozy Altidore, F, Toronto FC
Previous Ranking: 7
Aug 10, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto FC forward Patrick Mullins celebrates his second half goal with forward Jozy Altidore (17) during the game at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports
Once August began, Jozy Altidore’s production in front of the net dried up.
The U.S. Men’s National Team forward is scoreless in two games after striking in four consecutive games in July for Toronto FC.
In order for Greg Vanney’s team to emerge from the mess around the red line in the Eastern Conference with a playoff berth, Altidore must turn in a slew of solid performances.
17. Przemyslaw Tyton, GK, FC Cincinnati
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Aug 10, 2019; Columbus, OH, USA; FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton (22) chases a loose ball ahead of midfielder Derrick Etienne Jr (16) during the second half against Columbus Crew SC at MAPFRE Stadium. (Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports)
Przemyslaw Tyton becomes the second FC Cincinnati goalkeeper to crack this list after Spencer Richey did so earlier.
Tyton came up with a few massive denials to keep a point for the expansion side in the inaugural Hell Is Real meeting between FC Cincinnati and Columbus in MLS.
In total, Tyton made four saves and earned a nod on the MLS Team of the Week.
16. Brian White, F, New York Red Bulls
Previous Ranking: 19
Aug 3, 2019; Harrison, NJ, USA; New York Red Bulls forward Brian White (42) plays the ball against Toronto FC during the second half at Red Bull Arena. (Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports)
Brian White was credited with his ninth goal of 2019 after the New York Red Bulls loss to LAFC.
White’s strike was initially ruled an own goal, but the club tweeted Monday it was overturned and given to the young American striker.
White is currently tied with Altidore, Gyasi Zardes and Chris Wondolowski as the highest-scoring American in MLS.
15. Valentin Castellanos, M, New York City FC
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Aug 11, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York City FC midfielder Valentin Castellanos (11) gets off a shot in front of Atlanta United defender Miles Robinson (12) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Valentin Castellanos produced his second brace of the season in New York City FC’s 3-2 victory over the Houston Dynamo Thursday.
The 20-year-old Argentine achieved the feat in a 32-minute stint off the bench in a match that was not decided until the final minutes.
Castellanos also chipped in with an assist on Heber’s goal in the 2-1 defeat to Atlanta United Sunday.
14. Sebastian Blanco, F, Portland Timbers
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Aug 10, 2019; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Timbers midfielder Sebastian Blanco (10) passes the ball during the first half against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Providence Park. (Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)
With Diego Valeri, Brian Fernandez and Diego Chara in the Portland lineup, Sebastian Blanco sometimes gets overlooked, but he is just as important to the Timbers success.
In Saturday’s 3-1 win over Vancouver, Blanco scored his fourth goal and picked up his 10th assist of 2019, giving him back-to-back 10-assist campaigns.
With his next handout, Blanco will have 30 in his three years with the Timbers.
13. Paxton Pomykal, M, FC Dallas
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Aug 10, 2019; Frisco, TX, USA; FC Dallas midfielder Brandon Servania (18) celebrates with midfielder Paxton Pomykal (19) after scoring a goal during the second half against Minnesota United at Toyota Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
Paxton Pomykal was an integral part of FC Dallas’ attacking success in Saturday’s 5-3 triumph over Minnesota United.
The U-20 World Cup participant more than doubled his assist total for the season by playing a role in three of his team’s scores.
The individual performance and victory were welcome sights for a squad in the thick of the playoff hunt.
12. Michael Barrios, M, FC Dallas
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Aug 3, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; FC Dallas midfielder Michael Barrios (21) looks to kick the ball during the second half against the Orlando City at Exploria Stadium. (Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports)
Michael Barrios also contributed three assists to the FC Dallas attack at Toyota Stadium.
The 28-year-old Colombian ended up with five key passes in the eight-goal thrilled in Frisco.
Barrios’ handouts were his 33rd, 34th and 35th in a FC Dallas shirt and it secured a second double-digit assist season in three years.
11. Marco Fabian, M, Philadelphia Union
Previous Ranking: 5
Aug 11, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Union midfielder Marco Fabian (10) controls the ball against the Houston Dynamo during the first half at Talen Energy Stadium. (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
Marco Fabian was not as active in the Philadelphia attack on Sunday as he was in Week 22.
The Mexican midfielder dished out three key passes, but he failed to fire a shot on target after scoring twice a week ago.
In order for the Union to avoid future letdowns, Fabian needs to be at his best in every game with first place in the team’s sights.
10. Jordan Morris, F, Seattle Sounders
Previous Ranking: 13
Aug 10, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro (10) celebrates with forward Jordan Morris (13) after scoring a goal against the New England Revolution in the second half at CenturyLink Field. The teams played to a 3-3 tie. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
A week after scoring twice, Jordan Morris turned into a provider for the Seattle Sounders with a pair of assists in the 3-3 home draw with New England.
Morris is in the middle of his best three-game stretch of the season with three goals and two assists in games against Houston, Sporting Kansas City and New England.
Unfortunately for the Sounders, the American’s increased production has not yet translated to wins, with four dropped points at CenturyLink Field in the last two matches.
9. Gustavo Bou, F, New England Revolution
Previous Ranking: 18
Jul 27, 2019; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Revolution forward Gustavo Bou (7) runs after the ball during the first half against the Orlando Cityat Gillette Stadium. (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
Gustavo Bou deposited his third goal in a Revolution shirt into the back of the net Saturday.
The Argentinian has been a difference-maker in all facets of the game for Bruce Arena’s side, which recovered from a loss to LAFC with a hard-fought point in Seattle.
Bou’s numbers may not be as eye-popping as others in the top 10, but his impact has been as large in the five games he has played.
8. Julian Gressel, M, Atlanta United
Previous Ranking: 20
Aug 11, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez (7) reacts with defender Julian Gressel (24) after scoring on a penalty kick against the New York City FC during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Julian Gressel’s uptick in form in the Atlanta United midfield has helped the Five Stripes earn a stronghold in second place in the Eastern Conference.
On Sunday against NYCFC, the German midfielder delivered seven key passes and picked up his eighth assist of the campaign.
Since July 17, Gressel has produced one goal and five assists for Frank De Boer’s side.
7. Latif Blessing, M, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Aug 11, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles FC forward Latif Blessing (7) and New York Red Bulls midfielder Cristian Casseres Jr (23) battle for the ball in the first half at Banc of California Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Latif Blessing is one of the many unsung heroes in the LAFC squad producing at a high level all season.
The midfielder, who recently earned a contract extension with the club, scored in his second straight game in the 4-2 win over the Red Bulls.
Blessing only has four goals and five assists, but has been a relentless worker for Bob Bradley’s side in all aspects of the game.
6. Diego Rossi, F, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 3
Aug 3, 2019; Foxborough, MA, USA; Los Angeles FC forward Diego Rossi (9) celebrates with defender Jordan Harvey (2) and forward Latif Blessing (7) after scoring against the New England Revolution during the first half at Gillette Stadium. (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
Diego Rossi attempted a single shot that went off target in LAFC’s latest win.
The reality is every LAFC player will not have immaculate performances week in and week out, but what makes the runaway Supporters’ Shield leaders so strong is there is no major drop off because others pick up the load.
In seven games since the start of July, Rossi has five goals. In the two games he has not scored, Rossi failed to put a shot on goal.
5. Heber, F, New York City FC
Previous Ranking: 10
Aug 11, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York City FC forward Heber (9) reacts after scoring a goal against Atlanta United during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Heber joined the growing list of double-digit scorers in MLS by striking the back of the net at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Sunday.
The Brazilian forward, who earned an assist in the win over Houston Thursday, is up to 10 goals and four assists in 16 games for Dome Torrent’s side.
In Week 24, Heber faces a FC Cincinnati squad he scored twice against June 6.
4. Vako, M, San Jose Earthquakes
Previous Ranking: 8
Jul 12, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Vako Kazaishvili (11) moves the ball against the LA Galaxy in the first half at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Earthquakes defeated the Galaxy 3-1. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Vako inched closer to the 10-goal mark in Week 23 by scoring his eighth tally of 2019.
The midfielder is one of many players on this list on a tear that started in July.
Vako has found the back of the net in four of his last five games and has nine shots on target in his last four.
3. Carles Gil, M, New England Revolution
Previous Ranking: 4
Jul 17, 2019; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Revolution forward Carles Gil (22) reacts after a goal during the second half against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Gillette Stadium. (Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)
For the fourth time in five games, Carles Gil recorded a goal and an assist for New England.
The Spaniard’s play was one of the main reasons why the Revs were able to steal a vital point from Seattle in the playoff race.
With one more goal, Gil will join Carlos Vela as players with 10+ goals and assists in 2019.
2. Carlos Vela, F, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 2
Aug 11, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela (10) is congratulated after scoring on a penalty kick past New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles (31) in the second half of the game at Banc of California Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Speaking of Vela, he turned in yet another impressive showing for LAFC Sunday night.
This time around, the Mexican forward produced a goal and two assists to help his side rally for the win after the Red Bulls tied the game just before halftime.
Vela is now tied with Sebastian Giovinco for the most combined goals and assists in a single MLS season with 38 (23 goals, 15 assists).
1. Josef Martinez, F, Atlanta United
Previous Ranking: 1
Aug 11, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez (7) reacts with defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (5) after scoring on a penalty kick against the New York City FC during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Josef Martinez is not ready to surrender the top spot back to Vela.
The Venezuelan striker pounced for two more goals Sunday to boost his season total to 20. In the process, he broke his own record of consecutive games with a goal, which now stands at 10.
That scoring streak, and the trio of three-goal performances since the start of July, has Martinez pegged above Vela for the time being.
The post MLS Player Rankings Week 23: Latif Blessing leaps into top 10 appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Joe Tansey, Pro Soccer USA
Fifty goals were scored across 12 Major League Soccer games Saturday and Sunday.
All 24 clubs got in on the action in front of goal, but a few individuals and teams stood out among the pack.
Atlanta United’s Josef Martínez continued his remarkable form by scoring in his 10th consecutive game, setting an MLS record.
Last season, Martínez tied the old record of nine games in a row with goal, and he now owns two of the three longest scoring runs in league history.
Sunday’s brace handed the Venezuelan 70 goals in 76 regular-season appearances over two-plus seasons with the Five Stripes.
Josef Martinez now owns the longest scoring streak in MLS history.
He broke a tie with Diego Valeri (2017) and … Josef Martinez (2018) 
pic.twitter.com/o3ZNvLjwW9
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 12, 2019
In the process of torching nets across North America, Martínez has moved within three tallies of Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela in the golden boot race, an honor that just two months ago seemed destined for the Mexican star.
In addition to bringing some real drama in the race to be MLS’ top scorer, Martínez has helped Frank de Boer’s side right the ship and by beating the LA Galaxy and New York City FC at home. In between those victories, the Five Stripes advanced to the U.S. Open Cup final with a road win in Orlando.
While Martínez captured the individual spotlight once again, FC Dallas leaped to the forefront of the league discussion for one night with a five-goal performance against Minnesota United, a win the club needed in the thick of the hunt for the final playoff spots in the Western Conference.
What was so exciting about Luchi Gonzalez’s side in Week 23 was the play of Paxton Pomykal and Brandon Servania. The pair of United States under-20 teammates combined for two goals and an assist, with Servania providing the tallies in a 15-minute stint off the bench.
Entering Saturday, there were some concerns regarding who would score FC Dallas’ goals, and at least for one night Pomykal and Servania answered that call.
LAFC was its dominant self again by putting four goals past the New York Red Bulls, while Seattle, New England, Chicago, Portland and Minnesota all scored three times.
Including Thursday’s game at Yankee Stadium, the total goes up to 55 goals since New York City FC knocked off Houston 3-2.
Goals of the Week
Theo Bair, Vancouver Whitecaps
WHAT THE WHAT! THEO BAIR, ARE YOU KIDDING US!? 
#PORvVAN pic.twitter.com/qILUu94rgO
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 11, 2019
Pedro Santos, Columbus Crew
.@Pedro32santos on repeat. 
#Crew96 pic.twitter.com/jtn7a3NycJ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 11, 2019
Hassani Dotson, Minnesota United
Hassani Dotson with the equalizer! We're even again at 3-3! #DALvMIN pic.twitter.com/VKklStnLdy
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 11, 2019
Santiago Mosquera, FC Dallas
Y en menos de 5⃣ minutos, @FCDallas remonta el marcador. #DALvMIN | 2-1 pic.twitter.com/vhc3M237qA
— Fútbol MLS (@futbolMLS) August 11, 2019
Red-Line Battles Heating Up
Aug 10, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Orlando City defender Ruan (2) and Toronto FC defender Auro Jr (96) chase the ball during the game at BMO Field. (Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports)
Week 23 muddied the red-line races in both conferences.
In the Eastern Conference, New England’s draw in Seattle, the 1-1 tie between Toronto FC and Orlando City and Chicago’s 3-2 victory over Montreal shrunk the gap between sixth and 10th place to four points.
Since none of the playoff contenders meet in Week 24, and Orlando has its game in hand Wednesday, the race is only going to get muddier before it clears up.
The West is less crowded than the East, but there still is plenty of intrigue since Portland sits on 34 points in eighth place with at least one game in hand on everyone else in the conference.
FC Dallas’ victory on Saturday was even more massive because of that advantage for Portland.
Real Salt Lake earned three huge points over Sporting Kansas City in what could be seen as an elimination game for Peter Vermes’ side, which is now eight points adrift of seventh place.
Hell Is Real Drama
Aug 10, 2019; Columbus, OH, USA; FC Cincinnati midfielder Allan Cruz (15) dribbles the ball in the second half of the match against the Columbus Crew SC at MAPFRE Stadium. (Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)
The first “Hell Is Real” derby in MLS ended in a frantic set of chances for the Columbus Crew, but they could not secure a stoppage-time winner to get past FC Cincinnati.
Overall, the first Ohio rivalry game was a success with the blue-and-orange clad FC Cincinnati fans traveling to Mapfre Stadium to pack the oldest ground in MLS.
The match will be remembered by Gyasi Zardes’ horrific miss from close range, but Przemysław Tytoń deserves a round of praise for keeping out a handful of late scoring opportunities and allowing Ron Jans to pick up a point in his first match in charge of the expansion side.
In two weeks, the rivals will square off again at Nippert Stadium as part of rivalry week.
Ferrari Stopped By An Audi
Zlatan Ibrahimović recorded a whopping 15 shots Sunday at Audi Field, but only one went on target.
That effort was denied in spectacular fashion by Bill Hamid, who had a big night for a D.C. United side that needed three points with its back against the wall.
Bill Hamid with a WILD reflex save pic.twitter.com/z9oIZfoZQZ (via @dcunited)
— Planet Fútbol (@si_soccer) August 12, 2019
The victory allowed D.C. United to poke fun at Ibrahimović, who compared himself to a Ferrari at the end of July.
Ya hate to see it… #DCU | #DCvLA pic.twitter.com/KVBx0XFZ9U
— D.C. United (@dcunited) August 12, 2019
Stock Up, Stock Down
Stock Up: Chicago Fire
Mar 30, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Fire midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger (31) reacts with fans after defeating the New York Red Bulls at SeatGeek Stadium. (Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports)
Bastian Schweinsteiger rescued the Chicago Fire Saturday night with an 88th-minute game-winner, his first goal of the season.
The German legend also dished out an assist on Dax McCarty’s opener in a victory that pulled the Fire within striking distance of seventh place in the East.
After struggling for most of the summer, Veljko Paunović’s side has gathered eight points from its past five games, including two straight wins.
The Fire’s playoff hopes suddenly are alive, but they could be extinguished in Week 24 with a midweek road trip to Portland and a Saturday home clash with Philadelphia.
Stock Up: Orlando City’s road form
Orlando City SC forward Benji Michel (19), forward Santiago Patiño (29) and defender Kamal Miller (27) celebrate as they beat the Columbus Crew SC Saturday at Exploria Stadium (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
James O’Connor’s Orlando City has quietly picked up points on the road in July to keep in the hunt for a playoff position.
After earning draws at Philadelphia and Portland, the Lions went into BMO Field and drew Toronto FC to improve their road mark to 3-5-5.
It is not an immaculate road record, but the 14 road points gained is comparable to the Lions’ direct competition for the Nos. 6 and 7 spots in the East.
New England also has 14 road points, while Montreal has 12 and Toronto holds 11. Chicago is worst among that group of teams with six road points.
Stock Up: Real Salt Lake
Aug 3, 2019; Sandy, UT, USA; Real Salt Lake forward Joao Plata (10) plays against the New York City in the second half at Rio Tinto Stadium. (Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)
With interim manager Freddy Juarez in charge, Real Salt Lake has picked up consecutive victories over New York City FC and Sporting KC.
The pair of victories have RSL sitting in sixth place with 37 points ahead of a three-game home swing that includes matches versus Seattle and LAFC in Week 24.
After Mike Petke’s contract was terminated Sunday night, Juarez has full control of the team until the end of the season, and if the last two weeks are any indication of their play, the Claret and Cobalt could be a team to watch in the West.
Stock Down: Montreal Impact
Aug 10, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Montreal Impact midfielder Saphir Taider (8) dribbles the ball forward as Chicago Fire midfielder Aleksandar Katai (10) defends during the second half at SeatGeek Stadium. The Fire won 3-2. (Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports)
Remí Garde’s Montreal Impact are putting together a crash course in how to miss the postseason.
After its 3-2 loss to Chicago, Montreal has fallen in six of its last seven games and is in danger of dropping out of the top seven by the end of August.
The return of Ignacio Piatti and entrance of Bojan Krkic could help the Impact re-discover their form. If a reversal of results is coming, it needs to happen soon.
Stock Down: Sporting Kansas City
Aug 4, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Sporting Kansas City defender Seth Sinovic (15) backs down Seattle Sounders FC defender Xavier Arreaga (25) and midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro (10) during the second half at CenturyLink Field. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)
Hopefully you did not buy too much Sporting KC stock after it won in Seattle last week.
Vermes’ side once again took itself out of the West playoff race with a disastrous home loss to a playoff competitor.
Sporting KC still can try to claw itself back into contention with San Jose, Minnesota and Portland upcoming on the schedule, but the team is are running low on hope.
Stock Down (Maybe?): Seattle Sounders
Aug 10, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris (13) pursues the ball against the New England Revolution in the second half at CenturyLink Field. The teams played to a 3-3 tie. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Seattle dropped points at home for the third straight game in its 3-3 draw with the Revs Saturday.
Since defeating Atlanta July 14, Brian Schmetzer’s team has lost to Portland and Sporting KC and tied with New England at CenturyLink Field.
Every team goes through lulls in different parts of the season, but the recent string of results is concerning since second through sixth in the West are separated by two points.
The post MLS Week 23 Review: Josef Martinez breaks record amid scoring frenzy appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.
Original author: Joe Tansey, Pro Soccer USA
Mike Petke has been sacked as Real Salt Lake head coach after serving a three-match MLS ban for abusing a referee in a Leagues Cup fixture. Petke was sent off following RSL’s defeat to Tigres last month as he confronted the officials. The coach was suspended for three MLS matches, three Leagues Cup matches and […]
The post Real Salt Lake sack coach Petke following suspension for abusing referee appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Real Salt Lake sack coach Petke following suspension for abusing referee appeared first on Soccer News.
Mike Petke has been sacked as Real Salt Lake head coach after serving a three-match MLS ban for abusing a referee in a Leagues Cup fixture. Petke was sent off following RSL’s defeat to Tigres last month as he confronted the officials. The coach was suspended for three MLS matches, three Leagues Cup matches and […]
The post Real Salt Lake sack coach Petke following suspension for abusing referee appeared first on Soccer News.
The post Real Salt Lake sack coach Petke following suspension for abusing referee appeared first on Soccer News.
