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Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference became much more intriguing in Week 10. 

After struggling for two months, Atlanta United and the New York Red Bulls reminded everyone they are capable of knocking off some of the best teams in the league. 

The Five Stripes took care of business with a 3-0 road win over Sporting Kansas City, while the Red Bulls won a back-and-forth affair with the LA Galaxy. 

Neither team is in the top seven of the East quite yet, but they are prepared to barge through the red line in Week 11. 

Both the Red Bulls and Atlanta are one point back of seventh-place Orlando City, and both sides have at least one game in hand on a majority of the teams at the top of the East because of the lenient scheduling during the Concacaf Champions League.

The scary part is neither team is close to the finished product, but we did see glimpses of hope in Week 10 that both squads can put together an extended winning run. 

May 4, 2019; Harrison, NJ, USA; New York Red Bulls midfielder Marc Rzatkowski (90) celebrates his goal against the LA Galaxy with New York Red Bulls midfielder Sean Davis (27) during the second half at Red Bull Arena. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

One of the reasons Atlanta should storm up the standings is the emergence of Ezequiel Barco as the playmaker the team thought it would get a year ago. 

Barco should have at least two more games left with the Five Stripes before leaving to play for Argentina at the U-20 World Cup. By the time Barco leaves, the other attackers in the squad, such as defending Golden Boot winner Josef Martinez, should be rounding into form thanks to the ability of the Argentinian to get everyone involved in the final third. 

The Red Bulls reversed their poor form Saturday in the opposite manner without one of their superstars taking over the game. Kaku served the last game of his suspension Saturday and Bradley Wright-Phillips hasn’t found the back of the net since March 16. 

On Saturday, Amro Tarek, Marc Rzatkowski and Derrick Etienne were the scorers, and given the organic way the Red Bulls have tried to play with academy products and players who buy into the system, the unsung heroes on that roster will play huge roles in kick starting a winning streak. 

While the Red Bulls and Atlanta could make a surge into fifth or sixth place, it might be hard for them to hit the top spot in the East before the break for the Concacaf Gold Cup.

The Philadelphia Union made a statement of their own Saturday by plowing through the New England Revolution. Jim Curtin’s side leads D.C. United on goal differential at the top of the East and gets a huge test in Week 11 against Toronto FC, who is plugging along just fine in fourth place. 

Then there’s the Montreal Impact, who always seem to fly under the radar, sitting in third place without Ignacio Piatti playing a significant role so far. 

The East was already lining up to be a competitive race for the entire regular season, and with the addition of Atlanta and the Red Bulls to the fray, the competition will only get better. 

Goals of the Week 

Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders

WHAT A HIT! CRISTIAN ROLDAN WITH A ! #MINvSEA https://t.co/5UNwi23GsW

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 5, 2019

Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC 

GO ON, @OsoJ92!

Pure class. #ORLvTOR https://t.co/qmd1AHLhQJ

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 4, 2019

Ezequiel Barco, Atlanta United 

pic.twitter.com/Of9s0YD5UO

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) May 6, 2019

VAR Controversy

To say the Video Assistant Referee system is still a work in progress in MLS is an understatement. 

Each week debates arise over whether a referee got a crucial call right and how to improve the process. 

The review that triggered the most frustration in Week 10 came from Columbus’ loss to D.C., where a goal was called back for an apparent foul at midfield by Wil Trapp. 

Thoroughly confused why this #Crew96 goal was called back…@PROreferees ?! #MLS pic.twitter.com/1IbOHnvUB9

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) May 5, 2019

Crew head coach Caleb Porter rightfully went off on the review that took away his team’s goal.

So here we are once again. Another week with a questionable VAR call and no hope that a significant fix will come. 

It seems the referees need a better understanding of what a clear and obvious error is for a play to be reviewed. VAR has gotten some calls right in 2019, but until it becomes a near-perfect process, the shortcomings will always shine brighter than the right decisions. 

New Coach, Same Result

The Colorado Rapids are the worst team in MLS by a long mile. 

In their first game under interim head coach Conor Casey, the Rapids fell to the Vancouver Whitecaps in an ugly game of soccer Friday night. 

It didn’t help the Rapids that Diego Rubio lost his cool and was sent off for a dumb swing to the face late in the second half when a point was still on the table. 

The Colorado Rapids everyone! pic.twitter.com/amgpKzKJQO

— Seth Vertelney (@svertelney) May 4, 2019

Ohio Teams Continue To Struggle

After losses Saturday, the Crew and FC Cincinnati are now 0-10 with two goals since April 13. 

At least the Crew got on the scoreboard in Week 10 against D.C. United, while FC Cincinnati’s struggles run much deeper with no goals since April 7. 

Neither team has been spectacular on the defensive end either. The Crew and FC Cincinnati have been outscored by a combined 19-2 during their current five-game winning streaks. 

Things don’t get any easier for the Crew in Week 11, with LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC coming to Mapfre Stadium, while FC Cincinnati hosts third-place Montreal. 

The situation in Cincinnati might be worse with frustrations about an on-field identity starting to bubble to the surface. 

Fanendo Adi transcript presented without comment: pic.twitter.com/9LjYSwioui

— Pat Brennan (@PBrennanENQ) May 5, 2019

LAFC Held Scoreless

May 4, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC forward Carlos Vela (10) and Chicago Fire midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger (31) battle for the ball in the second half at Banc of California Stadium. The team played to a 0-0 tie. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

LAFC suffered an unusual result Saturday against the Chicago Fire. 

The goalless draw at Banc of California Stadium marked the first time the Black-and-Gold failed to score at home in 2019. 

What was even more unusual about the result was the Fire was the team to hold LAFC scoreless for the second time this season. 

Going into the weekend, the Fire had given up 13 goals in nine games. 

Portland Starting To Hit Stride

May 4, 2019; Sandy, UT, USA; Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri (8) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Real Salt Lake during the second half at Rio Tinto Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

The Portland Timbers have started to create momentum ahead of the re-opening of Providence Park on June 1. 

After stumbling out of the gate, the Timbers have put together a three-game winning streak with victories over Columbus, Toronto FC and Real Salt Lake. 

The winning run has pushed the Timbers one point back of seventh place in the Western Conference, and we fully expect them to land in the top seven once they get a run of home games under their belts. 

Looking Ahead

You don’t have to wait long for a slew of MLS games to appear on your television and computer screens. 

Seven Eastern Conference teams are in action during Wednesday’s four-game slate. 

The clashes between Atlanta and Toronto FC and the Red Bulls and Montreal could alter the complexion of the East standings further going into Saturday. 

The post MLS Week 10 Review: Atlanta United and New York Red Bulls are back, VAR controversy and more appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Portland Timbers are completing a club-record signing! According to The Athletic’s Sam Stejskal, Timbers have closed a deal for Brian Fernandez, after a long spell of rumours about his arrival. Fernandez arrives at Portland from Liga MX side Necaxa ahead of the end of the primary transfer window which ends on Tuesday for all MLS […]

The post Portland Timbers sign Fernandez from Necaxa appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Portland Timbers sign Fernandez from Necaxa appeared first on Soccer News.

Josef Martinez kick-started his MLS campaign with a brace in Atlanta United’s 3-0 win over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday. Martinez – coming off a 35-goal MLS season last year – struck twice as defending champions Atlanta climbed up to ninth in the Eastern Conference. The Venezuela international moved onto four league goals for the […]

The post Sporting Kansas City 0 Atlanta United 3: Martinez brace leads De Boer´s men appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Sporting Kansas City 0 Atlanta United 3: Martinez brace leads De Boer´s men appeared first on Soccer News.

Despite the fact several football experts still view the MLS as a “retirement league”, there’s no question the US top-flight has improved vastly in recent years. Every year there are better players in the league and the overall quality of the competition has increased. Things are not different in 2019, although there’s a huge difference. […]

The post Has Carlos Vela Locked Down The 2019 MLS MVP Award Already? appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Has Carlos Vela Locked Down The 2019 MLS MVP Award Already? appeared first on Soccer News.

Philadelphia Union humbled New England Revolution 6-1 to stay top of the MLS Eastern Conference, while Wayne Rooney’s DC United are level on points. It was a party at Talen Energy Stadium, where Sergio Santos scored twice in the second half to lead the Union to a crushing victory on Saturday. New England’s Juan Fernando […]

The post MLS Review: Union win 6-1, Rooney leads DC as Ibrahimovic scores in Galaxy loss appeared first on Soccer News.

The post MLS Review: Union win 6-1, Rooney leads DC as Ibrahimovic scores in Galaxy loss appeared first on Soccer News.

Philadelphia Union humbled New England Revolution 6-1 to stay top of the MLS Eastern Conference, while Wayne Rooney’s DC United are level on points. It was a party at Talen Energy Stadium, where Sergio Santos scored twice in the second half to lead the Union to a crushing victory on Saturday. New England’s Juan Fernando […]

The post MLS Review: Union win 6-1, Rooney leads DC as Ibrahimovic scores in Galaxy loss appeared first on Soccer News.

The post MLS Review: Union win 6-1, Rooney leads DC as Ibrahimovic scores in Galaxy loss appeared first on Soccer News.

The Colorado Rapids are still winless following their latest loss, a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Freddy Montero propelled the visiting ‘Caps to a 2-0 lead early in the first half with a goal and an assist to Lass Bangoura before back-to-back PKs taken by Kei Kamara leveled the score at 2-2. Late in the match, substitute Andy Rose earned the game winner with his 87th minute goal putting the score at 3-2 and earning all three points for Vancouver.

Here are three takeaways from the Colorado Rapids’ 3-2 loss to the Whitecaps.

Different coach, same problems

Conor Casey made his coaching debut on Friday following the midweek firing of Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson.

The move was one the front office and Rapids executive VP and GM Padraig Smith had hoped to inject life into the squad.

To some extent, there was fire in the group, rallying back to tie the game despite going down 2-0 early. But Colorado’s penchant for leaking goals is still a problem, one that Casey himself recognized with reporters postgame.

“Unfortunately, the goals against are still catching us in transition. It’s a difficult balance, we want to be attractive, we want to play forward, especially at home, we don’t want to sit back and defend,” Casey said. “That’s not something that I believe in, at the same time it’s clear that we are giving up too many goals, no one’s happy about it and we are going to continue to work on it without trying to be too defensive. It’s a tough balance.”

Colorado’s three goals conceded on Friday night now puts their total at 27 allowed in 10 games, putting them on track for a historic 92 goals allowed (the Rapids’ franchise record for goals allowed in a season is 69).

Wavering morale

As stated previously, the fact that Colorado was able to fight back in the match shows that there’s still some morale left in the group, but it was readily apparent that without a win through 10 matches, frustrating is brewing and confidence is waning in the Rapids’ locker room.

Compounding things this week was the firing of Hudson. Despite his poor track record of results, he was still highly respected by many players. Even if certain players may or may not have been on board, no player wants to be seen as a “coach killer”, either.

Kamara explained the circumstances of the team’s latest lost postgame.

“We were positive tonight, and that’s something we wanted heading into tonight’s game,” he said. “Obviously it’s been a tough week, though. Most of us in the locker room were brought in by [Anthony] Hudson, and for him not being a part of the team anymore, and to move on, is just a part of being a professional. [The team] talked about it and knew what we wanted to do, and decided that we just need to be positive going into the game tonight. That being said, everybody was positive. Everybody felt like today was going to be the day, but once again, we got unlucky and the performance just wasn’t good enough.”

On to the next one

Once again, the Rapids are still mathematically alive with nearly a third of the season gone, but are for all practical purposes out of the playoff hunt, needing magic number of 87 (combined points gained by Colorado and dropped by other teams) to make this year’s postseason.

For now, the team’s most urgent task and chance at silverware would be to make strides in the Rocky Mountain Cup, with the first opportunity coming next Saturday at home against Real Salt Lake.

It’s one that the Rapids’ interim manager will be taking seriously.

“First of all, we are excited to have a full house, that’s our biggest game of the year,” said Casey. That’s our top rival and everyone is going to be up for it. Right now it’s just about them recovering mentally and physically and then slowly building into the week and getting ready for our biggest game.”

The post Déjà Blues: Colorado showing same issues again in 3-2 loss to Vancouver. appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Andy Rose scored three minutes from time as Vancouver Whitecaps climbed two places in the Western Conference with a 3-2 win over Colorado Rapids in MLS. The Whitecaps, who were second-bottom before kick-off, started well at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park when Lass Bangoura played in Fredy Montero for the opener on 16 minutes. Vancouver doubled […]

The post Colorado Rapids 2 Vancouver Whitecaps 3: Rose winner breaks Rapids´ hearts appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Colorado Rapids 2 Vancouver Whitecaps 3: Rose winner breaks Rapids´ hearts appeared first on Soccer News.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – In Conor Casey’s debut as interim manager of the Colorado Rapids, the club hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps, still seeking their first win of 2019.

But instead of a victory, Colorado (0-8-2, 2 points) fell once again, losing 3-2 Friday after substitute Andy Rose found a late goal for the Whitecaps (2-5-3, 9 points) while the Rapids played with 10 men. The loss marks the seventh in a row for Colorado.

First-half magic from Whitecaps striker Fredy Montero propelled Vancouver to an early 2-0 lead with a goal and an assist, but Colorado answered with two well-taken penalties from Kei Kamara to level the match.

Montero’s strike came in the 16th minute, the forward springing free onto a deft through ball from Lass Bangoura and sending a low finish past goalkeeper Tim Howard to put the visitors up 1-0.

Vancouver doubled its lead minutes later when Montero sent a cross from near the endline inside the Rapids’ 6-yard box to Lucas Venuto, who put his shot into the roof of Colorado’s net in the 26th minute.

Colorado pulled a goal back in the 38th minute after a penalty was awarded for Whitecaps midfielder Hwang In-beom’s takedown of Kellyn Acosta in the box. Kei Kamara buried the PK to make the score 2-1 just before the half.

Possession was nearly even between the two sides at the half and Colorado had outshot the visitors 7-4, but the Whitecaps’ two shots on target to the Rapids’ one marked the difference.

Colorado came out and put Vancouver under pressure in the second half, earning a second penalty in the 53rd minute after video review showed contact by Whitecaps substitute Brett Levis against Rapids defender Axel Sjoberg in the 6-yard box.

Kamara buried the second PK opportunity to level the match.

Acosta nearly gave Colorado its first lead of the match, dribbling down the right side of Vancouver’s defense and putting a shot into the path of Whitecaps’ keeper Maxime Crepeau.

Colorado’s hope for a win was hampered in the 77th minute. Rapids’ midfielder Diego Rubio was sent off with a red card for violent conduct, leaving them with 10 men for the remainder of the match.

Five minutes later, the visitors appeared to go in front on a goal from Bangoura, but it was called off due to Rose being offside.

But in the 87th minute, Rose redeemed himself, beating Sjoberg and sneaking a shot past Howard to give Vancouver a 3-2 lead and the eventual win.

Colorado will continue to seek its first win next Saturday at home against Rocky Mountain Cup rival Real Salt Lake, while Vancouver returns home for a derby match of its own, facing Cascadia rivals Portland on Friday.

The post After firing coach, Colorado Rapids beat 3-2 by Vancouver Whitecaps for 7th-straight loss appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

The Week 10 Major League Soccer slate has a bit of everything to interest fans. 

The weekend begins Friday night with the start of a new era for the Colorado Rapids, and escalates Saturday with a high-profile clash between teams in major markets.

The 10-game Saturday slate carries some intriguing matchups at night, including the reunion between Osvaldo Alonso and the Seattle Sounders at Minnesota United’s new stadium, Allianz Field. 

After that, there’s a Sunday-night showdown between Sporting Kansas City and Atlanta United at Children’s Mercy Park. 

Here’s a quick look at some of the major storylines to follow throughout your weekend MLS viewing experience. Topics are listed in chronological order to help you keep track of what to watch over the course of three days.

1. First look at Colorado without Hudson

Apr 27, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard (1) shows emotion against Atlanta United in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

The Colorado Rapids became the first team to fire its coach this season by letting go of Anthony Hudson earlier in the week.

The Rapids are the worst team in MLS right now and are the only side in the league without a win. It gets even worse when you look at the club’s -12 goal differential through nine games. The second-worst goal differential is New England’s -9.

Former MLS forward Conor Casey, who was the 2010 MLS Cup Most Valuable Player for the Rapids before rejoining the club as an assistant coach, is in charge for now as interim coach.

The Rapids have some decent parts on their roster with MLS experience, but they haven’t been able to put together a cohesive stretch on the field yet. 

Colorado could either experience a surge under the direction of Casey, or continue on its struggling path. Either way, it will be interesting to see how the team responds to Hudson’s firing at home on Friday.

2. Zlatan takes New York 

Apr 13, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; Los Angeles Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (9) celebrates after scoring on a penalty kick past Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Matt Freese (1) in the first half of the game at StubHub Center. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

The latest nationally-televised showcase for Zlatan Ibrahimovic comes Saturday afternoon at Red Bull Arena. 

The new-and-improved Galaxy take on the New York Red Bulls in a clash of two of the most well-known clubs in the league, but right now, the Galaxy have everything going right.

The road team has won two straight games in the Red Bulls-Galaxy series and there is a good chance the Galaxy walk away with three points against Chris Armas’ side, who is looking to put together a string of consistent results.

3. Texas Derby

Mar 16, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Dynamo forward Alberth Elis (17) celebrates with forward Mauro Manotas (9) and midfielder Memo Rodriguez (8) after scoring a goal during the first half against the Vancouver Whitecaps at BBVA Compass Stadium. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)

FC Dallas takes a lengthy unbeaten run in the Texas Derby into Saturday’s clash with the Houston Dynamo. 

The first Texas Derby of 2019 at BBVA Compass Stadium features some of the most exciting attackers in the league on the Houston roster and a collection of young stars on the FC Dallas squad list. 

Alberth Elis is one of the most menacing wingers in the league, and he has been gearing up for Honduras’ Concacaf Gold Cup campaign by lighting up opposing defenses. 

The attacking combination of Elis, Mauro Manotas and Tomas Martinez could pack enough firepower to force the FC Dallas back line into a few mistakes. 

Dallas coach Luchi Gonzalez’s defense, which is headlined by Matt Hedges and Reto Ziegler, hasn’t given up more than two goals in a single game this season.

Something might have to give, whether it be a dip in Houston’s attacking form or more goals conceded by FC Dallas, in order for one of the sides to win the first rivalry match of 2019. 

4. Ohio teams look to break out of scoring slump

Apr 27, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Columbus Crew forward Gyasi Zardes (11) attempts to trap the ball as Houston Dynamo midfielder Darwin Ceren (24) defends during the second half at BBVA Compass Stadium. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)

FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew are a combined 0-8 with one goal in their last eight MLS games. The Crew have been outscored 7-1 during their four-game losing streak, while expansion side FCC has been outscored 8-0, including a 2-0 loss Wednesday to Philadelphia. 

Neither team faces an easy task Saturday as they attempt to start May on the right foot. 

Columbus has to visit a D.C. United team that shut it out April 24, while FC Cincinnati faces the unenviable weekend trip to San Jose after playing two straight road games on the East coast. 

While FC Cincinnati was projected to struggle during its first season, Columbus was not expected to face this much of a lull in Caleb Porter’s first term.

If one of the two breaks out of their scoring slump, our odds are on the Crew because of Cincinnati’s tough travel, but anything can happen in MLS. 

5. Sporting KC Looks for 1st win in over a month

Apr 27, 2019; Kansas City, KS, USA; Sporting Kansas City forward Krisztian Nemeth (9) celebrates after scoring a goal during the second half of the MLS match against the New England Revolution at Childrens Mercy Park. (William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports)

In a way, Sporting Kansas City’s 4-4 draw with New England felt like a victory because Peter Vermes’ side came back from a 3-1 deficit to earn a point at home. 

Although it was two points lost at home, last week’s performance should have given the club an emotional boost after dealing with the fallout from its Concacaf Champions League exit. 

Knocking off an Atlanta United side that is finally starting to round into form won’t be an easy task for Sporting KC, but they are undefeated in league play at Children’s Mercy Park. 

If Krisztian Nemeth, Johnny Russell and Co. continue to create chances in the final third, Sporting KC should be able to get back on track against the Five Stripes and earn their first victory since March 30.

MLS Week 10 Schedule

Friday, May 3

Vancouver Whitecaps at Colorado Rapids (9 p.m. ET, TSN 1/3) 

Saturday, May 4

LA Galaxy at New York Red Bulls (2 p.m. ET, ESPN) 

FC Dallas at Houston Dynamo (4 p.m. ET, Univision) 

Toronto FC at Orlando City (4 p.m. ET, TSN4, ESPN+) 

New York City FC at Montreal Impact (5 p.m. ET, TVA Sport, ESPN+) 

New England Revolution at Philadelphia Union (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Columbus Crew at D.C. United (8 p.m. ET, TSN2, ESPN+) 

Seattle Sounders at Minnesota United (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Portland Timbers at Real Salt Lake (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

FC Cincinnati at San Jose Earthquakes (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Chicago Fire at Los Angeles FC (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Sunday, May 5

Atlanta United at Sporting Kansas City (9 p.m. ET, FS1) 

Player to Watch

Reto Ziegler, D, FC Dallas

Apr 27, 2019; Frisco, TX, USA; FC Dallas defender Reto Ziegler (3) in action during the match against the San Jose Earthquakes at Toyota Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

We touched on the FC Dallas defense a bit above, and we are intrigued by how the club’s experienced center back duo deal with Houston’s dynamic (pun not intended) attack. 

Reto Ziegler has provided a steady hand next to Matt Hedges and together they have limited opponents to nine goals.

 Containing a Houston attack that has produced 15 goals in seven games won’t be easy, but Ziegler and Hedges are more than capable of squeezing the Dynamo attack out of the middle of the penalty area. 

Matchup to Watch 

Osvaldo Alonso, M, Minnesota United vs. Nicolas Lodeiro, M, Seattle Sounders

Apr 28, 2019; Saint Paul, MN, Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota United midfielder Osvaldo Alonso (6) dribbles the ball as D.C. United forward Wayne Rooney (9) defends in the first half during a match at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Former teammates Nicolas Lodeiro and Osvaldo Alonso will go head-to-head in an intriguing matchup that could go a long way in determining the final result at Allianz Field. 

Alonso knows the tendencies of the Sounders’ top playmaker and the same can be said about the Uruguayan being aware of Alonso’s defensive technique. 

The adjustments made to each other’s skill set will be interesting to watch in the clash of top six teams in the Western Conference. 

Fantasy Player to Watch

Cristian Espinoza, M, San Jose Earthquakes

Apr 27, 2019; Frisco, TX, USA; San Jose Earthquakes forward Cristian Espinoza (10) in action during the match against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

A victory is being served on a silver platter to the San Jose Earthquakes in Week 10. 

San Jose faces a FC Cincinnati side that played Saturday and Wednesday on the East coast before traveling to Northern California for a Saturday night game. 

Cristian Espinoza is one of the many San Jose attackers who should have their way in the final third against a tired and out-of-form FC Cincinnati back line. 

The post MLS Week 10 Preview: Red Bulls prepare for Zlatan, Rapids play 1st game after Hudson firing and more appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Competition: MLS Market: La Galaxy win Odds: 13/5 @ Bet 365 Looking to continue on what is becoming a stellar start to the new MLS campaign, a high-flying LA Galaxy will travel to the Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. Starting with the hosts, while the Red Bull’s may have managed to clinch the Eastern Conference last season, […]

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The post LA Galaxy 13/5 to beat New York Red Bulls in Saturday’s MLS matchup appeared first on Soccer News.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – With a winless start to the season through nine matches, Rapids executive vice president and GM Padraig Smith decided take drastic measures.

With hope of turning the ship in the right direction, he relieved second-year head coach Anthony Hudson of his duties on Wednesday, just 17 months after hiring the former New Zealand manager.

“I think we should have more points on the board now and we’re certainly capable of winning games,” Smith told reporters on Wednesday. “We want to make sure that when we see a slide like this, when we see results going the way they are, you’ve got to take action.”

Hudson went just 8-26-9 in league play during his tenure in Colorado and also went winless in knockout competitions, with the Rapids bowing out early in the Concacaf Champions League and U.S. Open Cup play last season.

But Smith also shoulders some of the blame, having hired Hudson after a “worldwide coaching search” that lasted about four months. Hudson came into the job with little experience successfully managing club football, with the vast majority of his experience coming from managing the New Zealand men’s national team and Bahrain U-23 sides.

With reporters gathered around and cameras rolling, Smith took responsibility for the failed hire.

“I take a massive responsibility in that,” Smith said. “When I look at the overall plan, we’re constantly evaluating it and looking at where we can make changes and what we can improve on.”

During the media session, Smith explained that as a “process-driven individual” he’s willing to look at the mistakes made in the Rapids’ last coaching search and apply the lessons learned as the team undergoes a second head coaching search under his direction.

“There’s no timeline,” Smith said of the search for a new head coach. “We want to do this right and I have complete confidence in the coaching staff.”

He also remains steadfast the search will go well this time around.

“We undertook a very detailed process last time, so that’s laid a foundation,” Smith said. “We’ll take our time. We’ll do it right. We’ll bring the right guy in.”

Smith’s mistakes haven’t been limited to the failed hire of Hudson, however. Under his watch, Hudson was approved to bring in players who haven’t shown an ability to perform in MLS for a variety of reasons.

Additionally, the Irishman with a UEFA financial background has been lauded for his analytical approach and expected ability to build a roster smartly, but Colorado’s highest paid players have oft been the biggest under-performers.

But this past offseason, the Rapids had appeared to right the ship at least in terms of roster approach, bringing in several proven MLS veterans. Hudson’s inability to get results with an improved roster turned up the heat, and his now infamous postgame comments following a 1-0 loss to Atlanta, during which he called his side a “bottom group of players” facing a “massive gap in class,” sealed his fate.

Smith fired back a bit, defending the players while outlining Colorado’s plan for the future.

“I think fundamentally I’m actually very proud of the players we’ve got in that locker room,” Smith said. “What we’re driving for here is we’ve always talked about 2020. We’ve talked about the DP transition [getting Howard and Gashi off the books] and I think this year was meant to be a competitive year, it truly was. The plan was to be playoff competitive in 2019, transition the DPs in 2020 and be the best form of ourselves going into 2021. The results haven’t been there for us and that’s been unacceptable.”

That doesn’t mean there isn’t more room to improve the roster. Smith confirmed prior comments the Rapids are shopping before the MLS primary transfer window closes on May 7.

“We’re involved in discussions with a number of clubs now,” he said. “The window shuts on Tuesday, so, as always, we’re exploring every avenue that’s open to us to try and improve the roster.”

With Colorado’s failed coaching hire now gone, a spotlight has now shined on those who remain with the club to get things right.

“I think fundamentally we need to examine every aspect of what we do here,” Smith said. “I brought in coach Hudson and I take full responsibility for that. I look at the players we’ve brought in and if we’ve made a mistake there, I have to look at why and what we can learn from that. At the end of the day, not every player you’re going to bring in is going to work. That’s one of the fundamentals of sport, it’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it goes.”

But it’s not simply c’est la vie if things go wrong. Smith knows his team will be graded on wins and losses.

“Results are going to drive everything,” he said. “We want to be a perennial playoff team. We feel like we’ve got a bunch of players in that locker room to be playoff competitive this year, we genuinely do.”

The post After firing coach, Colorado Rapids GM Padraig Smith now under pressure appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Philadelphia Union defeated struggling FC Cincinnati 2-0 thanks to Kacper Przybylko and Fafa Picault. MLS newcomers Cincinnati were left without a win in six matches following Wednesday’s trip to Pennsylvania, where the Union moved level atop the Eastern Conference. Neither team could be separated in the first half at Talen Energy Stadium but Philadelphia took […]

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Competition: MLS Market: Philadelphia Union win Odds: 4/7 @ Bet 365 With the chance to climb to the top of the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia will welcome FC Cincinnati to the Talen Energy Stadium on Thursday. Starting with the hosts, while Philadelphia would have been disappointed to have only picked up a point against Vancouver last time out, Jim […]

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The post Philadelphia Union 4/7 to beat FC Cincinnati in Thursday’s MLS matchup appeared first on Soccer News.

The Colorado Rapids fired head coach Anthony Hudson.

Assistant Conor Casey will take over as interim coach while the club searches for a permanent replacement, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Rapids.

“We appreciate Anthony’s commitment to the Rapids organization during his time with the club,” Pádraig Smith, executive vice president and general manager, said in the statement. “This is a pivotal period in the development of our team and it’s in the club’s best interest to make a change now. We still have a lot of season left and we look forward to getting back on track.”

Smith will meet with reporters after the team’s Wednesday’s training session.

Hudson’s firing comes after a 0-7-2 start to the 2019 season that put the Rapids last in the league with two points — four points behind the second-to-last Vancouver Whitecaps. Hudson’s overall MLS coaching record since joining the team in November, 2017, was 8-26-9.

Casey played for the Rapids from 2007-12 and helped them win the MLS Cup in 2010. He was named the Most Valuable Player of that final. He also played for multiple clubs overseas during his career and for Toronto FC, the Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew SC in MLS. Casey returned to the Rapids as an assistant coach at the beginning of 2017.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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