Category: MLS

CF Montreal closes Toronto FC away section after brawl between fans

Ugly scenes at BMO Field mean no away fans at Stade Saputo

The latest meeting between Canada’s biggest rivals was marred by ugly scenes in the stands, and that has consequences.

CF Montréal’s Canadian Championship quarterfinal win over Toronto FC on Tuesday saw animosity in the stands boil over, with supporters from both teams brawling during the match.

With both teams set to meet again on Saturday — this time at Stade Saputo in an MLS league match — Montréal said that it would close the away section for the game.

“The incidents that occurred on Tuesday night in Toronto are unfortunate and unacceptable,” read a Montréal club statement. “CF Montréal condemns all acts of violence, and an investigation is underway. The safety of our fans and supporter groups is of paramount importance to the club. No violence of any kind is tolerated at Stade Saputo, nor at any other stadium to which our fans travel.”

“We have consequently made the decision to close the visiting supporters’ section at Stade Saputo for Saturday’s game against Toronto.”

TFC said that the club is “actively investigating” the violence during the match.

“Toronto FC and [Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment] have a zero-tolerance policy for violence, and we continue to prioritize the safety of our fans, players, and staff,” read their statement. “We are committed to ensuring BMO Field is a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

Canada Soccer has released a statement of its own, promising to investigate and saying that they expect to announce a decision on any disciplinary matters next week.

Montréal has acted on this front before, banning one of its own supporters groups in 2021 for what it said were acts of violence, intimidation, vandalism, and the use of unauthorized pyrotechnics.

Tensions have been high at both clubs, as Montréal struggled mightily to start the 2023 season before an uptick in form over the last month has resulted in five straight wins across all competitions.

Toronto, meanwhile, were expected to contend at the top of the Eastern Conference, but have won just twice in the league and sit in 13th place.

That may help explain why the unfortunate scenes weren’t entirely disputes between opposing sets of fans. After the match, video emerged showing a TFC fan — following an apparent verbal altercation with Mark-Anthony Kaye — hurling a megaphone from the stands at the Canada midfielder (note: video contains vulgar language).

Montréal’s win pushed them through to the semifinal of the Canadian Championship, where they’ll face Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League.

[lawrence-related id=15901,8448]

Whitecaps deny reports of interest in Mexico winger Lainez

Sporting director Axel Schuster said he doesn’t even know who Lainez’s agent is

Vancouver Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster has denied any interest in signing Diego Lainez after reports in Mexico linked the MLS club with a move for the 22-year-old.

Lainez is currently on loan with Tigres from Real Betis, but he’s been unable to make a major impact with the Liga MX side. Since joining the club in January, Lainez has started just four of his 12 appearances and is still looking for his first goal or assist.

That has once again put Lainez’s club future in doubt. The winger is on loan through the end of 2023 with Tigres, who don’t seem likely to pick up his reported $7 million purchase option at present.

Could a surprise move to MLS be on the cards? Schuster said if it is, it won’t be with the Whitecaps.

“I heard about this for the very first time when a friend forwarded me the message and the tweet, and I hadn’t heard anything about it before,” Schuster said on The AFTN Soccer Show.

“So it would be a big surprise if there was anything to that because if I don’t know, I don’t think that there’s anything to know.”

Asked if he’s spoken to Lainez’s agent, Schuster replied: “I don’t even know who his agent is. Maybe I have talked to his agent but not about this player. We have never started discussions about the player. And he was not brought up to me so far.”

Lainez’s contract with Betis runs through 2025, but he likely doesn’t have a future with the La Liga side. The Mexico international was sent on loan to Portuguese side Braga ahead of the current season, but that move was cut short after Lainez failed to establish himself as a regular.

[lawrence-related id=13449,18705,18512]

Paul McDonough, once banned from MLS, is the new USL president

McDonough was Inter Miami sporting director when the club violated MLS roster and budget rules

The United Soccer League announced on Monday that Paul McDonough has been named president and chief soccer officer.

The veteran soccer executive replaces Jake Edwards, who stepped down last month after 10 successful years with the USL, including eight as president.

McDonough has plenty of experience at the highest levels of American soccer, having previously served as chief soccer officer at the Wasserman agency, chief operating officer and sporting director at Inter Miami, and vice president of soccer operations for Atlanta United, among other roles.

He will now oversee the sprawling USL, which has three professional leagues (USL Championship, USL Super League, and USL League One), seven total leagues, 36 professional clubs, and nearly 200 pre-professional teams across the United States.

“The USL is thrilled to welcome Paul McDonough, one of the most respected and qualified soccer executives in the United States, at a pivotal moment in our evolution as the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States. His experience and knowledge of soccer in America and football abroad are unmatched as it relates to both the on-field product and the business of sports,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in a news release.

Unsurprisingly, that release did not mention the one rather glaring blight on McDonough’s otherwise sterling resume: his MLS suspension for league rules violations during his time with Inter Miami.

In May 2021, MLS announced that McDonough had been banned through the 2022 season after Inter Miami violated league roster and budget rules by having four designated players on its roster in 2020. The club also underreported the salary budget amounts for three players.

In addition to McDonough’s ban, Inter Miami was fined $2 million and MLS reduced the amount of allocation money the club could use for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

After the suspension, McDonough was forced to leave his position with Atlanta United, which he had joined after leaving Miami.

In March 2022, McDonough was reinstated from his ban early.

[lawrence-related id=19100,19095,19052]

Chicharito is sick of his Galaxy teammates not facing the media

After fans voiced their discontent, the striker could only say “they’re right”

After another dismal defeat for the LA Galaxy, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández hit out at teammates who weren’t doing what he was doing at the time: facing the press.

The Galaxy fell 3-1 at home to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night, dropping their record to 1W-6L-3D as they sit 13th out of 14 teams in the MLS Western Conference.

Chicharito was at the podium after the match at Dignity Health Sports Park and he didn’t hold back his opinion that one of his teammates should have been there instead.

“We need so many things to change starting from, I believe that more people need to come [speak to the media] to face things,” the Mexican forward said. “We’re the same people speaking, always. That’s a thing that needs to change too, you know? We always speak in here, the same guys. So I think that should change in the beginning, and then on the training ground other stuff needs to change.”

One of the league’s most storied franchises is in the midst of one of their worst ever runs, with fan protests rampant in 2023. After another subpar performance on home ground saw his side greeted with more fan anger, Chicharito could only say that he agreed with their point of view.

“We’re LA Galaxy, man. When I say we need to behave and understand that – they’re giving you the chance to be the greatest,” Hernandez said. “You’re in the greatest f—ing organization in the USA. At the least, you give everything. And if teams are better than us, I can take that, I can take those losses. I can take that.

“When El Tráfico happened we were way better. We beat ourselves. We were the better team and we lost. I take those ones. These ones, at home? Against a [conference] rival? Man, no. Not good enough. Not good enough. And yeah, the fans were right this time. They’re right.”

[lawrence-related id=16717,19095,19052]

North Texas SC coach ‘lucky to be alive’ after being near Allen mall shooting

Javier Cano said he and his family were next door to where the shooting took place

North Texas SC head coach Javier Cano has said he and his family are “lucky to be alive” after they were at the Allen Premium Outlets mall when a deadly shooting took place on Saturday.

A gunman opened fire at the mall outside Dallas, killing at least eight people and injuring at least seven before he was killed by a police officer.

Dashcam video released after the shooting showed the gunman getting out of his car in front of a H&M store and opening fire at a crowd. In a post on Twitter, Cano said that he and his family were at a nearby J. Crew store when the shooting took place.

“Tonight was the toughest moment since I’ve [been] in the United States,” Cano said. “I was with my family at Allen Outlets, next to H&M where everything happened. If we didn’t come inside [a] J. Crew store a minute before, maybe today my family and I [would be] in a white plastic bag.”

The 39-year-old Spaniard was named head coach of North Texas SC, the MLS Next Pro affiliate of FC Dallas, prior to the 2023 season. Before that he had worked in the Austin FC and D.C. United academies, as well as clubs in his native Spain and in the Czech Republic.

[lawrence-related id=19079,19073]

Chicago Fire dismiss head coach Ezra Hendrickson

The club legend lasted less than a season and a half

The Chicago Fire have dismissed head coach Ezra Hendrickson after less than a season and a half in charge.

The Fire have struggled under Hendrickson, finishing in 12th place out of 14 Eastern Conference teams in 2022, and starting the 2023 campaign with a 2W-5D-3L record that has them second from the bottom.

Assistant coach Frank Klopas will move into the head coach role for the rest of the season.

“This was a difficult decision, but after careful consideration, we felt that a change was necessary at this time as we work toward our goal of advancing to the playoffs and competing for trophies,” said sporting director Georg Heitz in a club release.

“We’d like to thank Ezra and Junior [González, assistant coach] for their efforts during the past two seasons, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”

This will be the third time Klopas has coached the Fire, having previously been in charge between 2011 and 2013, as well as an interim stint in 2021 after the Fire dismissed Raphaël Wicky.

The Fire have only made the postseason once (2017) in the last 11 seasons.

[lawrence-related id=12791,19073,19052]

Gerhard Struber out as Red Bulls head coach

It has been a tumultuous 2023 for the Red Bulls and the coach has now paid the price

Gerhard Struber is no longer head coach of the New York Red Bulls, with the club saying the two sides “have mutually agreed to part ways.”

Struber joined the Red Bulls in 2020 and led the club to the playoffs in 2021 and 2022. This season, however, the Red Bulls sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 1W-6D-4L record through 11 games.

Assistant Troy Lesesne has been named head coach through the end of the 2023 season.

“I enjoyed my time at the New York Red Bulls,” Struber said in a club release. “It was also clear for me that I wanted to return to Europe at the end of this season, at the latest. It was extremely difficult for me to live here, completely without my family. I informed the club early enough about my wishes and we came to the agreement to part ways.”

A difficult 2023 for Struber

Though the decision was framed as mutual, it’s clear that the pressure has been ramping up on Struber in recent months.

The Red Bulls’ on-field performances have been subpar, including a 1-0 defeat to Philadelphia on Saturday that took the club’s winless run to seven games.

But Struber’s position had been even more compromised by his handling of last month’s incident in which Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir used a racial slur in a game against the San Jose Earthquakes.

San Jose head coach Luchi Gonzalez urged Struber to take Vanzeir off the pitch after the incident, but the Red Bulls coach left the striker on.

Struber’s refusal to take Vanzeir off led many Red Bulls fans to call for him to be sacked, with large sections of the home crowd walking out of last month’s game against Houston in protest.

The coach would later admit that he had made a mistake in not removing the Belgian from the match.

[lawrence-related id=17566,17482,19052]

Josef Martinez very predictably scores in first game against Atlanta United

The thing Atlanta fans knew would happen, happened

If there’s one thing that’s been true in MLS in recent years, it’s that you don’t want to anger Josef Martínez.

The man who made an angry emoji a personal hallmark was facing Atlanta United, where he became an icon before moving to Inter Miami this winter after a drawn-out departure that included being suspended for flipping over a table full of food.

Any MLS observer would have predicted that Martínez would get some form of revenge on his old club, and that’s exactly what he did, scoring a brace in a 2-1 Miami victory.

The Venezuela striker wasn’t in Phil Neville’s starting 11, but needed just two minutes to make an impact in his first match against his old club. Seconds after he entered the match, new teammate David Ruiz was fouled by Machop Chol, setting Martínez up for a spot kick.

With his first touch after coming on, Martínez powered the penalty past Quentin Westberg, and did not hesitate to celebrate with Leo Campana and everyone else in black and pink.

Martínez wasn’t settling for just one goal, either. DeAndre Yedlin turned a poor touch into a positive, getting around Andrew Gutman before coolly slipping Martínez in behind the Atlanta defense. Slipping and sliding as he reached the ball, and with no angle to work with, the three-time MLS Best XI winner somehow glanced the ball past Westberg.

Not only was it a tremendous finish, and eventually the game-winner on the night, but it was also a milestone. Martínez scored 98 times for Atlanta, and saved goals 99 and 100 for the first time he faced them as an opponent.

That made him an MLS record holder, as no one has ever scored 100 goals in fewer games than Martínez’s 142.

It’s not clear exactly what Martínez’s future holds in Miami. He began the season as first-choice but hadn’t scored before Saturday, and over the past two games Campana, Corentin Jean, and Nicolás Stefanelli were preferred by Neville as starters.

However, when Miami next faces Atlanta, it feels like a solid bet that the Herons can count on him to strike again.

[lawrence-related id=19004,18318,17377]

Curtin disagrees with clubs blocking players from U-20 World Cup

“We’re not Spain, we’re not Germany, we’re not Argentina. We haven’t won a World Cup ever”

Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin has said he doesn’t agree with clubs preventing their players from going to the U-20 World Cup, which starts later this month.

Clubs across the world are facing tough decisions as the tournament draws near. The U-20 World Cup does not fall within a FIFA window, meaning clubs would potentially be losing players for multiple games should they allow them to play in the tournament.

Already, some potentially key American players have been ruled out by their clubs.

On Wednesday, Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson said the club wouldn’t release midfielder Brian Gutiérrez and goalkeeper Chris Brady. The next day, Croatian club Hajduk Split said it wouldn’t be releasing midfielder Rokas Pukštas.

There was some good news too for the U.S. U-20s, as Atlanta United left back Caleb Wiley said he was cleared to play by his team.

Curtin delivered even more good news on Thursday, saying he would release any of his players who are called. That means the Union will likely be without Brandan Craig, Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn for an extended period.

While confirming his players would be available, the Union head coach said he disagreed with clubs who aren’t allowing players to go to the World Cup.

“Sometimes we get in our own way and act like we’re Europe or South America,” Curtin told reporters.

“We’re not there yet. We’re not Spain, we’re not Germany, we’re not Argentina. We haven’t won a World Cup ever. Let’s try to win every competition at the youth level and show we have great players because we do.”

“Think about the kids too,” he continued. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that they may never get back again. To prevent them from playing in a U-20 World Cup? I’m sorry, I don’t agree with it.

“Maybe I’m in the minority there, but that’s what I believe in and that’s what our club believes in. Any of the guys that [U-20 head coach] Mikey Varas calls in, we will excitedly release them.”

[lawrence-related id=17988,17648]

Ex-USMNT stars Brek Shea and Geoff Cameron announce retirement

The former USMNT and Stoke City teammates are starting a business together

Former U.S. men’s national team stars Brek Shea and Geoff Cameron have both announced their retirement after 15-year professional careers.

The duo made the announcement in an interview with ESPN, saying that they will be starting a new business together.

Shea, 33, began his career with FC Dallas before making the move to Stoke City, where he and Cameron were teammates for a short while. When his England move didn’t work out, Shea returned to MLS where he spent time with Orlando City, Vancouver, Atlanta and Inter Miami.

The left-sided player earned 34 caps for the USMNT, scoring the winning goal in the 2013 Gold Cup final.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Cameron, 37, also joined MLS in 2008 after he was drafted by the Houston Dynamo. After impressing with Houston the defender moved to Stoke City, where he became a fixture for the Potters over six Premier League seasons with the club.

The defender would then spend three seasons in the Championship with QPR before finishing his career with FC Cincinnati in 2021 and 2022.

“We’ve kind of had a long journey, and our journey has gone on two different paths,” Cameron said of himself and Shea. “We’ve started near each other, and then ended up at Stoke with each other, and he ended up living with me and we have a really good friendship and relationship. We live close to each other now and we’re building something pretty unique.”

Cameron earned 55 caps for the USMNT, starting three of the team’s four games at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

“It was my dream as a kid, just like Brek’s, and playing soccer in the backyard and dreaming of representing your country and playing in the best league in the world,” Cameron said.

[lawrence-related id=18882,18512,14700]