Category: MLS

LA Galaxy solve Nashville SC puzzle, advance to face LAFC in MLS playoffs

Goals called back couldn’t stop the Galaxy from a confident win

Despite finding themselves in a game that suited Nashville SC, the LA Galaxy have their first playoff win in three years.

A Galaxy side that has often struggled to cope when things get tough were kept to just seven shot attempts at home by Nashville, but showed real resolve to get a 1-0 playoff victory. The Western Conference’s fourth seed, managing a tactical battle with possession and patience, advanced thanks to just the second professional goal of defender Julián Araujo’s career.

Referee Armando Villarreal was a major factor, as he had to chalk off goals for both sides. First, Randall Leal ripped an eight-yard shot past Jonathan Bond in the 37th minute after Teal Bunbury beat Séga Coulibaly to a header. Villarreal, however, signaled for a foul on Bunbury, who seemed mystified by the decision.

Early in the second half, it was the Galaxy protesting a call. Riqui Puig lead a clinically-run counter, feinting to freeze Walker Zimmerman before slipping Chicharito in for an angled finish over Joe Willis. Chicharito danced in celebration, but VAR spotted some clear contact before the break forward between Julián Araujo and Hany Mukhtar.

After a three-minute check, Villarreal saw the angle he needed, calling the goal back and keeping the game scoreless.

The Galaxy responded with complaints, but also with added energy, and Villarreal had no issues with the next time they put a ball past Willis. Moments after LA had hit the woodwork, Samuel Grandsir and Douglas Costa produced a clever exchange on the right, with Costa crossing for Araujo — making a clever long run from the right flank to the back post — to nod home just his second professional goal.

Puig slashed through the Nashville midfield again only to be denied a highlight-reel goal by Willis, but from there the teams swapped their stereotypical roles: Greg Vanney brought in Derrick Williams to go to a 5-4-1 formation, while Nashville began leaving plenty of numbers forward in hopes of an equalizer.

The Galaxy had to sweat it out in the final moments, with Jacob Shaffelburg firing just wide and Zimmerman nodding the final touch of the game to Mukhtar, only for the ball to bounce just barely out of the German MVP candidate’s reach.

A win for the Galaxy sets up a titanic edition of El Tráfico in the Western Conference semifinal on Thursday, October 20, as they’ll head across the City of Angels to take on LAFC. While the Galaxy have the historical edge in their city derby, their one and only playoff meeting saw LAFC win a 5-3 thriller back in 2019.

Watch the goal that sent the Galaxy through

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After 45 minutes of quasi-soccer, FC Cincinnati dump Red Bulls out of MLS playoffs

Cincinnati made their MLS playoff debut count

The MLS playoffs opened with 45 minutes of some kind of athletic event, and then the actual soccer started.

FC Cincinnati made its playoff debut a winning one, coming back to pick up a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in a game that must be referred to as “scrappy.” Lewis Morgan gave the home side the lead early in the first half, but a penalty from Luciano Acosta and a late winner from Brandon Vazquez gave the traveling Cincinnati fans reason to celebrate.

The first half was certainly an event at a stadium in which 22 people were on a grass field, colliding with a ball. The proper equipment for soccer was in place, one must admit. Lots of kicks sent the ball in various directions. The teams, in their attempts to engage in something resembling soccer, produced a grand total of 0.3 combined expected goals.

Mercifully, the second half was an an actual soccer game. In the 51st minute, Morgan scored with a wonderfully struck long-range rocket after Cincinnati didn’t fully clear a corner kick, which brought the game to life.

The Red Bulls had to substitute Morgan, who was injured either while striking the ball on his goal or in the celebration afterward, and Carlos Coronel then produced a top-tier save on Brenner just moments later as the game came to life.

Unfortunately for the Red Bulls, the game’s shift away from a purely attritional display of high-pressing meant that the team with more interest in having a soccer game gained an advantage. Cincinnati began to take the game over, and only a nearly two-minute VAR check kept a Júnior Moreno half-volley from equalizing on the hour mark.

Dylan Nealis then cleared off the line after Carlos Coronel had whiffed on an attempt to punch a cross away, though the substitute made hard work out of it by nearly heading the ball into the net amid the chaos.

The Red Bulls were looking distinctly wobbly, and Cincinnati made them pay in the 86th minute. A simple ball in behind did the damage, as Pat Noonan’s surprising choice to withdraw the prolific Brenner and bring in the far more erratic Sergio Santos paid off.

Santos turned on the jets to get past Dylan Nealis, who seemed like a lock to cut the initial pass out, and then crossed low to set Vazquez — who raced away from U.S. men’s national team defender Aaron Long in a classic “are you watching, Gregg Berhalter?” moment — up for a textbook finish.

Reflecting the sheer volume of collisions, fouls, injuries, and breaks in play, referee Alex Chilowicz gave 12 minutes of stoppage time. The Red Bulls flooded forward and piled up some low-percentage shots, but ultimately Cincinnati didn’t have too much to actually stress about as they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Check out the goals from Cincy’s playoff win

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Chicharito manda mensaje previo al arranque de los playoffs de la MLS

El mexicano agradece que su aporte haya sido fundamental para que el equipo haya concluido la temporada regular entre los mejores

La temporada de Javier Hernández con el L.A. Galaxy ha sido de ensueño para el mexicano que registró la mayor cantidad de goles anotados desde que llegó a la liga de Estados Unidos y salió nominado para ser el MVP de la campaña.

Pues fue el propio Chicharito quien mandó un contundente mensaje a sus detractores, esos que lo vieron tocar fondo en materia futbolística hace un tiempo y que aseguraban que el mexicano estaba acabado.

“De lo que estoy muy orgulloso es que tengo 34 años y hace dos años muchas personas estaban diciendo que estaba acabado y ahora vean”, señaló Chicharito Hernández en conferencia de prensa.

Hernández es el segundo jugador con más minutos en el Galaxy después del guardameta Jonathan Bond e igualado con Julián Araujo como uno de los jugadores con mayor rendimiento en la temporada para los angelinos.

“Estoy con la institución más exitosa de la liga, soy el segundo jugador en el equipo detrás del arquero Jonathan Bond y junto con Julián Araujo, con más minutos, no tuve lesiones, solamente me perdí dos juegos por Covid-19, pero feliz por la manera que he jugado”, declaró.

El mexicano agradece que su aporte haya sido fundamental para que el equipo haya concluido la temporada regular entre los mejores cuatro equipos de la conferencia lo que les permitirá cerrar en casa la serie ante Nashville de quien Hernández confiesa será un partido dificilísimo.

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The MLS playoffs begin with three days of potential upsets and chaos

Thoughts and predictions from every opening-round playoff match

After the obligatory long, strange trip, the MLS playoffs are here.

The first round will feature six one-off games, with the higher seeds all hosting. While LAFC and the Philadelphia Union kick their feet up and watch, the remaining playoff sides will try to navigate a first round that is typically volatile. If your playoff predictions are looking pretty chalky, you’re probably off base.

Pro Soccer Wire is ready for the kind of drama MLS virtually always manages to conjure up at this time of the year, and we’re diving into each and every first round match-up with analysis, broadcast information, and predictions.

Chicharito nominado a MVP de la MLS pero sin Mundial

Chicharito es una de las apuestas grandes de la MLS en estos playoffs y una de las figuras mediáticas más importantes de la liga

La MLS publicó la lista de los jugadores nominados al premio “Landon Donovan” al más valioso de la temporada regular y el mexicano Javier Hernández aparece como contendiente.

Hernández consiguió 18 goles en la temporada para ayudar al L.A. Galaxy a llegar a la etapa de playoffs pero no será sencillo pues junto a él hay otros nombres importantes en la campaña como el del argentino Sebastián Driussi del Austin FC que marcó 22 goles, el colombiano Christian Arango del LAFC que sumó 16 goles o el portero de Jamaica y el Philadelphia Union Andre Blake que no permitió gol en 15 partidos.

USA TODAY Sports

Chicharito es una de las apuestas grandes de la MLS en estos playoffs, una de las figuras mediáticas más importantes de la liga y uno de los jugadores consentidos por la enorme afición mexicana que quisiera verlo vestido de verde en la Copa del Mundo pero no será así.

El Tata Martino sigue aferrado a no llamar a Chicharito a la selección mexicana y en la prelista de más de 50 jugadores no figura el nombre de Hernández por lo que es muy complicado que se suba al barco de último momento.

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MLS announces 2022 year-end award finalists

The league will have a first-time MVP winner as five players were named finalists

Major League Soccer has announced its year-end award finalists for 2022, with five players up for the league’s MVP award including LA Galaxy star Javier “Chicharito” Hernández.

Chicharito is joined by Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, Golden Boot winner Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC, Golden Boot runner-up Sebastián Driussi of Austin FC and Cristian “Chicho” Arango of Supporters’ Shield winner LAFC.

None of the five finalists have ever won an MLS MVP award, with Mukhtar (2021) and Blake (2020) having been finalists once before.

The year-end award finalists earned the most votes in polling of the following three voting groups:

  • Current MLS players
  • MLS clubs (coaches, technical directors/general managers)
  • Select media members

Winners of the awards will be announced throughout the MLS playoffs, which will kick off on Saturday. The MLS Best XI will be announced on November 1.

MLS year-end award finalists

Landon Donovan MLS MVP

  • Cristian “Chicho” Arango (LAFC)
  • Andre Blake (PHI)
  • Sebastián Driussi (ATX)
  • Javier “Chicharito” Hernández (LA)
  • Hany Mukhtar (NSH)

Young Player of the Year

  • Thiago Almada (ATL)
  • Brenner (CIN)
  • Jesús Ferreira (DAL)

Defender of the Year

  • Alexander Callens (NYC)
  • Jakob Glesnes (PHI)
  • Kai Wagner (PHI)

Goalkeeper of the Year

  • Andre Blake (PHI)
  • Drake Callender (MIA)
  • Djordje Petrovic (NE)

Comeback Player of the Year

  • Jeremy Ebobisse (SJ)
  • Gonzalo Higuaín (MIA)
  • Kei Kamara (MTL)

Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year

  • Steve Cherundolo (LAFC)
  • Jim Curtin (PHI)
  • Wilfried Nancy (MTL)

MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year

  • Alejandro Bedoya (PHI)
  • Kei Kamara (MTL)
  • Brad Stuver (ATX)

MLS Referee of the Year

  • Allen Chapman
  • Ismail Elfath
  • Armando Villarreal

MLS Assistant Referee of the Year

  • Ian Anderson
  • Chris Elliott
  • Corey Rockwell

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Phil Neville would really like to know where his team’s playoff game will be

The Inter Miami coach bemoaned the logistical headache his organization was facing

Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville can’t quite comprehend how, five days before kickoff, his side’s playoff match against New York City FC doesn’t yet have a set location.

The two teams will square off on Monday in a game that is currently scheduled for Red Bull Arena, with NYCFC’s usual home of Yankee Stadium unavailable due to the Yankees’ MLB playoff run.

But when the New York Mets were eliminated from the MLB playoffs on Sunday, suddenly their home of Citi Field became available. Though it’s a baseball stadium, Citi Field does offer the distinct advantage of being located within New York City and, crucially, it’s not the home stadium of NYCFC’s biggest rivals.

An email from NYCFC to season ticket holders on Tuesday purportedly said the game was being moved to Citi Field but as of his press conference on Wednesday, Neville was not aware of any official change.

“I got an email yesterday saying the game was at Red Bull [Arena],” he said. “That was from our official match email that we get every week.”

Neville said the location of the game didn’t matter much to him (“we’d play at the top of the Empire State Building in a playoff game,” he quipped), but the uncertainty was presenting a major logistical headache for the Inter Miami organization and the team’s fans.

“What people probably don’t understand is that we’ve got a traveling party of probably 55 people to get hotel rooms in New York [for] — 55 people with three days to go is near impossible.

“It’s just the logistics, the inconvenience for supporters and for families that have already bought tickets at the stadium. They’re probably staying in hotels out in New Jersey, in Harrison. I suppose that’s the biggest gripe is that we cannot book a hotel or travel yet, and we cannot let, more importantly, our supporters know where the game is.”

Neville ended with a challenge to the league and the larger organizational apparatus in a country that is getting set to co-host World Cup 2026.

“It’s not a preseason scrimmage, this is a playoff game,” Neville said. “In four years time we’ve got a World Cup coming to this great country. And I think things like this need to be looked at because this is organization — it has nothing to do with football.”

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Vazquez: Berhalter told me it’s too late to integrate me before World Cup

The ship has sailed for Vazquez’s hopes of making the USMNT World Cup squad

Brandon Vazquez said Gregg Berhalter has informed him that his 2022 World Cup roster hopes are over.

Vazquez has put himself on the U.S. national team radar with a stellar 2022 season with FC Cincinnati, scoring 18 goals and adding eight assists to lead his side to the playoffs.

The 23-year-old, who is also eligible to play for Mexico, is still awaiting his first senior team call-up for either country.

It’s that lack of experience with the USMNT that has proven costly in Berhalter’s eyes, which Vazquez said the U.S. coach relayed to him last month.

“I talked to Gregg right before that [September] camp,” Vazquez told MLS Today, “and he was basically saying that it was a little too late to integrate me and that he feels I made it really hard for him and that I just need to keep proving myself and that I’ll [have] that opportunity in the next cycle. Pretty much was that.”

The ship appeared to have sailed for Vazquez when Berhalter omitted him from that September roster. The USMNT boss said at the time that Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent and Jesús Ferreira were preferred in part because they all had USMNT experience.

“For us, it’s comparing him to what we have, comparing him to other guys and then the body of work both with his club and with us,” Berhalter said last month. “And with us, it’s very difficult for him: He doesn’t have a body of work.”

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Merritt Paulson steps down as CEO of Thorns and Timbers, hints at possible sale

The embattled owner took a step back from the clubs, but the chances of a sale are still unknown

Portland Thorns and Timbers owner Merritt Paulson has announced he is stepping down as CEO of both clubs amid the continuing fallout from the Yates investigation.

Paulson hinted at potentially selling the two teams but did not elaborate as pressure continues to grow on the under-fire owner.

The Yates investigation showed the Thorns organization actually helped Paul Riley obtain another job in the NWSL, despite having been fired after a Thorns investigation into sexual misconduct.

The report also showed that under Paulson’s watch, president of business Mike Golub — who has since been fired along with president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson — created “an atmosphere of disrespect and intimidation towards women and working mothers employed at the club over a span of 11 years.”

Though Golub and Wilkinson are gone, fans in Portland have continued to demand Paulson sell the team. The owner released a statement on Tuesday that hinted he may be heading in that direction, while also stepping down as CEO of the NWSL and MLS clubs.

“The Portland Thorns were created to be a beacon of what is possible in women’s sports. A successful team is built on trust, equality and accountability, and today I am holding myself accountable for not doing enough,” Paulson said.

Hinting at a possible sale, he added: “Looking ahead, our organization is at a crossroads, and the future is not necessarily a clear path. No matter what happens, ensuring the long-term health and success of the Portland Thorns is critical to me, as I know it is for our players and the community.

“Given the complexities involved on several levels, finalizing the correct path forward will take time. I love this organization as if it was part of my family, and to me, what is most important is getting it right.”

As fans ponder a boycott of the Thorns’ upcoming playoff game, the team’s star Sophia Smith has urged them to continue showing up at Providence Park.

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After yet another late-game collapse, Columbus Crew fire head coach Caleb Porter

Needing just a draw to make the playoffs, the Crew lost the lead and the game at Orlando on Decision Day.

The Columbus Crew have fired head coach Caleb Porter after four seasons in charge.

The final straw for Porter came on the last day of the MLS season, as the Crew lost 2-1 to Orlando City after holding a halftime lead. Columbus missed the playoffs with the defeat, having needed just a draw to reach the postseason.

The second-half collapse continued an unfortunate trend for the Crew in 2022. Under Porter, the club dropped 24 points from winning positions this season — the third-worst mark in MLS — including an incredible 11 points dropped just in second-half stoppage time.

“This is not a decision we took lightly, and I need to first and foremost thank Caleb for his tireless efforts for the Crew during his four seasons with the Club. He joined the club ahead of 2019 and provided steady leadership at a critical moment of historic transition for the Crew,” said Crew President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko in a statement.

Porter took over in Columbus ahead of the 2019 season after previously serving as Portland Timbers head coach for five seasons.

The 47-year-old missed the postseason in three of his four seasons with the Crew but in 2020, he led the team to the MLS Cup in the pandemic-shortened season. It was the second MLS Cup win for Porter, who also lifted the trophy in 2015 with the Timbers.

The next Crew coach will inherit a team full of talent, namely the dynamic attacking pair of Lucas Zelarayán and Cucho Hernández.

In a statement, Porter said: “We accomplished a lot of wonderful things together, including winning MLS Cup and Campeones Cup, and with a beautiful new stadium and training ground and an amazing fan base, I have no doubt the future is bright for the Crew.

“Our players and coaching staff gave everything we had, but unfortunately the past two years we missed the playoffs on Decision Day. It’s a bottom-line business and I accept responsibility for the club falling short of our goals.”

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