SOCCER MLS ARTICLES

The Portland Timbers came out of nowhere last season to walk away with the MLS Cup for the first time in their history. It's only fitting that they get to open up their regular season at home in front of their rabid fan base against the team they beat to claim glory, the Columbus Crew.... 

The first Sunday of March is arguably the biggest day of the year for MLS fans, as every team in the league kicks off its season between 1:30 and 8:30 p.m. The last of the nationally televised games that day pits the Seattle Sounders up against Sporting Kansas City.... 

The MLS has once again loaded up with a ton of talent this season, and this could end up being the season this sport takes off past hockey as the fourth major in the United States. Though all of that is good for the health of the league, we're far more concerned over where the value is on the betting lines with the 2016 season set to kick off this weekend.... 

A wacky and wild season in the MLS is set to come to a close on Sunday. The Portland Timbers have never graced the pitch of an MLS Cup before, and there are just 90 minutes separating them from their first ever championship.The Columbus Crew have been here once before, but they're looking to end their seven-year title drought with what would be their biggest win ever in front of their hometown crowd at MAPFRE Stadium.... 

The first leg of the Eastern Conference Finals couldn't have gone any worse for the New York Red Bulls. They were beaten 2-0 and had to leave MAPFRE Stadium without a crucial away goal, and that could force them to come up with their match of the year against the Columbus Crew if they want to reach the MLS Cup next weekend.... 

The first spot in the MLS Cup will be handed out on Sunday night in Frisco, where the Portland Timbers will hope to hold on to their 3-1 lead from their first match against FC Dallas in the Western Conference Finals.... 

Only one of the four teams which had to play in the knockout round of the playoffs made it to the conference finals this year in the MLS Cup playoffs.The Portland Timbers have had a magical run to this point, and it isn't beyond them to beat FC Dallas on Sunday in the opening match of the Western Conference Finals.... 

All season long, the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls have been dumping goals in on each other at will. All three games ended in 2-1 results, and that could make the Eastern Conference Finals an exciting 180-minute saga.The first chapter will be written at MAPFRE Stadium on Sunday night.... 

The 2015 MLS Cup playoffs are into their final four, and after a week off for an international break, the teams will be back in action with a home and home series.There will be MLS Cup odds at BookMaker.eu this week on this tournament and will be available the rest of the way in the playoffs.... 

The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps played to a relatively lifeless draw in the opening game of a home-and-home series in the MLS Cup playoffs.Only one can survive though, and we wonder if the 90 minutes at BC Place won't be enough to separate these two Western Conference powerhouses.... 

The New York Red Bulls weren't as impressive as maybe they could've been to open up their 2015 MLS Cup playoff campaign, but they did the job by beating D.C. United 1-0.Now, they just need to hold serve at home and not lose on Sunday to advance.... 

The end result of a 2-1 defeat on the road at CenturyLink Field isn't the end of the world for FC Dallas. It's how that match was lost that will sting.The Seattle Sounders have all of the momentum in this home-and-home fray going into Sunday's finale in Frisco.... 

All is left to play for between the Montreal Impact and the Columbus Crew in the conference semifinal round of the MLS Cup playoff.Consider the proceedings to be virtually even after Montreal won 2-1 at home last Sunday.... 

The Montreal Impact were really up against it just a few days ago. Not only did they beat Toronto once, but they did so twice in a span of just four days to first steal a home game from their Canadian rivals, then knock them out of the playoffs. The pressure will continue this Sunday though, as the Impact have to host the Columbus Crew.... 

Of the eight teams left in the MLS Cup playoffs, most would recognize that D.C. United is the least likely of the bunch to catch fire and go on to win it all. That said, the Black & Reds could change the narrative in a hurry if they can find a way to pick off the team which many feel will go on to win the whole enchilada, the New York Red Bulls. The first leg of this home-and-home series will take place on Sunday at RFK Stadium.... 

Sporting Kansas City's rich postseason history will be on display once again this year against a team which has to be incredibly revved up for arguably the biggest game in its history. The Portland Timbers are hoping for just their second home MLS playoff victory this Thursday against a team which they've had all sorts of problems with historically.... 

Halloween isn't until this weekend, but Toronto FC has already had its nightmare. The Reds were well on their way to beating the Montreal Impact on the final day of the MLS regular season, a victory which would have given them a home game in the opening round of the playoffs. Instead, Didier Drogba scored twice in a span of 90 seconds, and that has given the Impact the rights to home field in this do-or-die 90 minutes on Thursday.... 

The 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs are about set to get started on Wednesday night, as eight teams fight for four spots in the main field. There are some highs and some lows coming into the second season, and we'll break it all down with a look at BookMaker's odds to win the 2015 MLS Championship.... 

The MLS hasn't quite been around long enough to be able to relate to baseball, but if you could make a comparison across sports, the LA Galaxy are the New York Yankees. They've brought in all the names and seemingly have an endless budget, and they've got more titles than anyone else. That said, they were human in the 2015 season and could be in a lot of trouble on Wednesday when they open up the playoffs against the hated Seattle Sounders.... 

D.C. United was in such fine form heading into the last fixture of the regular season, but it was railroaded out of a bye when it was destroyed by Columbus 5-0 in the finale. Now, the Red and Blacks have to find a way back up on the horse in a hurry against a very good New England Revolution team in the opening round of the MLS Cup playoffs.... 

Sporting Kansas City could very well be kicking itself after what went down on Wednesday night. The team could've locked up a playoff spot had it just beaten the worst team in the Western Conference, the Colorado Rapids at home. Now, it holds just a one-point edge on San Jose for the last spot in the playoffs heading into the regular season finale against the Los Angeles Galaxy.... 

The Eastern Conference doesn't have quite as much drama involved in it as the Western Conference does in the MLS, but "Decision Day" still has a lot left to decide on both sides. D.C. United and the Columbus Crew are fighting for one last bye in the East, and the winner of this one will earn that coveted extra few days off while the other has to fight it out in an all-or-nothing 90 minutes against another postseason club.... 

Some of the best matches in the history of the MLS have pitted the Seattle Sounders against the LA Galaxy. These two rivals will meet for the last time in the regular season on Sunday, though we doubt it is the last time these two will exchange pleasantries in 2015 with the playoffs looming.... 

So much of the fate of the Houston Dynamo doesn't rest in their hands. They know they need to amass at least seven points, if not all nine from their last three matches of the season to have any chance to get into the playoffs in the Western Conference. Their first of those three duels comes on the road this Sunday against an FC Dallas team which will likely wrap up a playoff spot with a win.... 

Most of the clubs in the MLS have either four or five matches left to play in the regular season. The fact that there are just 14 points separating first place and last place in the Western Conference is still remarkable. The Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City are right in the thick of things in fourth and fifth place respectively heading into Sunday's match at Sporting Park....