SOCCER MLS ARTICLES

Toronto FC did everything it could on the final day of the regular season to get into the top two slots in the Eastern Conference to avoid having to play on the first day of the MLS Cup playoffs. Instead, the Reds finished a point adrift from New York City FC, and the punishment is going to be 90 grueling minutes against the Philadelphia Union for the right to move on to a home-and-home series against NYCFC.... 

The Seattle Sounders have had a remarkable turnaround this season. They really looked dead in the water when they dismissed Sigi Schmid in the middle of the campaign, but they've rallied to get on the right side of the cut line with 90 minute of soccer left to play. They've got work to do though, as Portland and Sporting Kansas City would love to get the Sounders knocked out of the postseason, so the pressure is on both Seattle and Real Salt Lake on Sunday.... 

FC Dallas has a Supporters' Shield to go win. The Hoops are on 59 points through 33 matches, and on the last day of the regular season, three points at home against the LA Galaxy will ultimately lock down the top spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs and the Western Conference regular season title for the second straight season.... 

The U.S. Open Cup is a long road for teams in the MLS, especially those who are in the thick of the fight for playoff spots at home as well. For FC Dallas and the New England Revolution, the road towards potential cup glory ends on Tuesday night in Frisco in a match that could legitimately end up being a big boost for either team in their quest for bigger goals in the MLS this season.... 

The first Sunday of the NFL season might be as big as it gets for some fans, but for those who prefer an entirely different kind of football, there's still a fix for you as well. D.C. United is clinging to that last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference heading into Match Day 28, but they're likely to fall flat when they take on the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Sunday.... 

Injuries are really starting to catch up with the New York Red Bulls at a bad time. They're hanging in there at the moment, but recent form definitely is starting to tell a tale of a team that could struggle come playoff time in just a few short weeks. A home match against the New England Revolution will be expected to be won, but the task is still fairly tall in spite of the 10-point separation between these clubs heading into the weekend.... 

These are trying times for Orlando City for sure. The Lions are still clinging to hopes of getting into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, but they're running out of time to change their standing in the bottom of the pack. Sunday's match against New York City FC looms large for sure, especially with new OCSC boss Jason Kreis going against the team that canned him after just one season a year ago.... 

It's still almost freakishly strange to see the legit possibility in play of both the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders missing the playoffs in the MLS. Portland is just barely on the right side of the playoff cut line going into this match with the Sounders, the latter of which are only one point behind with a match in hand. This opportunity to walk out of Providence Park with points is one that Seattle will surely be cherishing.... 

At 3 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this MLS match on Sunday, August 21, 2016, at RFK Stadium.... 

This MLS duel will go down Saturday, August 20, 2016, at 3 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. The match will be televised live on ESPN.... 

Don't miss the MLS action from CenturyLink Field at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 21, 2016. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX Sports 1.... 

Jason Kreis' time with Orlando City has been reasonable for sure, but his team is in a lot of trouble after a dud last weekend against Seattle. The Chicago Fire are up next, and if the Lions don't get their acts together in this one, they could be beaten down by another team sitting towards the bottom of the table in the MLS.The fixture between the Chicago Fire and Orlando City is scheduled for Sunday, August 14, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. ET at Toyota Park. The match will be televised live on UniMas.... 

Can the Seattle Sounders go on a run here at the end of the MLS season? That's really one of the biggest questions in the league right now as we head down the stretch for the run-in. The Sounders picked up three big points against Orlando City on the road, and now they get to return home for a match they really must win against Real Salt Lake to continue their forward momentum towards getting back into the postseason picture.This MLS fixture is scheduled for Sunday, August 14, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. ET at CenturyLink Field. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.... 

Home-and-home series don't happen all that often in the MLS regular season, but we're going to see an example of that this weekend. Sporting Kansas City got the best of the Portland Timbers 1-0 at Children's Mercy Park last Sunday, but now, the Timbers are going to hope to return the favor at Providence Park.... 

Since the dismissal of Adrian Heath, Orlando City has played significantly better soccer, getting back on the right side of the playoff cut line in the Eastern Conference. For the very first time, the Seattle Sounders will be making their longest possible road trip to the Sunshine State.... 

A triple-header of nationally televised MLS games on Sunday will wrap up with the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls squaring off in what many feel could ultimately be a preview of the MLS Cup in November.... 

The Seattle Sounders are actively trying to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Seattle fired long-time coach Sigi Schmid over the All-Star Break and this will be the Sounders’ first game ever without him. Assistant Brian Schmetzer will be replacing him and he has an uphill battle ahead. The Sounders need to make up 10 points in the second half of the season and their first game back, against the third-place LA Galaxy, is a tough one.... 

The second half of the season will kick off on Sunday and one of the premier games will be between Sporting KC and the Portland Timbers. Sporting KC is two points ahead of Portland in the standings, but there is still a lot of soccer to be played in the race to make the MLS playoffs.... 

For the first time since the MLS All-Star Game switched its format over to the local All-Stars taking on a visiting club team from Europe, Arsenal will be the ones taking on the MLS All-Stars. Arsenal is the seventh English side to face the best the MLS has to offer and will look to be only the second English side to beat the MLS players in their own All-Star Game.... 

Sporting KC and the Seattle Sounders are both out of the playoff hunt at this point and their road records are the reason why. Sporting KC is 2-3-6 on the road the Sounders are even worse at 1-2-6. Seattle has never missed the playoffs in its seven-year history, but if the Sounders don’t turn things around soon, they will be out of the playoffs for the first time in forever.... 

The New York Derby will see its third and final installment with both sides having won a match earlier in the year against the other. New York City FC won the last meeting 2-0 on July 3, but the Red Bulls had one of the biggest wins in MLS history in a game now known as the ‘Hudson River Massacre’ in the first meeting of the season and will be trumpeting their 7-0 win against NYCFC on its home turf for some time.... 

A little more than halfway through the season, the defending champion Portland Timbers are on the outside looking in at the postseason. Now, the LA Galaxy are coming to town and Portland needs a win in order to help its chances to make the playoffs.... 

At the outset of the year, most figured that both New York City FC and the Montreal Impact were going to be in the thick of the playoff race. Few figured that they'd both be threatening to win the Eastern Conference regular season title. Depending upon what happens in the midweek fixtures, three points for one of these teams could vault one into first place beyond the halfway point of the season.... 

With the inclusion of New York City FC, the rivalry between the New York Red Bulls and the Philadelphia Union has been almost a little forgotten. For the first time this year, these two Eastern Conference foes will duke it out against each other in the City of Brotherly Love on Sunday night.... 

The time is going to come when both the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers have to hit the panic button. Neither team is by any means out of the playoff picture entirely, but both are going to have to go on a bit of a run if they're going to have a serious shot at winning the MLS Cup. The two will meet on Sunday in Providence Park in what is shaping up to be quite the big game for both clubs....