For the past three years, the gulf between the two MLS conferences has seemingly been as deep as the Grand Canyon.  In 2011 and 2012, the East's representative in MLS Cup was Houston, a convert from the West.  The last time MLS Cup featured an original Eastern Conference team was 2008 when two teams from the […]

After only twelve goals total being scored in the conference semifinals, fans could be forgiven for expecting low-scoring first legs of the conference finals.  Instead, tired legs and teams pressing advantages led to seven goals and seemingly anti-climatic second legs coming up on Sunday, as a repeat of the 2011 MLS Cup looks in the […]

As you may have noticed when you excitedly opened your podcast app this morning, we were unable to record a post-Thursday episode of the MLS Talk podcast due to a variety of conflicts.  However, after a wild and crazy first round/conference semi-final round, I wanted to approach a wrap-up from a different perspective.  After elections, […]

Tonight the road to MLS Cup 2012 begins with Chicago hosting Houston in the Eastern Conference 4/5 game.  Over the next month ten teams will battle to determine who is the best team in MLS this season (at least, the best playoff team) and based on the regular season all of these games are must-see […]

In political parlance, the "laugh test" is the method to determine the reality of a proposal or idea, as in if a person laughs when you tell them your solution to a problem, it both unrealistic and ridiculous.  A few weeks back on the MLS Talk podcast (subscribe on iTunes today) I suggested that Chivas […]

Last night's games certainly did not lack offense.  Excluding the Seattle friendly, eighteen goals were scored in the seven MLS games and only two teams (not coincidentally, both playing midday) failed to score a goal on Wednesday.  And anytime you have close, exciting games with a number of goals, there are inevitably some goal of […]

Welcome to this week's Monday Morning Sweeper, the new name for our weekly Monday column rehashing all of the action from this weekend in MLS.  If you remember last week's column, we are trying to make this feature different and entertaining while still getting you caught up on all of the action that occurred on […]

For the first seventy minutes of yesterday's First Kick match-up between the Galaxy and RSL, the predictions about the amazing 2012 Galaxy season looked like they were more than just hype.  Only the crossbar and some timely RSL defending denied the Galaxy a multi-goal lead and the defense looked shaky but solid.  When Edson Buddle converted a […]

Name: Seattle Sounders Coach: Sigi Schmid Last Year: 18-7-9, 2nd Western Conference, 2nd Overall Hashtag: #Sounders Are Sounders fans too demanding?  In its current iteration, the club is entering its fourth MLS season and has made three consecutive conference semifinals. They own the U.S. Open Cup.   They have set attendance records that will be hard to […]

As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it's time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself.  The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man.  The best are the ones who can bring a […]

Today we wrap up our "Three Questions" series with the defending MLS champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy.  By any definition, they were the best team in MLS last season: they convincingly led the Supporters Shield's race most of the season, looked like the best team in the playoffs, and won the MLS Cup.  They did […]

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" said a famous philosopher centuries ago, but he may as well have been writing for MLS Talk about the 2011 Eastern Conference champions.  The Houston Dynamo took advantage of a weak conference and a hot streak to face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS […]

This past season in U.S. soccer was certainly an interesting one.  In MLS, two new teams were promoted and the soccer world fell in love with them and their passionate fans.  Coaches were hired and fired, players finally fulfilled their potential, and others failed to inspire.  One MLS team had a chance to make history […]

The 2011 MLS Cup will truly be a David v. Goliath affair.  In this corner, you have the regular season's best team with the most star power and biggest names who, by the way, will be playing at home.  In this corner, you have a team that fought all season for a playoff spot then […]

Tonight MLS shifts from the regular season to the postseason as two teams that could have entries in the DSM-IV face off on Fox Soccer Channel at 9 PM ET.  The New York Red Bulls will try to advance to face the Los Angeles Galaxy this weekend but standing in their way are the fourth place […]