- MLS’ Earth Day-inspired jerseys made from recycled ocean plastic
- Consistent MLS goalscorers reflect evolving player landscape
- MLS academies begin GA Cup with statement victories against internationally acclaimed clubs
- Undefeated LAFC, Seattle face off in back-to-back weeks
- MVP-seeking Vela, LAFC on track for MLS goals and points records
- Seattle opponents now bracing for Bruin
- MLS Board of Governors Meeting takes place Thursday
- Week 8 Notes
MLS’ Earth Day-inspired jerseys made from recycled ocean plastic
Donning eco-friendly jerseys made from fibers of plastic waste, MLS and all 24 of its clubs are celebrating Earth Day with adidas x Parley kits and environmentally conscious local initiatives during the Fourth Annual MLS WORKS Greener Goals Week of Service. From threat to thread, this week’s innovative MLS kits are the products of transformed ocean plastic gathered from shorelines, remote islands, and coastal communities through Parley Ocean Plastic™.
MLS was recognized as “
The Most Responsible Football League in the World
,” and remains firmly engaged in social responsibility initiatives. Below are highlights of team activations from coast to coast:
- FC Cincinnati: Partnering with the Newport Aquarium and their WAVE Foundation to collect plastic bags to be transformed into useful items, such as sleeping mats for the homeless community.
- FC Dallas: Conserves water by collecting in-stadium rainwater for on-site retention ponds that irrigate the stadium and training grounds.
- LAFC: Led a Santa Monica Pier beach clean-up (Download Photos)
- Philadelphia Union: Partnered with rapper Asher Rother for a Park clean-up (Download Photos I Download Video)
- Orlando City SC: Partnering with City of Orlando for food waste reclamation where the stream is delivered to a waste to energy/fertilizer plant at Walt Disney World.
- Real Salt Lake: Utilizes 2020-kilowatt solar panel system that offsets approximately 73% of the organization’s total annual stadium power needs.
- Seattle Sounders FC: Utilizing stadium compost for locally grown vegetables at a farm near Seattle; going carbon neutral for 2019 and beyond by developing plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions where possible; Partnering with Evergreen Carbon Capture program of Forterra and DIRT Corps to plant hundreds of trees in the region.
Consistent MLS goalscorers reflect evolving player landscape
The MLS players putting up scoring streaks are a true indication of the world’s most diverse professional sports league.
Among those with goals in three straight games,
Gianluca Busio
(Sporting Kansas City) – a 16-year-old academy product with U.S. Youth National Team experience – has already scored two game-tying goals as a rising star, in the company of Mexico National Team powerhouse
Carlos Vela
(Los Angeles Football Club), who leads the league in both goals (8) and assists (5). Swedish international
Zlatan Ibrahimović
(LA Galaxy) is nipping at the heels of his crosstown rival as he remains tied for second in the Golden Boot hunt with his six goals, and Honduran international
Alberth Elis
(Houston Dynamo) is masterfully keeping his club among the only three remaining unbeaten teams.
However, the one to catch is U.S. Men’s National Team star
Jozy Altidore
(Toronto FC), who recently signed a four-year contract to remain in Toronto and was previously the youngest player ever to score in consecutive games before Busio’s breakout season this year. Altidore has scored at least a goal in his last four consecutive outings, with his five goals and an assist this season maintaining Toronto’s steam among the top four in Eastern Conference standings.
MLS academies begin GA Cup with statement victories against internationally acclaimed clubs
The 2019 Generation adidas Cup kicked off Sunday in Frisco, Texas, and the performance of MLS clubs in the U-17 competition thus far has highlighted the world-class talent developed in academies across the league. The top matches of each day are being live streamed on Twitch and are accessible to a global audience.
In the U-17 Champions Division, one MLS club and one international club have advanced to the quarterfinals by finishing in the top two in each of the four groups. Hosts FC Dallas captured an impressive 3-0 victory over Club America in group play and will next face Croatian power Dinamo Zagreb in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. ET today (
Twitch
). Seattle Sounders FC meanwhile defeated Brazilian side Flamengo 1-0 and will next face three-time GA Cup champion River Plate today at 6:30 p.m. ET (
Twitch
), while Real Salt Lake bested French club Olympique Lyonnais and advanced to face Spain’s Valencia (6:30 p.m. ET,
Twitch
). Rounding out the Champions Division is LA Galaxy, who defeated Uruguayan power Peñarol and today will face West Ham United in the quarterfinals (8:30 p.m. ET,
Twitch
).
The newly formed U-15 tournament between MLS and Liga MX clubs begins play on Wednesday with the Los Angeles Football Club, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union and Toronto FC representing MLS. The U-15 showdown is the latest competitive initiative in the collaboration between the two leagues, following in the footsteps of the Campeones Cup and the annual MLS Homegrown Game which pits the MLS squad against a Liga MX U-20 opponent. Chivas de Guadalajara, Club Leon, Cruz Azul and Monterrey will each face the four MLS sides once, setting up an exciting fifth and final matchup pitting the first-place Liga MX side against the top MLS club in a winner-take-all showdown on Saturday, April 20, at Toyota Stadium.
The full schedule of matches streamed on Twitch can be found
here
.
All information on the 2019 Generation adidas Cup can be found
here
.
Undefeated LAFC, Seattle face off in back-to-back weeks
The Los Angeles Football Club and Seattle Sounders FC, the two teams with the most points in the MLS standings, will face off in back-to-back weeks in a battle of currently unbeaten clubs. LAFC has a midweek matchup at Vancouver Whitecaps FC before hosting Seattle on April 21 (7 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX Sports GO) at Banc of California Stadium then hitting the road to face Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on April 28 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN / ESPN Deportes / WatchESPN).
LAFC is undefeated in four straight matches and has scored 13 straight times without allowing an opposing goal, a mark that ranks third for the most uninterrupted goals in MLS history.
Carlos Vela
leads the league in both goals (8) and assists (5), while 21-year-old
Diego Rossi
is tied for second in MLS with six goals scored to form a dangerous attacking duo.
Seattle, meanwhile, has won two straight matches and is tied with LAFC and Columbus Crew SC with five goals allowed on the season, the fewest in the league.
Nicolás Lodeiro
is second in MLS with four assists this season, while both 24-year-old
Jordan Morris
and
Raúl Ruidíaz
are tied for 10th in the league with three goals scored.
MVP-seeking Vela, LAFC on track for MLS goals and points records
The second-year Los Angeles Football Club are tallying goals, points and victories at a rate that would crush MLS records in all three categories. With a 6-0-1 record, 19 points and 21 goals scored, LAFC is on pace for 102 goals, 29 wins and 92 points. And with Mexico National Team star
Carlos Vela
at the helm, leading the league in both goals (8) and assists (5) through seven weeks, LAFC has quickly established itself as the top-tier team in the Western Conference.
“Every day I try to be a better player, a better teammate, and in the end I’m working to be the MVP of the league,” Vela said
earlier this season
. “If I want to do that, I have to show every game how good I am.”
The past two MLS seasons have seen clubs set new points records, with 2017 Toronto FC (69 points) eclipsing the 1998 LA Galaxy’s 68-point total, then in 2018 the New York Red Bulls (71 points) topping TFC’s total and eventual 2018 MLS Cup winners Atlanta United (69 points) matching the previous MLS record. LAFC is also scoring 3.00 goals per game (on pace for 102 goals), well ahead of the 2.66 goals-per-game rate that led to a current MLS record of 85 goals.
LAFC visits Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET / TSN) and then prepares for one of its toughest tests this season when it hosts Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday in a potential meeting of two unbeatens (7 p.m. ET / FS1, FOX Deportes).
Does head coach Bob Bradley’s LAFC side have the attacking prowess to rewrite the MLS history books?
Seattle opponents now bracing for Bruin
Look no further than Seattle Sounders FC forward
Will Bruin
to prove that depth and experience build champions. Bruin, who helped Seattle to its 2017 MLS Cup appearance, watched every minute of the first three games from the bench this season before scoring last week’s game-tying goal off a
diving header
in the first half. In only his second start of the 2019 season, there’s no question that he was the hero of the night, with a second-half goal that established Seattle’s first lead of the match that helped maintain the club’s longest season-opening unbeaten streak in MLS history.
Prior to Bruin’s resurgent efforts,
Sounders FC head coach Brian Schmetzer said
“(Bruin) could be a starter many other teams. … He continues to press because in his mind, he is going to start.”
When given the opportunity in high-stakes matchups, Bruin has reliably produced. He started every match of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup playoffs, including MLS Cup, and he scored goals in both legs of the Western Conference Championship series – both wins over the Houston Dynamo that season.
With a stacked roster, and shared wealth among scorers, Bruin’s clutch performances provide another attacking option to Seattle’s already dangerous lineup.
MLS Board of Governors Meeting takes place Thursday
Major League Soccer’s traditional April Board of Governors Meeting will occur this Thursday, April 18, in Los Angeles. A media briefing with MLS leadership will take place following the meeting. Journalists interested in attending the media briefing should contact Irene Gutierrez at
Irene.Gutierrez@MLSsoccer.com
for media credential information.
MLS Regular Season: Week 8 Notes
Wednesday, April 17
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 10 p.m. ET (TSN)
- Whitecaps FC had their winless streak extended to six games in a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire at SeatGeek Stadium on Friday evening. It’ is the club’s longest winless run to open a season in its MLS history.
- LAFC extended their undefeated run to seven games to open the season – the longest such streak in their brief history – with a 2-0 win against FC Cincinnati at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday evening. LAFC are the 13th team in MLS history to have an undefeated streak of seven games or more to open a season.
- Carlos Vela scored his eighth goal of the season, sitting atop the MLS Golden Boot standings, now with goals in three consecutive games (with five goals in that span). LAFC have scored 13 consecutive goals without allowing one, the third-longest streak in league history.
- The teams met twice in LAFC’s inaugural season a year ago. LAFC won the first meeting, a 2-0 victory at BC Place on April 13; they then reached a 2-2 draw on Oct. 21 at Banc of California Stadium.
Friday, April 19
FC Cincinnati vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m. ET
- FC Cincinnati had their winless run extended to three games with a second loss in that time, falling 2-0 to the Los Angeles Football Club at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday evening.
- Real Salt Lake put an end to a four-game losing slide, holding out for a 2-1 win against Orlando City SC at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening. Sam Johnson netted his first career MLS goal to send RSL on their way.
- The teams are meeting for the first time in their history.
Toronto FC vs. Minnesota United FC, 8 p.m. ET (TSN)
- Jozy Altidore scored a pair of goals – now with goals in four consecutive games this season, and five in a row dating back to last year – but Toronto FC saw their undefeated start to the season put to an end in a 3-2 loss to Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon.
- Minnesota United FC made the opening of their Allianz Field wonder a day to remember, gaining a 3-3 draw with New York City FC on Saturday afternoon. Osvaldo Alonso scored the first goal in Allianz Field history, his first in an MLS game since April 29. 2017, when he was with Seattle Sounders FC.
- The teams have met twice in their history, each winning once, on their home ground. Minnesota United took a 4-3 win last year on July 4 at TCF Bank Stadium; TFC won 3-2 on May 13, 2017, in MNUFC’s inaugural MLS season.
LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo, 11 p.m. ET (UniMás)
- Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a pair of goals – his second two-goal game of the season, and his third consecutive game with a goal (with five in that span) – as the Galaxy won their fourth game in a row in a 2-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union at Dignity Health Sports Park.
- The Dynamo won for a fourth consecutive game, remaining undefeated for the season, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Alberth Elis scored in his third consecutive game, while Mauro Manotas assisted on both goals, now with four assists over the last three games.
- The teams met twice a season ago, and the Dynamo won both, each by a 3-2 scoreline, winning May 5 at BBVA Compass Stadium, and also on Decision Day (Oct. 28) in Carson.
- The Dynamo have a four-game undefeated streak alive in the series, over the last two seasons. The last Galaxy win came Oct. 16, 2016, a 1-0 win at BBVA Compass Stadium; it was the second win for LA that year in Houston, their first wins ever at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- The Dynamo’s win last year in Carson was their first at the Galaxy since 2013. The Galaxy had won two of the four meetings in between, with two draws.
Saturday, April 20
Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids, 1 p.m. ET
- The Fire extended their undefeated streak to three games with a second consecutive draw, reaching a 1-1 result with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at SeatGeek Stadium on Friday evening. Nemanja Nikolic scored for a second consecutive game, converting from the penalty spot.
- The Rapids saw their winless start to the season continue, suffered a fourth consecutive defeat in a 3-2 loss to D.C. United at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Benny Feilhaber scored a goal, his second of the season, and added his second assist of the season.
- The teams met once a season ago, reaching a 2-2 draw on June 13 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids are now unbeaten in their past six home encounters with the Fire, with two wins and four draws, dating back to 2010.
- The Fire won the last meeting between the teams in Bridgeview, a 3-0 victory on May 17, 2017. Colorado had won on their last visit to SeatGeek Stadium, a 1-0 win on Aug. 22, 2015 – their first win ever in Bridgeview, and first at the Fire since 2004, at Soldier Field.
Philadelphia Union vs. Montreal Impact, 1 p.m. ET (TVA Sports, TSN)
- The Union saw their winning streak put to an end after three games, falling 2-0 to the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday evening.
- The Impact made their Stade Saputo home opener and extended their undefeated streak to three games, defeating Columbus Crew SC 1-0 on Saturday afternoon. Harry Novillo scored his first MLS goal for the game-winner, putting an end to the Impact goalless streak after 236 minutes.
- The teams met twice a season ago, and the away team won each. The Union claimed a 2-0 win on May 12 at Stade Saputo, then the Impact won 4-1 on Sept. 15 at Talen Energy Stadium.
- The visiting team has won the past three meetings – after the away team won just once over the first 15 meetings, covering the first six years of the series. The Union have won two of the nine matchups in Chester, with five draws. The Impact have won six of the nine meetings all-time at Stade Saputo.
Orlando City SC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 3 p.m. ET (TSN, CTV)
- Orlando City SC weren’t able to make it consecutive wins, falling 2-1 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening.
- Nani scored directly from a free kick for his third goal in MLS – all coming over the past two games. It’s the second free kick goal for Orlando City SC this season; they had two total over the first four seasons of their MLS history.
- Yordy Reyna netted his first goal of the season in Whitecaps FC’s 1-1 draw at Chicago. The goal was the club’s first since March 16, ending their goalless drought at 269 minutes, second-longest in the league this season.
- Whitecaps FC have never lost to Orlando City in their MLS history, in four meetings all-time (3-0-1). The ‘Caps won the lone meeting between the teams a year ago, a 5-2 victory on June 9 at BC Place.
- Whitecaps FC have won twice on two visits to Orlando, last a 2-1 win there on Aug. 26, 2017.
Atlanta United vs. FC Dallas, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
- Atlanta United won their first league match in defense of their MLS Cup title, defeating the New England Revolution 2-0 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. Ezequiel Barco scored a pair of goals, now with three goals for the season, his first two-goal game in his MLS career.
- FC Dallas won for a fourth time in six matches, holding out for a 2-1 win against the Portland Timbers at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening. David Ferreira scored his second goal of the season, while Reto Ziegler scored for a second consecutive match, now with three goals on the season.
- The teams have met twice in their history, each winning once, on their home ground. Atlanta United won the first meeting between the teams, a 3-0 win on Sept. 10, 2017, in the grand opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. FC Dallas claimed a 3-2 victory last July 4 at Toyota Stadium.
Columbus Crew SC vs. Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Crew SC saw their two-game winning run put to an end, falling 1-0 to the Montréal Impact at Stade Saputo on Saturday afternoon. Zack Steffen had his personal shutout streak put to an end after 499 minutes, the second-longest streak in Crew SC club history.
- The Timbers suffered a fifth consecutive defeat – matching the club’s MLS record set in 2012 – in a 2-1 defeat by FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening. Cristhian Paredes scored his first goal of the season.
- The Timbers won the lone meeting between the teams a year ago, a 3-2 victory on Sept. 29 at Providence Park. Crew SC have never won in Portland, in five trips there all-time, the Timbers now with three home wins in the series.
- Crew SC won the last meeting between the teams in Columbus, a 3-2 victory on March 25, 2017, which was the first victory overall for Crew SC vs. the Timbers since 2013.
- The teams also met in MLS Cup 2015, a 2-1 Timbers victory at Mapfre Stadium. Diego Valeri and Rodney Wallace gave the Timbers a 2-0 lead after just seven minutes; Kei Kamara pulled a goal back on 18 minutes, but the Timbers held on for their first MLS title.
New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
- The Revolution suffered a second consecutive defeat, their fifth in the past six games, falling 2-0 to Atlanta United at Gillette Stadium.
- The Red Bulls put an end to a three-game league losing run but saw their winless streak extended, reaching a 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday evening.
- The teams met twice a year ago, each winning on their home ground. The Revolution came from behind for a 2-1 win on June 2 at Gillette Stadium, then the Red Bulls took a 2-0 win on July 21 at Red Bull Arena.
- The visiting team has won just twice in the series over the past 11 seasons in league play. The Red Bulls won 3-2 on July 5, 2017 in Foxborough, their second win there in four seasons. When the Red Bulls won 2-0 at Gillette Stadium on June 8, 2014, it was the first for New York in New England since 2002. The Revolution had won 13 of 19 meetings in league and MLS Cup play since that previous New York win.
- The Revolution have never won at Red Bull Arena in league play. Since the stadium opened in 2010, the Red Bulls have won 10 of 11 regular-season games there, with one draw. When the Revolution won 2-1 in Harrison in the first leg of the 2014 Eastern Conference Championship, it was their first win of any sort in New Jersey since 2007, ending a 10-game winless streak there in all competitions.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10 p.m. ET
- The Quakes weren’t able to build upon a first win in five matches this season, suffering a 2-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday evening. Jackson Yueill scored his first career MLS goal in the loss.
- Sporting extended their league undefeated streak to five games with a second consecutive draw, coming back for a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday evening. Gianluca Busio scored for a third consecutive game, the youngest player in MLS history to score in consecutive games, netting the 88th-minute game-winner.
- The teams met twice a season ago, and Sporting won both, taking a 3-2 win on March 17 at Children’s Mercy Park, and a 5-1 victory on Sept. 15 at Avaya Stadium.
- Sporting have a six-game undefeated streak alive in the series, winning three consecutive matchups before the clubs reached a goalless draw on June 17, 2017 at Avaya Stadium. The Quakes last win in the series came April 24, 2016, at home.
- Sporting have won the past three meetings in Kansas City, the last San Jose win at Children’s Mercy Park coming in 2015, a 5-0 victory which is the largest in the all-time series.
Sunday, April 21
D.C. United vs. New York City FC, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
- D.C. United put an end to a brief two-game winless run, defeating the Colorado Rapids 3-2 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Chris Durkin scored his first professional goal and Lucas Rodríguez netted his second goal of the season as United scored three goals in an eight-minute span.
- NYCFC had their winless streak to open the season extended to six games, reaching a fifth draw over that span, in a 3-3 result with Minnesota United FC in the opening of Allianz Field. Ismael Tajouri-Shradi scored a pair of goals – one directly from a free kick – the fourth two-goal game of his MLS career (in 31 appearances).
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. They reached a scoreless draw March 10 at Yankee Stadium.
- D.C. United now have a four-game undefeated streak alive in the series, with two wins and two draws, NYCFC’s last win coming March 12, 2017, a 4-0 triumph at Yankee Stadium. D.C. United have now taken points from their last two trips to Yankee Stadium, their first results there; NYCFC had won the first three encounters in the Bronx.
- D.C. United has won the last three meetings between the teams in Washington, the last a 2-1 win last Oct. 21 at Audi Field in the first meeting there. NYCFC’s 2-0 triumph May 8, 2016 at RFK Stadium is the only win by the road team in the series.
Los Angeles Football Club vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 7 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)
- Sounders FC extended their undefeated streak to five games to open the season with a fourth win in that time, defeating Toronto FC 3-2 at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon. Will Bruin scored a pair of goals, his first of the 2019 season, the 11th multiple-goal game of his MLS career.
- LAFC scored 21 goals through their first seven games this season, the most of any team in that span to start a season in MLS history.
- The teams met twice in LAFC’s inaugural season a year ago, and the first-year side won both, each by a 1-0 scoreline. The first win came in LAFC’s first MLS match ever, March 4 at CenturyLink Field; they also were victorious April 29 at Banc of California Stadium.
- The game is the front end of a home-and-home series over consecutive weekends; the teams also face each other April 28 at CenturyLink Field (Sounders FC have a game in between, vs. San Jose at midweek).
