The B Team - Missing Copa América

So back in March, for kicks we put together a U.S. roster comprised of players that were not on the World Cup Qualifying Roster or the Olympic Qualifying Roster to see what kind of team we could throw together. Now with Copa América looming and the U.S.'s 40-man preliminary roster in place, I thought it might be fun to do it again. Our roster's going to look a little bit different this time with some players getting called up (Nick Rimando, Eric Lichaj, Danny Williams, Graham Zusi, Tim Ream and Perry Kitchen) and others hampered by injuries (Quincy Amarikwa), but I still think this is a halfway decent - if MLS-biased - roster. Here's what I came up with:

STARTERS

Goalkeeper - Luis Robles - New York Red Bulls - The reigning MLS goalkeeper of the year who hasn't missed a start since 2012 has had a rough start to 2016, but much of that can be attributed to the porous defense in front of him. CAPS: 2

Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - For whatever reason, despite the lack of left backs in the system, Villafaña still isn't getting a look with the USMNT. Well, he's a staple at left back for our B Team. CAPS: 0

Center Back - Nat Borchers - Portland Timbers - The Wyndham Rewards Wizard is still plugging away at Age 35. He's not a long term solution, but he brings toughness and savvy to the table without being a high risk for cards (just one yellow in his last 41 regular season matches. CAPS: 3

Center Back - Chad Marshall - Seattle Sounders - The 6'4" Marshall is exceptional in the air and already has a pair of goals for the Sounders this season. Paired with Borchers, Marshall would make the U.S. tough on set pieces on both ends of the field. CAPS: 11

Right Back - Robbie Rogers - LA Galaxy - Rogers is better on the left than on the right, but he's shown this year after Ashley Cole took the left back spot that he can play on either side of the field. With his attacking background, Rogers is always dangerous moving forward and would give the U.S. an effective attack out of the back. CAPS: 18

Defensive Midfield - Wil Trapp - Columbus Crew - One of many young players looking to be the heir apparent to Kyle Beckerman, Trapp helped the Crew reach the MLS Cup in 2015, and has started every game for them in 2016. CAPS: 2

Defensive Midfield - Dax McCarty - New York Red Bulls - Full disclosure, I would have liked to put Matt Polster in this spot alongside Trapp, but Polster's banged up, so instead we'll go with the veteran. McCarty was a huge reason for the Red Bulls' success in 2015, and after a slow start he's playing better of late. CAPS: 5

Left Wing - Brek Shea - Orlando City SC - He's been playing more left back than left wing, but he's got the athleticism and the attacking skillset to allow him to slot in here without a huge drop in play. CAPS: 34

Attacking Midfield - Benny Feilhaber - Sporting Kansas City - Klinsmann may not like Feilhaber, but I do. He's a playmaker, and has a great engine, and while he may not be Michael Bradley, he could certainly run this offense. CAPS: 41

Right Wing - Mike Grella - New York Red Bulls - An exciting winger, Grella burst onto the scene in 2015 after spending 2014 in the NASL and delivered 9 goals and 7 assists for the Supporters Shield Winners. And to show it wasn't a fluke, Grella is off to a fast start in 2016 with three goals already. CAPS: 0

Striker - C.J. Sapong - Philadelphia Union - One of the more notable snubs, Sapong is really coming into his own with the Union and is a big reason they've turned their fortunes around. CAPS: 2.


BENCH

Goalkeeper - Clint Irwin - Toronto FC - CAPS: 0
Goalkeeper - Tim Melia - Sporting Kansas City - CAPS: 0
Left Back - Jonathan Bornstein - Querétaro FC - CAPS: 38
Center Back - Michael Parkhurst - Columbus Crew - CAPS: 25
Center Back - Marvell Wynne - San Jose Earthquakes - CAPS: 5
Right Back - Jonathan Spector - Birmingham City - CAPS: 36
Defensive Midfield - Scott Caldwell - New England Revolution - CAPS: 0
Attack Midfield - Sacha Kljestan - New York Red Bulls - CAPS: 46
Left Wing - Chris Rolfe - DC United - CAPS: 10
Right Wing - Chris Pontius - Philadelphia Union - CAPS: 0
Striker - Juan Agudelo - New England Revolution - CAPS: 20
Striker - Jack McInerney - Portland Timbers - CAPS: 0

To Play On, Or Not to Play On

A lot has been made in recent weeks about the ethics of playing on, or playing the ball out of bounds when an opposing player goes down with an injury. In multiple instances this season, we've seen teams opt for the former, one drawing a tongue-lashing from an irate USMNT captain Michael Bradley, and another leading to the only goal in a 1-0 game which left New York Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch furious. Do Marsch and Bradley have a case? Were the 'unwritten rules' of the game violated?


In short, no, they do not. This isn't U-10s where we teach players to play the ball out of bounds when there's an injury because we're concerned about the safety of the children. This is professional soccer, and everyone knows that there's a problem with players taking dives and faking injuries. Are some of the injuries real? Of course they are. Just ask Steve Zakuani, or Stuart Holden among others. The PROBLEM is, that players will go down for no reason, require medical attention, and then bounce back up as if nothing happened. Wasn't it the 2011 women's World Cup that a player got taken off the field on a stretcher and then upon reaching the sideline jumped off and ran back into the game? I seem to recall a sequence in the 2002 World Cup in a game between Brazil and Turkey (maybe?) when a Turkish player kicked a ball towards a Brazilian player who was getting ready to take a corner. The ball hit the Brazilian player in the shin, the Brazilian goes down holding his face, and the Turkish player gets sent off. So with that kind of culture ingrained in the game right now, why would you ever stop play unless there was blood, some sort of compound fracture, or a clear-cut head injury?


It sucks that that's what the game's come to, but at the professional level, I don't feel like there's any obligation for players to stop for an opponent's injury. Do you know whose job it is to determine if the injury is serious enough to warrant a stoppage of play? The referee's! You play to the whistle, something we teach at every level. It's unfortunate that the injury to New York's Kemar Lawrence was real, and then it led to New England's game winning goal, but if teams want to gripe about that, then people can't go down like they've been shot every time they take a nick.

U.S. - Guatemala, Part 2 Reaction

Where was this on Friday? I couldn't help but watch this match, which was NEVER in doubt, and wonder how in the world did we lose to this team just days ago? And not just lose, but lose BADLY. For all the criticism that Jurgen Klinsmann has received about inconsistent/questionable lineups and formations, he deserves the credit for getting this one right in a must-win contest. Opting to go with an attack-minded lineup put the pressure on Guatemala early and often, and resulted in a resounding blowout win. The question now is where does the U.S. go from here? Do we continue to play attack-minded soccer (the thing Klinsmann promised us when he took the U.S. job) or will the master tinkerer shift tactics yet again? Here's the changes/"improvements" I'd make going forward:

Left Back - I thought Edgar Castillo was passable against the Guatemalans, but I still like Jorge Villafaña and I think he deserves a shot. If nothing else, I'd at least like to see Villafaña get an invite to camp so we have more than one left back on the roster. I think that putting ourselves in a position where Fabian Johnson is our left back - or even our backup left back - is doing ourselves a disservice.

Center Back - If John Brooks is playing as well as everyone says he is, then he should probably supplant Steve Birnbaum in the Starting XI. I don't have any issues with Birnbaum's performance, and I love what he brings on set pieces, but we need to find a way to get our best players on the field. One thing that came up during the broadcast, and that I actually agree with is that we should probably consider moving Geoff Cameron into the role currently filled by Kyle Beckerman. Beckerman isn't going to be around forever, and with no clear replacement in the pipeline, it's probably worth giving Cameron, a player who can play and has played that position, a look. This way you could also potentially start Brooks and Birnbaum together with Cameron in front of them.

Right Wing - Gyasi Zardes got his name on the scoresheet last night, but he's likely the odd man out in this formation with the return of Jozy Altidore and Fabian Johnson. The question becomes whether Dempsey, who played an inspired match last night, gets the nod over Bobby Wood moving forward. Personally, I don't see Dempsey sticking around for another World Cup, so I think there's value in starting Altidore up top with Wood on the right wing and Fabian Johnson over on the left, just to see if the group has good chemistry together. As so many analysts and soccer pundits have said in recent days, it's all about building effective partnerships.

Attacking Midfielder - Graham Zusi was terrific in the attacking midfield role alongside Michael Bradley, so I think you have to figure he's in the mix moving forward. The question is, who would you start alongside him with Bradley suspended for the next qualifier due to yellow card accumulation? Fortunately the U.S. has options in Darlington Nagbe, Mix Diskerud and Lee Nguyen, so I'd expect Klinsmann to ride the hot hand.

Some quick final thoughts:

1) It was nice to see Christian Pulisic make his USMNT at the age of 17. Still, I think he's got some room to grow physically before becoming a regular member of the squad. It's not to say that he looked out of place, but he wasn't winning any physical challenges, something he'd be expected to do in the tough CONCACAF region.

2) I'm a little surprised that we opted to bring on Jozy Altidore in a 3-0 game when his fitness is questionable. Yes, he scored which was great, but I don't know what the benefit of making that move was in a blowout, especially when we had other options. Bringing on Ethan Finlay made sense because the game was at his home stadium. Bringing on the aforementioned Pulisic made sense because it CAP-ties him to the U.S. But why Altidore instead of, say, Darlington Nagbe? Or Lee Nguyen? Or Mix Diskerud? It just seemed like a risky move to me.

3) Poor Ethan Finlay. He scores his first international goal in front of his home crowd and has it called back (wrongfully) due to an offsides call. On a positive note, Finlay, once again appears well suited to that substitute sparkplug role on the wing. This is two matches in a row for him where he's had an immediate impact.

4) Brad Guzan should be the U.S. keeper moving forward. Tim Howard has had a legendary career, but until he starts coming up big in MLS with the Rapids this summer, he isn't earning his spot on the field in the world of what have you done for me lately.

5) Pretty solid effort by the U.S.'s MLS contingent despite not being in midseason form. Clint Dempsey (Seattle), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Graham Zusi (Sporting KC), and Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) combined for 3 goals and all 4 assists. And really Ethan Finlay (Columbus) would have added another goal on an assist from Altidore had the officiating been a little cleaner. Nice job, boys! Way to represent!

Week 4/5 MLS Power Rankings

1. Sporting Kansas City (3-0-0) - Nice to see Brad Davis get a winner in his new home. Only one MLS team has wins in each of their first three matches so hard to argue someone else should be number one. Last Week: 2
2. FC Dallas (2-1-0) - This is the Dallas people expected to see, as opposed to whoever those guys were that took the field against the Dynamo last week. Last Week: 5
3. Montreal Impact (2-1-0) - Didier Drogba returned, but FC Dallas was too much for the Impact as Montreal suffered their first defeat of 2016. Last Week: 1
4. LA Galaxy (2-1-0) - On paper this makes sense, but in practice, this is probably still too high for the Galaxy. At least they capitalized on their man advantage with San Jose. Last Week: 7
5. Toronto FC (1-1-1) - Finally had Jozy Altidore back in uniform, but that wasn't enough to stop red hot Sporting KC. Last Week: 3
6. Portland Timbers (1-1-1) - Took advantage of two Real Salt Lake red cards to salvage a 2-2 draw with the claret and cobalt. Liam Ridgewell's absence is definitely being felt at the back. Last Week: 4
7. San Jose Earthquakes (2-1-0) - LA and San Jose were tied at 0 when Simon Dawkins was sent off in first half stoppage time, so hard to fault them for their loss to the Galaxy when a man down. That Wondolowski guy is pretty good by the way... Last Week: 6
8. New York Red Bulls (1-2-0) - Felipe bailed out the defense with a pair of late strikes as the Red Bulls snapped an early losing streak in a wild 4-3 win. The reigning Supporter's Shield winners are clearly working some kinks out early in the season. Last Week: 10
9. Philadelphia Union (2-1-0) - Last week is was Chris Pontius, this week it was C.J. Sapong, as the Union have now dispatched the Crew and Revolution in back-to-back matches. Last Week: 17
10. Vancouver Whitecaps (1-2-0) - Took what they were given converting a pair of penalty kicks in knocking off their rivals, the Sounders for their first win of 2016. The Caps aren't playing up to their potential, but it's still early. Last Week: 11

USMNT Roster Thoughts

So, rather than comment on the USMNT rosters for the Guatemala World Cup Qualifiers and the U-23 showdown with Colombia, I thought it would be interesting to see if I could put together a roster of players not selected for either group that could, on paper, give Guatemala a run for their money. I didn't consider injured/suspended players (Benny Feilhaber, Brad Evans, Bill Hamid, Jermaine Jones, etc), but here's what I came up with:


For the purpose of argument, we'll line up in a traditional 4-4-2, but I think our roster offers enough flexibility to be able to run a 4-3-3/4-5-1 as well if need be:


Goalkeeper - Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake - The veteran netminder was a part of the U.S.'s World Cup roster in 2014, and he's been an MLS All-Star each of the last three seasons. CAPS: 21


Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - Villafaña is fresh off an MLS Cup win with the Portland Timbers, and has started all three of Santos's CONCACAF Champions League knockout round matches where they have yet to concede a single goal. A member of the ill-fated U-23s in 2012, Villafaña hasn't received any attention for Jurgen Klinsmann, and with left back such a question mark, you'd think the 26 year Villafaña would at least be due a look. CAPS: 0


Center Back - Nat Borchers - Portland Timbers - Borchers has been a key contributor on multiple MLS Cup winning sides and the 6'2" mountain man would bring a toughness that the U.S. teams often lack when visiting Central America. Borchers is 34, and his best days are probably behind him, but I think you could get two matches out of him. CAPS: 3


Center Back - Chad Marshall - Seattle Sounders - A three-time MLS Defender of the Year, most recently in 2014, the 6'3" Marshall would be big (figuratively) on set pieces. Always a threat to score on corners, Marshall's head could be the difference in a close game. CAPS: 11


Right Back - Eric Lichaj - Nottingham Forest - Lichaj's been a regular in the English League Championship for Nottingham Forest and at 27, is at that right age for a breakout. Lichaj hasn't appeared for the U.S. since 2013, but he's really seen his playing time increase overseas since we last saw him in the red, white and blue. CAPS: 10

Proposed USMNT Lineup vs Guatemala

Still a couple weeks to go, but here's the Starting XI I'd like to see us go with against Guatemala:


GK - Brad Guzan - I know there were talks about alternating between Guzan and Tim Howard, but with Howard riding the bench at Everton and Guzan having regained his starting job at Aston Villa, I think Guzan gets the edge here.


Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - After winning a championship with the Portland Timbers, Villafaña has won a starting job in Mexico and recently contributed to Santos Laguna's back-to-back shutouts of the LA Galaxy while advancing to the CCL Semifinals. While Villafaña doesn't have a CAP with the USMNT, his high level of play should be rewarded, plus it allows Fabian Johnson to push into the attack.


Center Back - Matt Besler - Apologies to John Brooks, but the edge goes to the veteran Besler here even if he's not in midseason form. Plus, it makes sense for Brooks to head to Colombia to try and help the U-23s qualify for the Olympics.


Center Back - Omar Gonzalez - Gonzalez has done well since heading south of the border already becoming a valuable contributor with Pachuca. While the U.S. has lots of options at central defense, I feel like Gonzalez deserves the nod here.


Right Back - Geoff Cameron - The versatile Cameron has played well for the U.S. lately and by playing out right, instead of centrally, allows DeAndre Yedlin to join the U-23s in Colombia.


Left Midfield - Fabian Johnson - Arguably playing as good as any American in the world right now, I feel like Johnson is far more valuable in the attack than he is on defense. At a time when the U.S. has struggled to score goals, we need his attacking skills now more than ever.


Defensive Midfield - Michael Bradley - This probably is a reach since it dramatically changes the structure of the U.S. team, but Bradley played deeper in Toronto's opener against the Red Bulls and it worked out just fine. Plus, the U.S. has creative attackers that can fill that #10 role (Nguyen, Nagbe, etc) which allows the U.S. to put a more offensive-minded team on the field.


Attacking Midfield - Lee Nguyen - I love Darlington Nagbe, but Nguyen has been better for the U.S. lately, and his experience probably gets him the nod here. No doubt Nagbe makes the team, but the high-energy Nguyen should get the start.


Right Midfield - Alejandro Bedoya - Gyasi Zardes has been getting a lot of looks with the U.S., but Bedoya's in midseason form thanks to the European schedule so I think it's fair to say he's ahead of Zardes right now.


Striker - Jozy Altidore/Clint Dempsey/Chris Wondolowski - This one's tricky. Jozy is the clear cut starter when healthy, but he's not (hamstring again) and may not be ready when these games role around. Additionally, there are rumors that Dempsey is staying out of the National Team picture until this summer which means he might not be available either. If both of those two are out, I'll probably get flak for this, but I give the nod to Wondo. The veteran striker has a knack for scoring goals against weaker opponents (which Guatemala is) and he's already gotten on the board in MLS this season. We need goals, Wondo scores goals, so he's my third option.


Striker - Bobby Wood - Wood has been taking the 2.Bundesliga by storm ranking third in the league with 12 goals. Wood's red hot league play, coupled with his solid play for the U.S. gets him a start, no questions asked.


Subs - Tim Howard (GK), Mix Diskerud (MF), Gyasi Zardes (MID/FWD), Darlington Nagbe (MF), Jonathan Bornstein (DEF), Michael Orozco (DEF), Chris Wondolowski (FWD)*, Danny Williams (MID)**


*If Jozy or Dempsey Starts
**If Wondo Starts

MLS Players on Loan for 2016

Bernardo Añor - Sporting Kansas City - Loaned to Minnesota United FC (NASL) - Minnesota United features several former MLSers including Danny Cruz, Ben Speas, Kristian Nicht (the keeper Montreal brought in for last year's Champions League Final) and their captain Aaron Pitchkolan. They are famous for recently developing USMNT midfielder Miguel Ibarra and also boast the 2014 NASL player of the year in striker Christian Ramirez. Añor started his MLS career in 2011 and had a career year in 2014 with the Columbus Crew when he scored six goals. He logged just 483 minutes with Sporting Kansas City in 2015.

Erik Palmer-Brown - Sporting Kansas City - Loaned to FC Porto (Portugal) - Just 18 years old, Palmer-Brown has already been around a while having signed his first professional contract in 2013. Palmer-Brown played in a career high 7 matches with Sporting KC in 2015. He has yet to appear in a match for Porto.

Jimmy Ockford - Seattle Sounders - Loaned to New York Cosmos (NASL) - A second round pick in 2014, Ockford, now 23, has appeared in just one regular season match for the Sounders (a start against Philadelphia last June) in his brief career. He returns to the Cosmos where he also spent the 2014 season to play alongside the likes of Jairo Arrieta, Adam Moffat, Hunter Freeman, Danny Szetela and Carlos Mendes.

Leandro Barrera - San Jose Earthquakes - Loaned to Club Atlético San Martín (Argentina) - San Martín finished 17th out of 30 teams in the Primera División in 2015. Barrera, 24, appeared in only six matches (1 start) for San Jose in 2015. He spent his first MLS season (2014) with Chivas USA for whom he made 24 starts scoring a goal and adding two assists.

Sebastian Saucedo - Real Salt Lake - Loaned to Veracruz (Liga MX) - The 19 year-old Saucedo has appeared for both the U.S. and Mexico's youth international squads and was loaned to Veracruz in January. To date, Saucedo has appeared twice as a substitute, once against América and once against Puebla. Saucedo made nine appearances during his debut season in MLS, logging 168 total minutes.

Michael Lahoud - Philadelphia Union - Loaned to New York Cosmos (NASL) - Lahoud will join Seattle's Jimmy Ockford on the Cosmos after spending the seven seasons in MLS with Chivas USA and most recently, the Philadelphia Union. The 29 year-old Sierra Leonean made 14 starts for the Union in 2015 and has two goals and eight assists in 122 career MLS appearances.

Romario Williams - Montreal Impact - Loaned to Charleston Battery (USL) - Williams, the third overall pick in the 2015 SuperDraft, made just two appearances for the Impact during the 2015 regular season. He joins the Battery who were winners of the 2015 Southern Derby, but whose last true hardware came when they won the USL League Championship in 2012.

Juan Ramírez - Colorado Rapids - Loaned to Almería (Spain) - Signed to a young designated player contract in 2015, Ramírez scored a goal and added three assists during his debut season with the Rapids. He will play on loan in Spain's second division with Almería for a period of six months. According to Almería's Wikipedia page, Ramírez has currently logged four appearances during the regular season. The club currently sits in 19th place.

USMNT vs Canada, Final Thoughts

1. Regardless of how it looked, the U.S. comes away from their January camp with a pair of victories, and as we approach the next set of World Cup Qualifiers, the confidence gained from those wins shouldn't be undervalued. Equally notable is the fact that Jozy Altidore scored in both matches, and getting him on a hot streak in 2016 would be huge given some of the other question marks surrounding the USMNT.

2. I thought Brandon Vincent looked excellent in his National Team debut at left back. It wasn't a perfect outing or anything, but he looked confident and comfortable. Canada failed to do anything of note down his side, and Vincent was effective at getting into the attack even forcing a tough save in an attempt on goal. With lots of question marks on defense, it was nice to see a newcomer really seize the opportunity given him in the January camp, and there's good reason to be excited if you're a Chicago Fire fan.

USA vs Iceland Thoughts

1. First and foremost, it was good to see the U.S. start 2016 with a win. After what can only be classified as a disappointing finish to 2015, it's important for the U.S. to turn the page and start fresh. The 3-2 win, during which we twice came from behind, was far from perfect, but a win just the same.

 

2. The U.S. certainly outplayed their European opponents dominating in virtually every statistical category (Corners 8-2, Shots 16-6, Possession 62-38), but despite not having the bulk of the chances, Iceland was still very dangerous. If not for some poor finishing, Iceland could have easily walked away with a 5-3 win. I'd like to point fingers at the defense for sloppy play, but I'll temper that noting that the defense also scored the tying and winning goals. Still, the first Iceland goal - while a result of a lucky deflection - was also a result of ball-watching. And the second goal came as a result of a heady play by Iceland in generating a quick re-start, but also showed a lack of communication and organization along the U.S. backline (it also involved a brilliant finish by Aron Sigurdson). Granted, this was a group that hasn't played together before and it's the January camp when not everyone's at their fittest, but I still didn't think it was great performance from a defensive standpoint.

Odds and Ends

Ridgwell to Debut this Weekend?

Portland Timbers center back Liam Ridgewell is on loan until February with English Football League Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion, and may get his first action this weekend as Brighton takes on Hull City on Saturday morning. If he does, he'll have a chance to match up against former Chicago Fire striker Shaun Maloney who joined Hull City in August after spending just eight months in Chicago. Maloney has scored one goal since returning to England.

Copa América Centenario Playoffs

Today Panama City will play host to the final two play-in games for the Copa América Centenario. In the first match, Panama will take on Cuba, and in the second Trinidad and Tobago will play Haiti. Current MLSers Aníbal Godoy (Panama, San Jose), Joevin Jones (Trinidad and Tobago, Chicago), Kevan George (Trinidad and Tobago, Columbus), and Cordell Cato (Trinidad and Tobago, San Jose) will all be suiting up for the matches as well as a number of former/unsigned MLSers including Soni Mustivar (Haiti), Blas Pérez (Panama), Gabriel Torres (Panama) and Daneil Cyrus (Trinidad and Tobago). The actual tournament, which will be held in the United States, will begin in early June.

Making Moves

1. Jeff Larentowicz signs with LA Galaxy - The versatile veteran Larentowicz marks LA's second big addition (goalkeeper Dan Kennedy being the first) in an offseason in which they've watched two of their regulars (Omar Gonzalez and Juninho) depart for Liga MX. The Ginja Ninja will begin his 12th MLS season as one of only 30 field players with over 300 career appearances and he ranks 17th all-time among field players with 26,139 minutes played. Now 32, Larentowicz is coming off back-to-back six goal seasons for the Chicago Fire, but it remains to be seen where he'll fit into the mix with LA who almost certainly isn't done setting their roster for 2016.

2. Brad Davis traded to Sporting Kansas City - Only two players in MLS history have more assists than Brad Davis's 122. They are Landon Donovan (136) and Steve Ralston (135). And now, for the first time in over a decade, the Missouri native won't be suiting up as a member of the Houston Dynamo. Instead he returns "home" following a trade to Sporting Kansas City in exchange for draft picks. Davis, who has six double digit assist seasons in the past seven years, likely became expendable following Houston's recent deal with the Philadelphia Union that brought in both Cristian Maidana and Andrew Wenger. Now the former U.S. National Teamer and World Cup veteran finds himself on a deep and talented roster that is poised to make a deep Champions League run in 2016. In addition to trading for Davis, Sporting Kansas City has also brought in veterans Lawrence Olum and Justin Mapp, while returning almost their entire roster from 2015.

3. Simon Dawkins signs with San Jose Earthquakes - After spending the past three years in England playing for Aston Villa and Derby County, Simon Dawkins returns to MLS and the San Jose Earthquakes. The Tottenham Hotspur Academy alum was loaned to San Jose for the 2011 and 2012 seasons during which he scored 14 goals out of the midfield and helped the Quakes to the 2012 Supporters Shield. The Jamaican International, who just turned 28 last month, becomes the fourth designated player under contract with San Jose joining Chris Wondolowski, Innocent and Matías Pérez García, but speculation is the Quakes will use the additional cash the league provided to buy down García's DP contract. Dawkins now gives the Quakes yet another offensive weapon as the league's third weakest attack in 2015 continues to make big strides towards a hopefully stronger 2016.

Postseason Rookie Watch, Week 1

Of the 12 teams to make the postseason in 2015, only three have started a rookie through the first eight matches. While Sporting Kansas City, who started TWO rookies (Saad Abdul-Salaam and Amadou Dia), was eliminated in a heartbreaking penalty kick shootout in one of the most entertaining matches in MLS postseason history, both teams that started a rookie in Leg 1 of the conference semfinals found success as Oniel Fisher and Seattle knocked off FC Dallas 2-1, and Tim Parker and Vancouver shutout Portland on the road in a 0-0 draw. Here's a rundown of all the rookie action through Week 1 of the MLS postseason.

EAST

17 - Miguel Aguilar - DC United - Sub vs NYRB (Leg 1), 6 mins

WEST

12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC - Started vs Portland, 120 mins, yellow card, missed PK*
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs Portland (Leg 1), 90 mins, 1 shot
16 - Cristian Roldan - Seattle - Sub vs LA, 2 mins
16 - Cristian Roldan - Seattle - Sub vs FC Dallas (Leg 1), 14 mins
20 - Amadou Dia - Sporting KC - Started vs Portland, 120 mins, 1 assist, yellow card, made PK*
40 - Oniel Fisher - Seattle - Started vs FC Dallas (Leg 1), 90 mins

*Shootout Penalty

Playoff Match-Ups (Knockout Round)

EAST

Montreal Impact (3) vs Toronto FC (6)

2015 Meetings

5/6/15 - Montreal Impact 1 Toronto FC 0 (Canadian Championship)
5/13/15 - Toronto FC 3 Montreal Impact 2 (Canadian Championship)
6/24/15 - Toronto FC 3 Montreal Impact 1
8/29/15 - Toronto FC 2 Montreal Impact 1
10/25/15 - Montreal Impact 2 Toronto FC 1

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch - Week 34

As the 2015 MLS regular season drew to a close yesterday, we saw 11 different rookies take the field across various competitions during the final week of the season. Highlights included Dominique Badji's second goal of the season, Fatai Alashe's second assist of the season, and multiple starts by Sporting KC's Saad Abdul-Salaam, as well as Colorado's Axel Sjöberg and Badji. Here's a rundown of all the rookie action in the final week of the season:

MLS

1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs Philadelphia, 90 mins, 1 shot
2 - Khiry Shelton - New York City FC - Started vs New England, 56 mins
4 - Fatai Alashe - San Jose - Started vs FC Dallas, 90 mins, 1 assist
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs NYRB, 90 mins, 3 shots, yellow card
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC -  Started vs Colorado, 90 mins
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC - Started vs LA, 90 mins
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs Houston - 90 mins
14 - Axel Sjöberg - Colorado - Started vs Sporting KC, 90 mins
14 - Axel Sjöberg - Colorado - Started vs Portland, 90 mins
36 - Rob Lovejoy - Houston - Sub vs Vancouver, 1 min
40 - Oniel Fisher - Seattle - Sub vs Real Salt Lake, 20 mins
67 - Dominique Badji - Colorado - Started vs Sporting KC, 74 mins, 1 shot
67 - Dominique Badji - Colorado - Started vs Portland, 90 mins, 1 shot, 1 goal

CCL

13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Sub vs Olimpia, 28 mins
21 - Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Started vs Comunicaciones, 90 mins

MLS's 20-Goal Scorers

As we enter the final week of the regular season with Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco and Columbus's Kei Kamara neck-and-neck for the Golden Boot, and several other players within striking distance of 20 goals, it's worth noting that no player in MLS history has EVER scored more than 20 goals in a season more than once. Here's a rundown of all the 20-goal scorers in MLS history and a look at how they fared in the aftermath of eclipsing the 20-goal plateau:

Roy Lassiter - 1996, 27 - Lassiter is still tied for the most goals scored in a single season after scoring 27 in the league's inaugural campaign. Lassiter did score 18 goals with DC United in both 1998 and 1999, but failed to reach double digits in his final three season in the league. Career Goals: 88

Raúl Díaz Arce - 1996, 23 - El Salvador's official all-time leading scorer with 39 goals in 68 appearances, Díaz Arce helped DC United win back-to-back titles in 1996 and 1997. He scored 15 goals during the 1997 campaign in just 22 matches, and then scored 18 in 1998 with New England, but split the 1999, 2000 and 2001 campaigns between multiple clubs averaging less than nine goals a season his final three years in the league. Career Goals: 82

Eduardo Hurtado - 1996, 21 - Hurtado tallied 21 goals for the Galaxy in 1996, but reached double digits only one more time (11 goals in 1998) before washing out of MLS in 2000. Career Goals: 47

2012 Olympic Qualifying - Where Are They Now?

As the U.S. U-23s get set to take on Honduras tomorrow with a spot in the 2016 Olympics on the line, I thought it would be fun to look back at the ill-fated U.S. squad from 2012 and see where they are now:

Bill Hamid - Now in his sixth MLS season, Hamid continues to man the pipes in DC with 138 regular season starts under his belt to go along with 37 shutouts. After a dismal 2013 that saw him post a record of 2-17-6 in 25 starts, Hamid bounced back to win the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2014. Now 24, Hamid has 2 CAPs for the USMNT.

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch, Week 31

Cyle Larin scored his 15th goal of the season, extending his rookie record, and Sporting Kansas City defeated the Portland Timbers 1-0 with three rookies in the starting lineup. Elsewhere, Houston's Rob Lovejoy and Colorado's Dominique Badji each returned to action for their respective clubs. Lovejoy had been out since June when he left Houston's match against Dallas with an injury, while Badji was making just his third appearance since losing his starting job in May. Here's a rundown of all the action:

US Open Cup Final

12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC -  Sub vs Philadelphia, 42 mins, 2 shots

MLS

1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs Montreal, 90 mins, 2 shots, 1 goal
2 - Khiry Shelton - New York City FC - Sub vs DC United, 8 mins
10 - Connor Hallisey - Sporting KC - Started vs Portland, 45 mins
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC -  Started vs Portland, 90 mins, 1 shot
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs San Jose, 90 mins
20 - Amadou Dia - Sporting KC - Started vs Portland, 90 mins
36 - Rob Lovejoy - Houston - Sub vs FC Dallas, 29 mins, 2 shots
67 - Dominique Badji - Colorado - Sub vs Real Salt Lake, 12 mins

2015 US Open Cup Goal Scorers - MLS Edition

Sporting Kansas City took home the 2015 U.S. Open Cup Trophy after knocking off the Philadelphia Union 7-6 in a shootout. It marked the Kansas City franchise's third title, and first since 2012. Here's a list of all the MLS players who scored in this year's tournament led by Sporting's Dom Dwyer and Krisztián Németh. The top American scorer in the tournament was a 5-way tie between Adam Bedell, Benny Feilhaber, Mike Magee, Dillon Serna and Chris Wondolowski.

5 GOALS

Dom Dwyer (England) - Sporting Kansas City - Finals
Krisztián Németh (Hungary) - Sporting Kansas City - Finals

4 GOALS

Carlos Rivas (Colombia) - Orlando City SC - Quarterfinals

3 GOALS

Michael Barrios (Colombia) - FC Dallas - 5th Round
Robbie Keane (Ireland) - LA Galaxy - Quarterfinals

2 GOALS

Erik Ayuk Mbu (Cameroon) - Philadelphia Union - Finals
Adam Bedell (USA) - Columbus Crew - 5th Round
Benny Feilhaber (USA) - Sporting Kansas City - Finals
Kennedy Igboananike (Nigeria) - Chicago Fire - Semifinals
Sébastien Le Toux (France) - Philadelphia Union - Finals
Mike Magee (USA) - Chicago Fire - Semifinals
Javier Morales (Argentina) - Real Salt Lake - Semifinals
Kwadwo Poku (Ghana) - New York City FC - 4th Round
Lloyd Sam (England) - New York Red Bulls - Quarterfinals
Dillon Serna (USA) - Colorado Rapids - 5th Round
David Texeira (Uruguay) - FC Dallas - 5th Round
Chris Wondolowski (USA) - San Jose Earthquakes - 5th Round

1 GOAL

Anatole Abang (Cameroon) - New York Red Bulls - Quarterfinals
Kellyn Acosta (USA) - FC Dallas - 5th Round
Quincy Amarikwa (USA) - Chicago Fire - Semifinals
Jairo Arrieta (Costa Rica) - DC United - 5th Round
Dominique Badji (Senegal) - Colorado Rapids - 5th Round
Will Bruin (USA) - Houston Dynamo - Quarterfinals
Ricardo Clark (USA) - Houston Dynamo - Quarterfinals
Facundo Coria (Argentina) - DC United - 5th Round
Sean Davis (USA) - New York Red Bulls - Quarterfinals
Nick DeLeon (USA) - DC United - 5th Round
Fabinho (Brazil) - Philadelphia Union - Finals
Ethan Finlay (USA) - Columbus Crew - 5th Round
Olmes García (Colombia) - Real Salt Lake - Semifinals
Joseph Greenspan (USA) - Colorado Rapids - 5th Round
Mike Grella (USA) - New York Red Bulls - Quarterfinals
Baggio Husidić (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - LA Galaxy - Quarterfinals
Sebastián Jaime (Argentina) - Real Salt Lake - Semifinals
Kaká (Brazil) - Orlando City SC - Quarterfinals
Sacha Kljestan (USA) - New York Red Bulls - Quarterfinals
Cyle Larin (Canada) - Orlando City SC - Quarterfinals
Sebastian Lletget (USA) - LA Galaxy - Quarterfinals
Mauro Manotas (Colombia) - Houston Dynamo - Quarterfinals
Obafemi Martins (Nigeria) - Seattle Sounders - 4th Round
Aaron Maund (USA) - Real Salt Lake - Semfinals
Leonel Miranda (Argentina) - Houston Dynamo - Quarterfinals
Soni Mustivar (Haiti) - Sporting Kansas City - Finals
Lewis Neal (England) - Orlando City SC - Quarterfinals
Patrick Nyarko (Ghana) - Chicago Fire - Semifinals
Kofi Opare (USA) - DC United - 5th Round
Lovel Palmer (Jamaica) - Chicago Fire - Semifinals
Joao Plata (Ecuador) - Real Salt Lake - Semifinals
Maximiliano Urruti (Argentina) - Portland Timbers - 5th Round
Diego Valeri (Argentina) - Portland Timbers - 5th Round
Jose Villarreal (USA) - LA Galaxy - Quarterfinals
Rodney Wallace (Costa Rica) - Portland Timbers - 5th Round
Gyasi Zardes (USA) - LA Galaxy - Quarterfinals
Sal Zizzo (USA) - New York Red Bulls - Quarterfinals
Ronald Zubar (Guadeloupe) - New York Red Bulls - Quarterfinals
Graham Zusi (USA) - Sporting Kansas City - Finals

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch, Week 30

Cyle Larin stole the show as he has for much of the season shattering the rookie scoring record in style with a hat trick against the New York Red Bulls. With 14 goals, Larin is tied for sixth in the league in scoring. In other action, LA's Ignacio Maganto notched a Champions League assist, and Sporting's Amadou Dia picked up an assist in league play. Finally, third overall pick Romario Williams made his first appearance March logging some garbage time for Montreal against DC United on Saturday night. Here's a rundown of all the action:

CCL

13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs Seattle, 90 mins
16 - Cristian Roldan - Seattle - Started vs Vancouver, 90 mins
17 - Miguel Aguilar - DC United - Started vs Montego Bay, 90 mins, 1 shot, yellow card
21 - Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Started vs Central FC, 90 mins, 2 shots, 1 assist

MLS

1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs NYRB, 76 mins, 3 shots, 3 goals
2 - Khiry Shelton - New York City FC - Appeared as sub vs Vancouver, 15 mins 
3 - Romario Williams - Montreal - Sub vs DC United, 1 min
4 - Fatai Alashe - San Jose - Started vs Real Salt Lake, 90 mins
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs Montreal, 90 mins, Yellow Card
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs Toronto, 67 mins
10 - Connor Hallisey - Sporting KC - Started vs Seattle, 90 mins, 1 shot
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC - Sub vs Seattle, 24 mins
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs NYCFC, 90 mins
20 - Amadou Dia - Sporting KC - Started vs Seattle, 90 mins, 1 assist
40 - Oniel Fisher - Seattle - Started vs Sporting KC, 90 mins

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch - Week 28

Fatai Alashe scored his second goal of the season in San Jose's 1-1 draw with Seattle to highlight the rookie class's performance in Week 28. Elsewhere Cyle Larin did double duty starting for both the Canadian National Team in World Cup Qualifying and in Orlando's 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City, while Saad Abdul-Salaam made a pair of starts for Sporting KC. Here's a rundown of all the action:

World Cup Qualifying

1 - Cyle Larin - Canada - Started vs Belize, 90 mins, 1 shot

MLS

1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs Sporting KC, 57 mins, 1 shot
4 - Fatai Alashe - San Jose - Started vs Seattle, 90 mins, 1 shot, 1 goal, yellow card
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs NYRB, 90 mins, yellow card
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC - Started vs Portland, 62 mins, 1 shot
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC - Started vs Orlando City, 90 mins
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs Colorado, 90 mins, 1 shot
40 - Oniel Fisher - Seattle - Started vs San Jose, 90 mins, yellow card
67 - Dominique Badji - Colorado - Sub vs DC United, 26 mins