Many applauded MLS for the terms of its most recent TV deal in 2014. At a sum of $90 million per year from Fox, ESPN and Univision, it marked a five-fold increase from its previous annual broadcasting fees. Still, the league has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to compete with other top leagues.
David Villa did not want to run anymore. That is what he told the media after scoring from 53.5 yards against the Philadelphia Union Friday.
50 yards out. FIFTY.
Just a ridiculous goal from @Guaje7Villa https://t.co/YZY6UFo1Lv— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 15, 2017
Didier Drogba has officially joined USL side Phoenix Rising as a player and (really) owner. Drogba's minority ownership stake in the team will allow him to transition to a front office role after playing this season. He will join former Chelsea teammate Shaun Wright-Phillips in Phoenix.
Bill Walton is a treasure. The NBA legend and current college basketball broadcaster is one of the most fun people in all of sports.
Now, Bill Walton is all in on soccer, and you should be too.
Walton's quote on a Soccer City SD Facebook post:
Wow, five straight weeks. Nobody thought we would make it this far. It’s our wooden anniversary, but you won’t find anybody celebrating around here — we’ve got some kinetic energy to investigate.
It’s time to switch up the intro because, by now, you should know the drill. If you don’t, here’s the breakdown: the best team in MLS is still the Timber Joeys!, the worst team in MLS is now Sons By Name Of Ben. That’s the table. That’s who wins the ATL-ULTRAS-WATCH-UR-MOUTH Shield and who gets sent down to try and figure out where in the f**k Indy Eleven is.
Franck Ribery is reportedly considering bringing his talents to the United States (or Canada) once his contract with Bayern Munich is up. This does not come as much of a surprise, as German-icon Bastian Schweinsteiger recently made the move to join MLS with the Chicago Fire.
However, according to Ribery, MLS is not the only destination that he would enjoy playing for. Some of the other places we could see him play are China, Dubai or even Qatar.
Without a doubt, FC Dallas gave the best account of MLS in the history of the CONCACAF Champions League over the course of their two-legged semifinal with Pachuca. However, it sill wasn’t enough as Hirving Lozano snatched victory for Pachuca at the death when we looked headed for extra time.
Things are getting a bit tense in the DC United organization, as former DU United goalkeeper Charlie Horton has filed a lawsuit against former teammate Fabian Espindola, DC United manager Ben Olsen and the MLS regarding injuries he sustained during an alleged training incident with Espindola.
From ESPNFC:
We’ve never understood power rankings, especially when you can just look at the standings for an official, unarguable list of who’s the best (The Timber Joeys!) and who’s the worst (Kyle Beckerman's Roving Circus of Misfits!). So, with a desire to not do something so unnecessary and redundant, but rather create a new list that makes very little sense, we present: The MLS Rankings of Power.
Every week, we’ll update this monstrosity in the hope of finding the most powerful person, place or thing in the most major of major soccer leagues. Let us continue.
The Chicago Fire are well and truly on their way to winning the World Cup if Bastian Schweinsteiger’s debut is anything to go by. The former German international took all of 17 minutes to open his MLS account with Chicago after planting a header into the net from a superb David Accam cross.