MLS

David Villa Is This Season's MLS MVP

NYCFC striker David Villa is the 2016 MLS MVP. The Spanish striker scored 23 goals and contributed four assists to his club's most successful season (out of two seasons) to date.

Interestingly, the four leading MVP vote-getters play in the Eastern Conference, and three in New York: Villa (NYCFC), Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls), Sacha Kljestan (Red Bulls) and Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC).

How To Watch The 2016 MLS Cup Final

It’s official: MLS will have a first-time Cup champion on Saturday. The MLS Cup winner will be either the Seattle Sounders or Toronto FC, both teams making their MLS Cup debuts. The two sides will meet in the 21st MLS Cup on December 10, 2016.

Both clubs boast massive fan support that has, to varying degrees, suffered since arriving in MLS. After two straight years of huge player investment and stadium upgrades, Toronto enter as the favorites at home and under the majority of the pressure. 

Toronto FC Advance To The MLS Cup Final After A Very Ludicrous Playoff Series

Before we get to the game, can we just talk about the atmosphere in Toronto last night? That was one of the best atmospheres for a sporting event I have ever seen. It was raining, but also smoky because Toronto fans kept setting off flares in the stands. 

Honestly, we didn't know Canadians could get that rowdy. Good for them.

The atmosphere was good and the match, if anything, was even better. This was not a well-played soccer game. It was, however, a good soccer game, in terms of total chaos and excitement. Here's what happened:

Jermaine Jones Is A Free Agent, And He Is Stoked About It

FREE AGENT BABY.

These are maybe not the words you should be tweeting if you have just helped your new franchise to a very successful season and have therefore amassed a bit of good will from the fanbase. That is exactly what Jermaine Jones did following Colorado's 1-0 loss against Seattle Sunday, likely his last game with the Rapids.

Orlando City Dedicates Rainbow Seats To Pulse Nightclub Shooting Victims

You should never look to sports franchises for guidance following a tragedy. These are organizations that can't even defend a corner kick properly, how can they possibly manage reacting thoughtfully and compassionately to a horrible situation?

Sometimes, though, those reactions happen to be exactly what everyone needs. Credit where credit is due: Orlando City SC have responded to the terrifying events of the Pulse nightclub shooting with class and empathy. Here's the latest gesture:

Jordan Morris Is A Problem

Everyone knows about Michael Jordan's flu game, but did you know Jordan Morris had one too, like, a few hours ago?

It's true. Morris, battling the flu, scored the only goal in Seattle's 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids Sunday in Colorado.

It’s Time For America To Reclaim Football From The NFL

You’ll likely be aware that the great majority of people on this planet refer to the beautiful game, that noblest of sports, not as soccer, but football. You’re also probably up to speed on the fact that soccer is in fact a long-since-abandoned piece of British slang, principally used by public (read: posh) school boys in 19th century England to distinguish football from their true love: rugby.

The Groundspeople Painted All The Lines Right In Seattle

Two things stood out during the MLS Western Conference final first-leg in between the Rapids and the Sounders in Seattle. First, the lines on the field were markedly straight and where they were supposed to be in relation to the other lines on the field. Said lines did not need to be redrawn or painted over in a manner that would cause the game to be delayed. The lines marking the 18-yard box were particularly well-measured.

MLS Cup Conference Final Delayed Because Nobody Could Measure The 18-Yard Box

The Montreal Impact changed from their normal home venue, the Saputo Stadium, to the Olympic Stadium for their 2016 MLS Cup Eastern Conference Final, and it looked like a stroke of genius. Instead of playing in front of 20,801 supporters, the Impact raised the attendance for Tuesday night’s first-leg match to over 61,000.

Unfortunately, the Olympic Stadium’s grounds crew wasn’t on the same page. 

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