MLS

Nashville SC Released New Renderings For Its Soccer-Specific Stadium, But There's A Catch

Nashville SC was recently awarded MLS status for the 2020 season. Expansion clubs in the recent past have quickly worked to build soccer-specific stadiums (Orlando SC, LAFC and Minnesota United). Nashville's currently playing in the USL Championship, and the club announced that it will be building the biggest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. on the Nashville fairgrounds.

The initial renderings of the stadium looked pretty raw, but still interesting: full roofing and upper/lower decks and an assumed capacity of around 27,500.

Walker Zimmerman’s 25-Yard, Last-Minute Winner Triggers Will Ferrell-Led Celebrations

This is why they paid the man. After agreeing to a new four-year contract with Los Angeles FC back in January — one that’ll pay Walker Zimmerman more than the MLS max budget charge of $530,000 — the center back produced to goods for his side last night in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake at Banc of California Stadium.

Let’s Celebrate Major League Soccer’s Best Doggos On National Puppy Day

National Puppy Day is apparently a thing and who are we to argue. 

Because Major League Soccer and its clubs have to be like every other entity on social media (ourselves included), they of course filled our Twitter feeds with pics of pups on Saturday.

Because The18 loves dogs more than our awful Fantasy Premier League teams, we decided to compile the best #NationalPuppyDay posts from MLS.

The David Beckham-Inter Miami Empire Continues Toward Reality

The long march toward the existence of Inter Miami CF technically began over a decade ago. David Beckham arrived in MLS in 2007 to much fanfare, a new designated player rule, a massive contract — and an option to be an expansion franchise for $25 million after he retired. That last piece went from interesting expansion topic to reality in late 2013 when Beckham and Simon Fuller came forward as owners for a new team based in Miami-Dade County. 

100+ U.S. Clubs Send Letter To FIFA Asking For Pro/Rel In America

Miami FC and Kingston Stockade FC of the NPSL are currently in the middle of a case challenging how the U.S. Soccer Federation is run and has set up the soccer pyramid in America. The case is on-going in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Late last week more than 100 clubs from the lower divisions signed a letter in support of the two clubs and called for the introduction of promotion and relegation in the U.S. 

Given Their First MLS Starts, 2 U.S. Youth Internationals Score Their First Goals

It was a great weekend for teenage homegrown players in Major League Soccer as two academy products — Toronto FC’s Ayo Akinola and the Philadelphia Union’s Brenden Aaronson — marked their first starts with goals.

Akinola is a 19-year-old who’s recently been called-up for the U.S. pre-U-20 World Cup training camp in Spain. The Detroit-born forward appeared in four matches as a substitute for Toronto last year, totaling only 45 minutes. 

However, on Sunday he was given his first start, went 85 minutes in the 3-2 win over New England and scored his first goal.

FC Cincinnati’s Home Debut Is Now The Stuff Of Legend

Everybody knew the atmosphere inside Nippert Stadium for FC Cincinnati’s home debut in MLS would be special, but a 3-0 victory over 2018 MLS Cup finalists Portland Timbers made it an unforgettable afternoon for a capacity crowd of 32,500. 

Should we mention that over in Columbus on Saturday, the Crew drew 9,687 fans for a match against FC Dallas, a difference of 22,813? Don’t shoot the messenger.

Canadian Phenom Alphonso Davies Scores His First Goal For Bayern Munich

18-year-old Canadian phenom Alphonso Davies scored his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern Munich on Sunday, coming on as a substitute in the club’s 6-0 hammering of Mainz 05 at the Allianz Arena and completing the scoring.

A James Rodriguez hat-trick alongside goals from Robert Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman had given Bayern a 5-0 lead when Davies came on for David Alaba in the 59th minute. 

Wayne Rooney Scored His First MLS Hat-Trick, But It’s His One Assist You Have To Watch

D.C. United dropped five goals on Real Salt Lake to continue its undefeated start to the 2019 season, and the match was highlighted by Wayne Rooney’s first-ever hat-trick in MLS play. 

The 33-year-old Englishman opened the scoring from the spot in the 34th minute, applied a delicate chip in the 41st for the second and then guaranteed D.C. all three points in the 65th when sliding in to provide a close-range finish. 

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