Preview

Top 10 MLS games to look forward to in 2023

The 2023 MLS season kicks off this Saturday and we couldn't be more excited. A full slate of matchups greets fans on Feb. 25, beginning when Nashville SC hosts NYCFC at 4:30 p.m. ET and ending with Real Salt Lake traveling north to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps at 10:30 p.m. ET. All 12 matches will be available to stream on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass. 

Looking ahead to the new campaign on the horizon, several games jump out from the page. So as you plan your weekends and months around following Major League Soccer, here are ten games you’re not going to want to miss. 

The year's best story? Karius out for redemption in EFL Cup final on his Newcastle debut

Sunday's EFL Cup final is a tale of two clubs desperate to herald the beginning of a new era with silverware. For Manchester United, ending a six-year wait for a major trophy would affirm Erik ten Hag's revolution. For Newcastle United, a 68-year drought would be remedied by the wealth of the Saudi PIF and the tinkerings of Eddie Howe. 

MLS expansion fee enters the stratosphere — who can afford it?

Major League Soccer's ambition of being a true player in the world's club game by the 2026 World Cup is slowly being realized. 

The league's 28th season kicks off Saturday with a new team (St. Louis City SC), a new 10-year partnership with Apple TV (worth $250M per season) that's available in over 100 countries and Tuesday's announcement of a three-year extension with Audi that pays a multimillion-dollar fee annually.

World Cup hype intensifies in Australia after Matildas take down Spain

SYDNEY - Australia coach Tony Gustavsson has warned against the Matildas getting carried away with their form after they beat Spain 3-2 in the Cup of Nations to extend their winning streak to six matches.

More than 17,000 fans watched on at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday as goals from Cortnee Vine, Clare Polkinghorne and Caitlin Foord gave Australia a 3-0 halftime lead before Spain hit back with late strikes from Olga Carmona and Alba Redondo.

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid preview: Klopp says rewatching UCL final was ‘proper torture’

LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp conceded that he had not been able to bring himself to rewatch last season's Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid until this past weekend, insisting reliving the experience was "torture."

The Reds won their first three matches against Real in European competition, between 1981 and 2009. Since then, however, they are winless in six games against them, with five of those ending in defeat.

Jordan Pefok’s Union Berlin are serious contenders for the Bundesliga title

After Bayern Munich’s loss against Mönchengladbach on Saturday, a win for second-place Union Berlin against Schalke on Sunday could make Jordan Pefok's team league-leaders with a two-point gap.

If you’ve lived under a rock for the first half of the European season — or just completely disregard anything happening in the Bundesliga (rightfully so after 10 straight league titles for Bayern) — you’re probably not aware that Union Berlin actually has a shot at the title this season.

The18’s 2023 MLS predictions — Who will be the champion, Golden Boot winner and more

The 2023 Major League Soccer season kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 25, and there's plenty of excitement heading into the new campaign. Apple’s mega 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with MLS means fans can watch every game on MLS Season Pass without blackouts.

Topping last season’s drama will be a tall order for the 2023 edition. In 2022 Los Angeles FC and the Philadelphia Union played arguably the greatest MLS game ever which saw LAFC win their first MLS Cup.

Preview: Women's World Cup playoffs begin with final 3 spots up for grabs

Portugal and Chile start with a slight advantage as 10 teams battle it out for the remaining three berths at this year's Women's World Cup in the final qualifying playoffs over the next week in New Zealand.

Cameroon, Haiti, Panama, Paraguay, Senegal, Thailand, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea are also involved in the tournament, which will complete the field for the first 32-team Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia later this year.

Rose Lavelle will miss USWNT’s first SheBelieves Cup game due to injury in training

Casual U.S. soccer fans watching the USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup will likely have one big question. Why is Rose Lavelle not playing vs. Canada?

Lavelle will have to watch the USA’s first game of the tournament from the sideline. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski said on Wednesday that the star midfielder picked up a knock in training and will sit the first game out.

She could still play in the games against Japan and Brazil.

Everything we know about the 2023 MLS jerseys so far

Beginning with opening weekend on Saturday, Feb. 25, the 2023 MLS season is suddenly just days away as preseason draws to a close. We've already had key offseason events like the SuperDraft and Seattle's Club World Cup odyssey, but what truly gets the blood flowing is the annual reveal of the latest 2023 MLS jerseys.

As is tradition, every club retains the kit it debuted in 2022 but the 2021 releases are replaced, so each team either gets a new home or away shirt in 2023. Here's everything we know so far about the new threads.

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