MLS

We heard the LA Galaxy had a new sponsorship deal with someone! Hope it's a really cool company that in no way marginalizes certain groups of people, especially should one of those people play for the Galaxy!

Free !

Ladies and gentlemen, the fabulous Higuain brothers.

Gonzalo, 28, is enjoying something of a career renaissance. The Napoli striker has 26 goals in Serie A so far this season, twice as many as the next-best scorer. Napoli are within striking distance of Juventus at the top of the Serie A table.

Some of these highlights are just absurd.

On Sunday, cities around the United States (Canada, too) filled their stadiums to once again cheer on its top soccer league: MLS. Scarves were raised, chants were sung, and people generally had a better time than a kid at Disney World with unlimited access to chocolate and Mom’s smartphone. And that was just the jazzy surface stuff. There was also jazzy soccer stuff – like goals. Lots of them.

I stayed on target with my predictions as I only missed the Madrid Derby pick (what is going on with Real Madrid!!?!!). Not to worry, I will miss them all this week as quality matches dot the globe and the MLS returns. Here are the five can’t miss matches of the weekend, including the critical North London derby:

The North London Derby, And Four Other Games

1. Tottenham Hotspur v. Arsenal, Saturday 7:45 a.m. EST, NBCSN

Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane has seen enough over his four years of play in North America to declare MLS on par with Liga MX. A bullish Keane declared that Liga MX was stagnating in the face of MLS growth, a bold claim to make prior to Tuesday’s second leg fixture between the Galaxy and Santos Laguna of Liga MX.

On March 25, 2015, Major League Soccer announced that Minnesota United FC would be joining the league as a potential 2017 or 2018 expansion team. On February 24, 2016, the next major step in making that announcement a reality was taken in the form of the unveiling of their new St. Paul-based stadium design.

John Goossens is just like the rest of us. He dreams of someday being awarded a professional soccer contract, of being paid to play the game he loves regardless of where that may be. Sure, Goossens is a product of the renowned Ajax Youth Academy, made 30 appearances for the Eredivisie’s Feyenoord and scored for the Netherlands U-21 team, but, deep down, he’s a dreamer just like the rest of us. 

The LA Galaxy have all the pieces in place for a great 2016 season. The offensive star power of Giovani dos Santos, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane has been complimented by the additions of Belgian defensive stalwart Jelle Van Damme, English great Ashley Cole and kung fu master Nigel de Jong.

The MLS regular season doesn’t begin play until March 6, but preseason preparations have begun around the league. Scavenging the social media accounts of all 20 clubs, we’ve compiled the best photos and videos from the 2016 preseason for your viewing pleasure. Smiling faces, southern sunshine and a tangible excitment surrounding the growth of MLS make the 21st season of the league the most anticipated to date.  

The Best Photos and Videos from the 2016 MLS Preseason:

Andrea Pirlo doing what only Andrea Pirlo can: