MLS

Eight months after the kick off to the 2016 campaign, the MLS season has finally reached the playoff stage. In a case of switching identifies, last year’s champions, the Portland Timbers, failed to make the knockout round, while typical basement dwellers Colorado were a pacesetting team from start to finish. San Jose, Houston and Vancouver join Portland on the outside looking in, all hoping to be next year’s Rapids. 

After yet another impressive season, FC Dallas finish top of the Western Conference and MLS, winning the 2016 Supporters’ Shield. 

After 34 matches, the MLS Eastern Conference gave us exactly what we expected in some cases and major surprises for other clubs. The 2015 Eastern semi-finalists, the New York Red Bulls (first on 57 points) and the Columbus Crew (36 points and in 9th place), going in wildly different directions. 

We have hit another milestone in 2016 as 32-year-old New England Revolution striker Kei Kamara has become the first man, we assume, to receive a yellow card for twerking in the history of association football. This almost goes without saying, but he’s also the first former winner of the MLS Works Humanitarian of the Year award to receive a yellow card for twerking, a distinction that is unlikely to ever be replicated.

After a long (according to US standards) and historic run, the Columbus Crew Stadium, now known as MAPFRE Stadium, may be set to enter phase 2.0. The MLS reported this week that the club are beginning initial research into either expanding or rebuilding the Crew’s home. 

Montreal Impact manager Mauro Biello has revealed that Didier Drogba refused to take part in Montreal’s playoff-deciding match against rivals Toronto FC on Sunday after being left out of the starting eleven.

Selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, the first goalkeeper to ever earn that distinction, 25-year-old Jamaican international Andre Blake is reportedly set to leave MLS at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

Heading into the 2016 MLS season, all signs pointed towards another successful year for the Seattle Sounders. Legendary coach Sigi Schmid was at the helm. Seattle secured the best player in the draft, home-grown talent Jordan Morris. Clint Dempsey was still in top form and there were promising attacking additions in Andreas Ivanschitz and Nelson Valdez.

Instead, the first half of 2016 was a disaster for the Sounders. The Rave Green lost 12 of their first 20 matches and sat well outside of the playoff positions at the MLS All-Star Break. 

The accolades for 15-year-old Vancouver Whitecaps forward/winger Alphonso Davies continue to stack up. The Liberian-born Davies, who has represented Canada at the under-20 level, became the youngest player to score a goal in USL history on May 15, 2016. In July, he became the third youngest player of all-time to sign an MLS contract. He’s appeared in eight matches for Vancouver this season, including two starts.

In an interview with Marca week, Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué spoke with reporters about the growing soccer culture in the United States, and the interest its growth has begun to draw from players across the globe.

“I read that the MLS is the seventh biggest league in terms of stadium attendances, fans are increasingly hooked on soccer in the United States and it would be an attractive option in a few years," Pique said.