MLS Team of the Week: Dos Santos, Dwyer, Howard Star in Week 27

All the talk entering the weekend of action in Major League Soccer surrounded the return of Landon Donovan.  Although the Los Angeles Galaxy man's entrance as a substitute on Sunday was a major headline, it was far from the most important thing to occur in Week 27.  The Western Conference playoff race experienced quite the shakeup on Saturday as Colorado handed FC Dallas their first home loss of the season. The Galaxy took advantage of that result with a win over Orlando City on Sunday.  Over in the Eastern Conference, Toronto FC continued to distance themselves from the pack as a few results didn't go the way of home teams in the division where no one wants to lock up a playoff position.  Since there were a bevy of impressive performances at the forward position, we shaped our Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week in a 4-3-3. Continue reading to see who was named to the best XI from Week 27.Begin Slideshow

Landon Donovan’s Sudden MLS Comeback Is a Shocker, but It’s Not a Stunt

Landon Donovan never let anyone else write his story. He remained in Major League Soccer when many in the American soccer community wanted him to challenge himself in Europe. He took a sabbatical from the U.S. men's national team because he needed a break, a decision that hurt his chance to make the 2014 World Cup roster. He's been outspoken about issues within the sport he played so well, in addition to talking openly and honestly about his personal battles with mental health. At the end of 2014, he walked away from MLS—a league he played a large role in helping grow—on his own terms, well before he was physically unable to compete. In doing so, he left millions of dollars on the table but found peace. He appeared to have moved into the next phase of his life, settling down and having a baby boy with his wife, buying a stake in English Premier League club Swansea City and turning up to coach the Chipotle MLS Homegrown team during the last two All-Star weekends. Thursday's news that Donovan is coming out of retirement to join the Los Angeles Galaxy for the remainder of the season is shocking, even considering the Californian's penchant for ...

Landon Donovan Ends Retirement, Returns to LA Galaxy

Longtime Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan is coming out of retirement to rejoin the club for the remaining portion of the 2016 season.   Blake Thomsen of The Cauldron first reported the news Thursday.  Donovan is the most decorated player in Major League Soccer history. The 34-year-old forward is the league's all-time leader in both goals (144) and assists (136) after stints with both the San Jose Earthquakes and the Galaxy. He also owns both of those records for the United States national team with 57 goals and 58 assists at international level. Donovan, whose career with the U.S. squad didn't receive a storybook ending after head coach Jurgen Klinsmann left him off the 2014 World Cup squad, walked away from the sport after winning the 2014 MLS Cup, his sixth league title overall, with Los Angeles. There were some hints over the past few years that a return could happen, though. Last June, he told Scott French of MLSSoccer.com he missed the feeling of competing on a weekly basis. "I miss the game days," Donovan said. "When I'm here in the stadium on game days, I miss that. I don't miss the travel, I don't miss the hot summer training sessions, I don't miss having to take care of yourself ...

MLS Team of the Week: Chicago Fire Trio Impress in Shortened Week 26

Major League Soccer presented us with a limited slate of five matches on Saturday during the international break.  FC Dallas were the biggest winners in the Western Conference as they moved eight points ahead of Real Salt Lake at the top of the West and in the Supporters' Shield race.  Over in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Fire made a major leap in the direction of the playoffs with a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union. The Fire, who found themselves at the bottom of the East for most of the season, are all of a sudden six points back of sixth-place D.C. United.  The New York Red Bulls also picked up a key victory as they were the only road team to earn three points during Week 26.  We shaped our latest Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week in a 3-4-3 formation to suit the number of impressive performances in attack. Continue reading to see who was named to our best XI from Week 26. Begin Slideshow

MLS Releases Video on Nigel De Jong After Transfer from LA Galaxy to Galatasaray

Nigel de Jong completed a move to Turkish side Galatasaray on Wednesday, and it's fair to say that Major League Soccer's official Twitter feed were not fans of the Dutchman, based on the video they released to mark his departure from the LA Galaxy. Here is the video, which contains a series of digs at the midfielder's stats from his brief spell in the United States: While goals and assists aren't what the midfield enforcer was brought in for, his lack of discipline will not come as a surprise to those familiar with him from his time in Europe. MLS weren't the only ones to bid him farewell with a video—KICK shared a compilation of his typically robust challenges: Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson also enjoyed a joke at the 31-year-old's expense: Meanwhile, former United States international Alexi Lalas believes De Jong has been a little hard done by, but the Galaxy had to move him on to avoid the risk of him becoming a designated player: Tim Steller of the Arizona Daily Star offered a different reason for Los Angeles to part with him: Given his age, a move to MLS felt somewhat premature for De Jong anyway—he still has the potential to make an impact ...