2017 MLS Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Full Selection Order

While the January transfer window is in full swing in European soccer, the crown jewel of MLS offseason is just around the corner, the MLS SuperDraft.Below, we'll break down a first-round mock draft and break down the full draft order.Here's a look at the draft order in the second round:There may not be a consensus top pick in this year's draft, but four names tend to hover around the early picks: Jeremy Ebobisse, Abu Danladi, Jackson Yueill and Miles Robinson.So who are these guys?Ebobisse is arguably the safest forward in this draft and maybe the top talent available, period. He has been incredibly impressive with the United States under-20 national team, notching nine goals in eight games during the 2016 campaign, per Rob Usry of Dirty South Soccer.He has a deadly left foot and the potential to grow into a prolific scorer in the MLS. Will Parchman of MLSSoccer.com broke down his game:Ebobisse is one of those jack-of-all-trades forwards, capable of just about anything in just about any system. That has to be music to an expansion club’s ears. Of course in this he lacks specialization, but that certainly hasn’t hurt Wright-Phillips, who’s banked on his all-around game to become one of the most lethal scorers in ...

Clint Dempsey Out for Remainder of 2016 MLS Season with Irregular Heartbeat

Seattle Sounders general manager and president Garth Lagerwey announced Tuesday that star forward Clint Dempsey would miss the remainder of the season because of an irregular heartbeat, according to Ryan Krasnoo of SoundersFC.com. "If we prioritize this now, hopefully we can get Dempsey back in 2017," Lagerwey said, per Sounders Beat, adding, "Clint has overcome a lot, and I believe he can overcome this as well." Sounders interim head coach Brian Schmetzer also addressed the media. "The messaging was not that big of a shock to anybody," he said, according to Sounders Beat. "It's a sad story because Clint is an integral part of the team." Schmetzer isn't worried about whether his team will fold without Dempsey in the mix as the Sounders pursue a playoff spot: Dempsey's irregular heartbeat was discovered in August, and he hasn't appeared in a game since Aug. 21. He returned to training Sept. 14 but ceased training with the Sounders last week, per Krasnoo. In total this season, he's made 17 MLS appearances, scoring eight goals and adding two assists. He remains one of the best players in MLS and one of the truly important contributors for the United States men's national team, and his availability for the country's two World ...

Kaka, Frank Lampard Among MLS’ Highest-Paid Players for 2016-17 Season

Orlando City's Kaka ($7.167 million) and Toronto FC's Sebastian Giovinco ($7.115 million) are the highest-paid players in MLS in the 2016-17 season, the MLS Players Union (via Steven Goff of the Washington Post) revealed Thursday. Toronto FC's Michael Bradley ($6.5 million), the Los Angeles Galaxy's Steven Gerrard ($6.132 million) and New York City FC's Frank Lampard ($6 million) round out the top five. The majority of the remaining top earners in MLS are either stars on the United States men's national team (Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard) or former stars in Europe (Andrea Pirlo, David Villa, Robbie Keane, Didier Drogba).  That trend is likely to continue, as stars from Europe continue to trickle into MLS at the end of their careers to earn big contracts before retiring while the MLS budget continues to grow. The latest European star who is rumored to make the jump to MLS is Paris Saint-Germain superstar striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, per Loic Tanzi of Goal.com, and Ibra would surely become the league's highest earner upon his arrival. According to Tanzi, "It has also been reported that Ibrahimovic has a concrete proposal from MLS worth $580,000 per week—the same figure that he earns in Paris." While Ibra would likely garner a small fortune if he made the leap to American ...

MLS SuperDraft 2016: Complete Round-by-Round Results and Twitter Reaction

The first two rounds of the MLS SuperDraft kicked off on Thursday afternoon, highlighted by a flurry of trades and shock moves from the various clubs across the league.  Here are the full results of the opening rounds:    It didn't take long for things to get crazy at the SuperDraft. Before the draft even began, the Philadelphia Union announced they'd acquired the second overall pick from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for general allocation money. Things only got busier from there. The Chicago Fire selected Wake Forest midfielder Jack Harrison with the top overall pick but quickly shifted him to New York City FC for the No. 4 overall pick and allocation money. It was certainly a whirlwind period of time for Harrison, and Leander Schaerlaeckens of Yahoo Sports sympathized with the young man: That set up the dream scenario for the Philadelphia Union, which desperately needed to upgrade their defense and were able to do so at No. 2 with the player many people felt was the top talent in the draft, Joshua Yaro, who was excited after the pick: Kevin Kinkead of CBS Philly envisions him pairing nicely with Richie Marquez: That move would also allow Maurice Edu to slide back into a defensive midfielder role, ...

2016 MLS Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Full Selection Order

With the MLS Draft Combine underway and the top players in the country being put under the microscope, the league's franchises are hoping to identify the players who will lead them to success for years to come. That means it's time to break down this year's draft order and a first-round mock draft while taking a closer look at some of the top prospects available to teams this year.   Draft Order   Mock Draft   Top Players Joshua Yaro, RB/CB, Georgetown Joshua Yaro is an interesting case. He's an incredibly talented, bright and ambitious young man and was the rock of Georgetown's defense this year. He also handled the announcement that he would be going pro with his usual class: But he's also considered a 'tweener by many scouts, who aren't sure where his natural position might be at the next level. Steven Goff of the Washington Post broke down the player most believe will be the top overall pick: Yaro is a center back with vision and speed uncommon at the college level. With him marshaling the backline, the Hoyas posted six consecutive shutouts during a 14-game winning streak and rose to No. 2 in the coaches’ poll before losing to Boston College on penalty kicks in the NCAA tournament’s round ...

MLS Cup Playoffs 2015: Thursday Scores, Reaction and Updated Schedule

The second batch of knockout games in the MLS postseason was played on Thursday night, with the final two spots in the conference semifinals up for grabs. Below, we'll take a look at the results of both contests along with the updated postseason schedule and a recap of Thursday's action.         Thursday Results   Eastern Conference Schedule   Western Conference Schedule   Montreal Impact Beat Toronto FC, 3-0 The Montreal Impact left no doubt.  First, the club scored its first goal in MLS playoff history. Then it added two more for good measure, blowing past Toronto FC on Thursday, 3-0, to advance to the next round of the MLS playoffs.  Patrice Bernier opened the scoring in the 18th minute, finishing off a lovely bit of counterattack play by the Impact. Ignacio Piatti slipped him in free on goal, and Bernier did the rest. The MLS on Twitter shared the goal: That opened the floodgates. Fifteen minutes later, Piatti doubled Montreal's lead, sliding a low shot past 'keeper Chris Konopka.  Six minutes later a legend would get involved, as Didier Drogba gave the Impact a 3-0 advantage.  Toronto will have an entire offseason to lament its defense on that goal. From there the Impact dug in defensively, content to protect a 3-0 lead and advance to face the Columbus Crew, ...

MLS All-Stars vs. Bayern Munich: Lineup Info, Odds, TV Schedule and Live Stream

The stars will be out. The fix for soccer fans before the major European club seasons get underway will be relieved. The chance for the best of the MLS to stare down the best of Germany will play out over 90 minutes on the pitch.  The MLS All-Stars will face Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. And boy, should it be fun. Below, you'll find everything you might need to prepare for the match, from the viewing schedule to odds to a preview of the major storylines on tap.    Match Information   Rosters The full roster of the MLS All-Stars can be found here, while the Bayern Munich roster is located here.   What's At Stake?  Technically nothing, but underneath the surface, several interesting storylines should play out throughout the course of the game.  For starters, one of the debates heading into this contest is whether the MLS should consider reverting back to an East vs. West showdown to get more MLS players into the spectacle. Clint Dempsey spoke to Bleacher Report's Jason Pettigrove about the format: On a global scale I think it’s more interesting the more players that you have from different parts of the world, because people will feel a connection and want to watch those games. But at the ...

MLS All-Stars vs. Bayern Munich: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

When you look at some of the rosters in European club football, it's hard to argue they aren't all-star teams themselves. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Juventus and Bayern Munich, among others, all boast some of the brightest and most exciting talent in footy.  So in a way, it makes complete sense that the MLS All-Stars would take on a team like Bayern Munich. Really, it's like the MLS All-Stars are taking on a slightly watered-down version of the Bundesliga All-Stars.  Below, we'll preview and predict the match, as the MLS looks to prove it can hang with one of the top clubs in the world. It should be one heck of a spectacle, if nothing else.   Match Information   Preview With Bayern Munich having their full complement of European stars for this contest, the neutral observer might note that this one could get ugly for the MLS All-Stars. After all, most of the Bayern Munich players are accustomed to playing with one another—including the large contingent that just helped Germany win the World Cup—and you could make a strong argument that no players from the MLS All-Stars would crack Bayern's starting 11.  Add in the fact that the MLS All-Stars are a collection of players brought together ...

MLS All-Stars vs. Bayern Munich: Schedule and All-Star Game Predictions

Let's be honest—most all-star games are frivolous affairs. Sure, they are fun for the kids, but ultimately the games suffer because very little is at stake.  And when there is something at stake—like the MLB's absurd policy of having the league that wins its All-Star Game earn home-field advantage in the World Series—we tend to critique them for trying to force relevance onto something that should be meaningless.  Not that these events can't be enjoyable, of course, but they're generally enjoyable like a casual game of volleyball between beers at a barbecue is enjoyable. They're, well...relaxing.  But the MLS has done something a bit different, and a bit more fun, with their all-star exhibition—they gather their top stars and have them face a top European side. This year, it's none other than German powerhouse Bayern Munich. For a league that often suffers from (the perhaps unfair) comparisons to minor league baseball when stacked against the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga or the Bundesliga, this is the chance to stack their best against some of Europe's top talents.  So, what should you be watching for at this year's game? And which squad is likely to come out on top? Let's break it down.   Match Info   Analysis Fans of the MLS ...

MLS Standings 2014 Week 19: Latest Table, Updated Schedule for Week 20

For fans out there itching for some soccer in their post-World Cup existence, the MLS is calling. And Week 20 promises to be a good week to catch up with the United States' domestic league, as there are several intriguing matchups to see and international stars to follow.  From high-scoring teams to top-of-the-table matchups, there should be something for everyone. Let's break down the table, fixtures and preview some of the interesting games on tap.   Table   Fixtures   Preview Without question, the game of the week is the matchup between Sporting KC and the LA Galaxy. The game will match two of the league's top scorers in Sporting KC's Dom Dwyer (14 goals) and the Galaxy's Robbie Keane (nine goals, six assists). But will either be able to find the net in this one? That remains to be seen, as these teams also happen to have the two stingiest defenses in the league. The Galaxy have given up just 14 goals this season, while Sporting KC have conceded just 17. But the Galaxy come into this game on fire, having gone unbeaten in their last eight games. And Keane finally broke a four-game scoreless streak, notching a brace against the New England Revolution in the Galaxy's 5-1 win ...