Columbus Crew Match Postponed After Fan Reportedly Struck by Lightning

Updates from Sunday, June 29 The MLS released a statement Sunday from executive vice president Dan Courtemanche regarding the postponement of last night's match: Due to the inclement weather in Ohio and the unfortunate incident that occurred in the parking lot outside Columbus Crew Stadium last night, Major League Soccer made the decision to postpone the game between FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew. The game has been rescheduled to 2 pm ET today. The health and safety of our fans is always our top priority, and we believe it was the right decision to postpone the match. The decision to reschedule the game to Sunday afternoon was made by the League. When matches are postponed, MLS' standard policy is to reschedule the game to the next day if possible. This policy is similar to other professional sports leagues. We apologize for any inconvenience to the fans.   Original Text Saturday night's match between the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas had to be canceled under scary conditions, as a fan was struck by lightning before the match. Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch had some of the details: A fan was struck by lightning in the parking lot outside of Crew Stadium before tonight's game against FC Dallas, multiple eyewitnesses ...

MLS SuperDraft 2014: Breaking Down Teams in Best Position to Improve

Unlike the NBA or NFL drafts, players drafted out of college in the MLS aren't generally expected to make an instant impact. Rather, they are drafted for depth and groomed, with the hope being that someday they'll develop into players like Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, Brad Guzan, Michael Parkhurst, Maurice Edu, Omar Gonzalez or Matt Besler, among others, all players selected in the SuperDraft. Yes, some of them may make an instant impact. Yes, certain teams are positioned excellently to add those impact players. But if nothing else, a few MLS teams are in a great position to either find those instant performers or build great depth for the future. Let's take a closer look at those clubs.   Philadelphia Union No team is in a better position to improve themselves than the Philadelphia Union. The club has the No. 2 and No. 6 picks and, even better, they are in a position to simply take the best player on the board if they so desire, since they have plenty of positions they could solidify.  But it sounds like Union manager John Hackworth has a plan in place for the draft, as he told Matthew De George of The Times Herald: We need to maximize this draft. We need to do a really ...

2014 MLS Mock Draft: Complete First-Round Predictions for Every Team

On the list of relevant drafts in United States' sports, the MLS draft is pretty far down the ranks. Often, the league's top players are signed from different professional leagues, while many of the top stars are already playing for clubs in Europe. Still, every now and again an excellent player comes through the ranks, and the draft is a great way for teams to build quality depth or round out their rosters. Let's take a look at how this year's draft will shake out.   1. D.C. United: Steve Birnbaum, CB, California It's pretty widely believed that the first pick for D.C. United will come down to Birnbaum or his teammate Christian Dean. Ives Galarcep of Soccer by Ives breaks down why he believes D.C. will go with Birnbaum. Birnbaum is the better player right now and D.C. United is said not to rate Dean as highly as other teams do. D.C. United could choose to trade down and gather assets rather than be the first team in a decade to not use the No. 1 overall pick on a Generation adidas player. If a team trades up, the chances are very high that it would be to grab Dean. D.C. United could also choose to go with a forward at ...

MLS Cup 2013: Breaking Down Why Sporting KC Will Beat Real Salt Lake

While many in Kansas City will likely be tuned in to the SEC Championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET—along with the rest of the country—those that do will miss seeing their MLS team, Sporting KC, win the MLS Cup over Real Salt Lake.  In the great football-versus-footy debate, the former will probably win out on Saturday when Missouri takes on Auburn. But for those who do choose the latter in Kansas City, they'll be treated to a championship performance. There are plenty of reasons to favor Kansas City in this contest. For one, home-field advantage is in their favor, as Sporting KC will host the final. In their home digs, the club took 30 of a possible 51 points in the MLS regular season and won both playoff legs.  It's not the MLS' biggest home-field advantage, but it will be important: Of Real Salt Lake's 11 losses between the regular season and playoffs, eight came on the road.   There is also the simple matter of precedent: In their one meeting this year, Sporting KC defeated Real Salt Lake, 2-1, in Salt Lake City, behind goals from Soony Saad and Ike Opara. However, Opara's goal did come seven minutes into second-half stoppage time, so the match ...

MLS Cup Playoffs 2013: Full Schedule, Bracket and Final Predictions

Everything was on the line in the final day of the season, and the MLS teams in action didn't disappoint. The LA Galaxy ensured that the Seattle Sounders would have to battle through the knockout round after Robbie Keane's 78th-minute goal resulted in a 1-1 draw. The Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution each clinched playoff spots with key wins on Sunday. The New York Red Bulls clinched the league's Supporters' Shield with a win over the Chicago Fire. And the Colorado Rapids cost themselves a No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs after losing to the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0, a game that saw Camilo Sanvezzo notch a hat trick and earn the league's Golden Boot award. So the playoff picture is set, and a memorable postseason certainly appears to be in the cards, with all 10 teams separated by just 10 points in the standings this season. Let's take a closer look at the road to the MLS Cup.    Schedule   Bracket   Predictions Clint Dempsey erased a 590-minute scoreless drought since his return to the MLS, but Seattle was once again unable to earn a win, extending their winless streak to end the season to seven games (they had two draws in that time). They face a Colorado ...

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

A year ago, the MLS All-Stars surprised some folks, defeating Chelsea 3-2 in extra time. Sure, it was just an exhibition and, sure, it wasn't a Chelsea team with all of its stars or one in midseason form.  No matter—that triumph was a pretty big deal against the champions of Europe.  This season, the MLS All-Stars will take on a less prestigious but a nonetheless talented side in Roma. The Serie A side has plenty of talent, with players like Maicon, Michael Bradley, Daniele De Rossi, Kevin Strootman, Erik Lamela and Francesco Totti littering the roster.  This should be an excellent, even match. Let's break it down.   When: Wednesday, July 31 at 9 p.m. ET Where: Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas Watch: ESPN2 Streaming: WatchESPN (in selected markets)   MLS All-Star Roster Goalkeepers: Raul Fernandez (FC Dallas), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake). Defenders: Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Corey Ashe (Houston Dynamo), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders) Midfielders: Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Will Johnson (Portland Timbers), Mike Magee (Chicago Fire), Graham Zusi (Sporting KC), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Patrice Bernier (Montreal Impact) Forwards: Marco Di Vaio (Montreal Impact), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Camilo Sanvezzo (Vancouver Whitecaps), Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Chris Wondolowski ...

Twitter Reacts to Robbie Rogers’ Appearance with LA Galaxy

On Sunday night, Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to compete in a major United States sporting event. He came on as a substitute late in the L.A. Galaxy's 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders.It was a huge moment for the MLS, for soccer in general and for gay rights in the United States. While NBA player Jason Collins announced he was gay last month, he is a free agent and has yet to play a game since making the announcement. Other male athletes in the United States who have come out did so once they retired, such as former NBA player John Amaechi. It was also a huge moment for Rogers, who announced he was gay in February and promptly retired from the sport, fearing the scrutiny he would face as a gay athlete. And from a pure sporting perspective, it was a huge moment for the L.A. Galaxy and the U.S. men's national team, who will each likely be getting an impact player to add to their roster. Rogers only played 13 minutes and didn't do anything of note, but his initial appearance was more symbolic than anything else. At least for now. And Twitter took notice, reacting ...

Reigning MLS Champion LA Galaxy Visit President Obama at the White House

President Obama may be best known to sports fans for his love of basketball—and for, you know, being the President of the United States—but he showed off his soccer skills on Tuesday when the MLS Cup-winning LA Galaxy visited the White House.As Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times tweeted, the President wasn't afraid to use his head at the ceremony.Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse tweeted this photo the President awaiting a ball heading his way.He's totally going to trap that sucker.  And political blogger Jeff Gauvin snapped the President sharing a laugh with the Galaxy and posing for a photograph with Landon Donovan and David Beckham.The Galaxy made the trip to the White House for the second straight season after once again defeating the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup. It was the Galaxy's fourth MLS championship.The Associated Press (via USA Today) posted a video of President Obama's header, which also included the President noting, "That's a lucky number," when presented with a  No. 44 jersey from the Los Angeles Kings, who were also visiting the White House after winning this year's Stanley Cup.The United States travels to Estadio Azteca to face Mexico City on Tuesday night in a crucial World Cup qualifying game for both ...

MLS SuperDraft 2013: Date, Start Time, Live Stream, TV and More

No, the MLS SuperDraft doesn't come with the sort of hype that surrounds the NFL or NBA version. Heck, even the MLB and NHL drafts are fully televised. With Europe in the midst of the January transfer window, the MLS SuperDraft even gets overshadowed by its own sport.But hey, we’re not going to ignore it here, folks. If you were looking for ways to watch the event, wanted to see the draft order or even were hoping to brush up on a few of the top prospects, we’ve got you covered. No, Andrew Farrell may never move the needle as much as, say, Andrew Luck, but he could make Toronto FC fans very happy if he ends up being the top pick. That’s all that really matters, right? Where: Indianapolis, Ind.When: Thursday, Jan. 17 at noon ETWatch: OK, this is where things get interesting. You can watch the very first pick live on the ESPN SportsCenter at noon ET. After that, it's time to stream—the rest of the draft will be broadcast on ESPN3, ESPNFC, MLSsoccer.com and YouTube, as well as individual team sites.Got all that? If not, all the viewing information you need can be found here. Draft Order Pick Team 1 Toronto FC 2 Chivas USA 3 Toronto ...

MLS Cup 2012: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Starting Lineups, Predictions and More

Cue up the rematch.A year after the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 in the MLS Cup behind a Landon Donovan goal, the two teams will meet again to decide the championship for a second consecutive year.Neither team was necessarily expected to get here, and each had to battle through the Knockout Round after the Galaxy finished the regular season as the the fourth seed in the West and the Dynamo finished as the fifth seed in the East. Nevertheless, here we are. It's a game with no shortage of star power, experience and quality coaching.Let's break down this year's MLS Cup. Where: Home Depot Center, Carson, CaliforniaWhen: Saturday, December 1 at 4:30 p.m. ET Watch: ESPN; MLS LiveListen: SiriusXM FC 94 Starting Lineup Prediction For GalaxyJosh SaundersSean Franklin - Omar Gonzalez - A.J. DeLaGarza - Todd DunivantLandon Donovan - Victor Juninho - David Beckham - Mike MageeEdson Buddle - Robbie Keane Starting Lineup Prediction For DynamoTally HallKofi Sarkodie - Jermaine Taylor - Bobby Boswell - Corey AsheOscar Samir Garcia - Ricardo - Adam Moffat - Brad DavisCalen Carr - Brian Ching Most Important Player to Watch: Landon Donovan, GalaxyMr. Donovan has quite the MLS Cup history. He's going for his fifth MLS Cup title, he's already a two-time MVP and ...