Sporting KC name Burns sporting director
Sporting Kansas City have appointed Mike Burns as their new sporting director. Burns, who previously served as general manager of the New England Revolution, will oversee Sporting’s player recruitment and roster-building strategy and the continued development of the club’s professional player pathway, including MLS NEXT Pro team Sporting Kansas City II and the Sporting Kansas City Academy.
Columbus Crew transfer Morris to Middlesbrough FC
The Columbus Crew have officially transferred homegrown midfielder Aidan Morris to EFL Championship side Middlesbrough FC. The 22-year-old US international heads to England’s second tier for reportedly around $4 million and a sell-on clause.
Just one game to get to right quick.
It wasn’t really close. Santiago Rodríguez got NYCFC off and running and two stoppage-time goals at the end of the half sealed the deal. Full credit to Orlando for pushing back to bring it within a goal by the end, but they were thoroughly outplayed on the night.
The win gets NYCFC back on track after a three-game losing streak. For now, they’re in fourth place in the East again. For Orlando, it’s their fourth loss in their last seven games. They’ve won once in that span and it came against Chicago. Nothing really seems to be getting better.
It’s another Saturday of soccer. Here’s what to keep an eye on.
All eyes on the Rapids now
Remember last week when we talked about Real Salt Lake and their opportunity to prove themselves as an elite team against a club from Los Angeles that also happens to be one of the best in the league and how it would be pretty much the biggest regular season game for them in recent memory and then none of it really mattered because their best player needed stitches like 20 minutes into the game?
Ok, well, take the main points there, recognize Colorado played some pretty important games in 2021 and then, hopefully, remove any worry about a game-changing injury. That’s what we’re dealing with tonight when Colorado head to LA to face LAFC. There are a few key differences though.
First and foremost, even though they’re tied in the standings, LAFC are a different kind of beast than the Galaxy. They’re just a more complete side from back to front. You could argue the Galaxy have the advantage in attack, but that advantage is, at best, only a slight one. LAFC have the best underlying numbers in the league and they’re rolling into this one on an eight-game unbeaten run that’s earned them 22 points. They’re the best team in the league right now. The Galaxy are great. LAFC are a little more.
That’s what the Rapids are up against tonight. And they have to go up against it on the road.
They still have it in them to make this interesting. They’ve started to receive their due around the league after jumping into fourth place in the West last week. We’ve done our best to highlight their excellent underlying numbers. It feels like we’re just starting to understand how good the 2024 version of this team can be.
If they can pull out a result tonight, or even a win, we might have to reassess where we think this team’s ceiling is.
Don’t let the Revs get hot
Hey, have you noticed New England have won four straight? It’s been fascinating to watch and seemingly out of nowhere, but here we are. That’s MLS, I guess.
Well, if things you can't explain are confusing and scary to you, there’s a decent chance the natural order is restored tonight. It all might be ok after Columbus come into Foxboro. Regardless of any winning streak, there aren’t many teams that are going to go toe-to-toe with the Crew and come out clean on the other side.
But, hey, Aidan Morris is gone now. The Crew won’t have their replacement in for a few weeks. There’s an opportunity here for New England to take advantage of a team still sorting out a new setup. If they can pull off an upset, they’ll be just below the playoff line with a few games in hand. And we’ll be forced to concede a special kind of turnaround is happening in New England.
Will Atlanta ever win a home game again?
March 31. That’s the last time Atlanta United won a home game. Since then, they’ve picked up two draws and five losses in their last seven matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In the midst of that, the Five Stripes parted ways with head coach Gonzalo Pineda and promoted assistant coach Rob Valentino to interim manager.
So far, that’s going pretty well. Atlanta have picked up a win and two draws over the last three games. But their lone home game ended with Houston scoring a late equalizer to earn a 2-2 draw. It’s been a long, long time since the fans in Atlanta have left their stadium happy.
That could change today against a Toronto side that’s flailing. The Reds followed up their 4-1 loss to Chicago - a loss head coach John Herdman called the most disappointing moment of his career - with back-to-back losses last week. They’re winless in their last six games and are in increasing danger of falling below the playoff line.
Basically, both teams need this to be a get-right game. Neither team is at full strength due to international duty. And no one really knows what’s going to happen.
Oh, and did we mention there’s a relatively decent chance this might be Thiago Almada’s last game in Atlanta before a rumored move to Botafogo goes through?
Cincinnati continue in the post-center back era
There’s not a ton to say here, but it’s worth keeping an eye on FC Cincinnati tonight as they continue to navigate a world where three of their center backs are missing due to injury or international duty. This stretch without Miles Robinson could be enough to derail their Supporters’ Shield hopes. We’ll see how they approach things against Dallas tonight. It could be instructive.
The Cali Clásico is gonna Cali Clásico, right?
Yes, the Galaxy are tied on points for the top spot in the West. Yes, San Jose are all alone at the bottom of the West and just parted ways with their manager. But this is the Cali Clásico and it’s at Stanford Stadium. Everything you’ve ever known about MLS, soccer or life in general gets thrown out the window in these games. Expect weird.
- Kevin Egan provided a 360 view of Riqui Puig.
- Schuyler Redpath has your MLS Fantasy Round 19 positional rankings and Pick’em advice.
- Pressure is mounting on the USMNT after their loss to Panama.
Good luck out there. Good things come in threes.
