The North American Soccer League, founded in 2009 as the second tier of the American soccer league system, is in dire straits. The 12 team league is facing a significant change as it heads towards its 7th season.
When the LA Galaxy announced Landon Donovan's return from retirement, many wondered if Donovan could even still play. Had he been out of soccer for too long to be able to make an impact on the field? Could he actually help the Galaxy or is this just a publicity stunt to sell more shirts?
Those questions are all valid. And Landon has an answer.
FC Dallas ended a 19-year trophy drought by defeating the New England Revolution 4-2 in the 103rd edition of the U.S. Open Cup, signaling a new era for the Frisco based club.
Dallas trounced New England with a squad that has the lowest average player salary in the league at $160,140. No matter, they’ve also accumulated the most points in MLS to date, leading supporters to dream of an unprecedented domestic treble (U.S. Open Cup, Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup).
For manager Bruce Arena and the LA Galaxy, they couldn’t have scripted Sunday night any better themselves. The Galaxy jumped out to a 4-1 lead over Orlando City by the game’s 70th minute, allowing Arena to substitute the night’s main attraction, Landon Donovan, into the match in the 83rd minute.
Permitting Donovan a few minutes, ending the media frenzy surrounding his comeback and giving the announced crowd of 27,167 a glimpse of what they came for were all positives for the Galaxy.
It’s a rumor that’s been circulating since last September, when Ronaldinho left Brazilian side Fluminense and became a free agent: would he take the millions on offer in China? Would he become another poster child, albeit a 36-year-old one, for MLS? Wherever he ended up, it was a guarantee that he’d ignite a fan base, sell thousands of tickets and jerseys, and delight with his non-diminishing levels of skill.
Major League Soccer has been something of a taboo subject for football fans around the world for many years now. It's often regarded as an oddity within the world's game due to the fact that the American conception of football is so different to our own.
It's as if they've been cast off from the rest of the footballing landscape, free to do as they please until they're ready to come around. Now, it seems as though America has finally got around to embracing the world’s game. The real question is, can they now compete with the other elite leagues across the globe?
2016, you scoundrel! First, we had the trauma and ecstasy of Lionel Messi’s short-lived retirement. Now, we have this: Landon Donovan is set to end his retirement to return to the LA Galaxy for the remainder of the MLS season.
Giovani dos Santos’ year-long exclusion from the Mexican national team is all the more baffling when you consider his form of late. Perhaps Juan Carlos Osorio simply preferred giving youth a chance for El Tri’s meaningless qualifiers against Honduras and El Salvador. Or, he might still be salty over dos Santos’ decision to reject a call-up for the Copa America Centenario.
Carlos Ruiz played his final match for Guatemala on Tuesday night, the 36-year-old striker hitting St. Vincent and the Grenadines for five goals in Los Chapines 9-3 victory. Unfortunately for Ruiz and Guatemala, it still wasn't enough as they were eliminated from 2018 World Cup contention, resulting in Ruiz's international retirement.