MLS's opening weekend took center stage Sunday with a massive clash on ESPN between the league's most decorated club, LA Galaxy, and reigning Cup champion NYCFC. The match served as a debut for Brazilian star Douglas Costa, but it was Javier "Chicharito" Hernández who stole the show with a 90th minute winner.
New York City FC will need to step up their play from last season if they hopes to repeat as MLS Cup champions, head coach Ronny Deila said ahead of the start of the new campaign this weekend.
NYCFC were road warriors during last year's playoffs, winning three consecutive games in hostile environments including a penalty shootout victory over Portland in the Cup Final to claim the franchise's first trophy.
But as the North American league kicks of its 27th season more competitive than ever and with a new team in Charlotte, nothing will come easy.
After solid performances in their homes, Cruz Azul and Seattle Sounders got the last two tickets for the 2022 Concacaf Champions League's quarterfinals round on Thursday night.
La Máquina didn't go full steam against the Canadian team, but the 3-1 (4-1 aggregate) was enough to show they are one of the stronger candidates to lift the trophy.
The18's David Moore breaks down the week in soccer while sipping on some tea.
Episode 12 Topics include: an American Wins the World Cup, Messi Misses A Penalty, and the Laws of Physics are Broken
Following the addition of expansion side Charlotte FC, Major League Soccer's opening weekend features all 28 teams in action with nine matches on Saturday, Feb. 26, and five on Sunday, Feb. 27.
MLS opening day 2022 has one match on FOX (Portland vs. New England) and one streamed on Twitter (LAFC vs. Colorado — also on Univision and TUDN), and play also takes center stage across the nation Sunday with one game on FS1 (Atlanta vs. Kansas City) and one on ESPN (LA Galaxy vs. NYCFC).
Science is still searching for answers after a shocking incident Tuesday night when New York City FC’s Maxi Moralez took a shot that managed to hit the bottom and top of the crossbar. Top scientists around the world have no answers for how Mr. Moralez managed to pull off this wizardry.
Valentín Castellanos scored two first-half goals as New York City FC rolled to a 2-0 win over Santos de Guápiles in first-round action of the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The contest was the opener of a two-game, total-goal series. The second leg is scheduled for Feb. 23 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
Castellanos put the visitors on top in the fifth minute when he fired a penalty kick into the left side of the net.
There's so much soccer on the TV screen this week that it feels we are in paradise. The soccertopia includes the Champions League in Europe, the Copa Libertadores in South America, and our old friend the Concachampions.
A Premier League transfer caught my eye over the weekend, not because of the notoriety of the player, but actually for the exact opposite reason. Chelsea midfielder Lewis Baker joined Stoke City on a permanent deal following 17 years with the Blues.
Not familiar with the name? Don't feel too bad. Baker made just two first-team appearances during his time in London — FA Cup cameos during the 13-14 and 21-22 seasons. Instead, the 26-year-old had eight loan spells in four countries after being promoted to the Chelsea senior squad in 2014.
NYCFC may be the best team in Major League Soccer, but in the larger New York sports landscape, the club is often treated like an insignificant middle school chess club. How else can you explain the reigning MLS Cup champions playing their 2022 home opener 3,000 miles from home?