Soccer
Another packed day. Check out the full schedule here.
Arfield departs Charlotte for Bolton
Veteran midfielder Scott Arfield has departed Charlotte FC for English third-division side Bolton Wanderers. The 35-year-old former Canadian international spent one year with Charlotte, arriving after departing Scottish giants Rangers FC. He scored twice in 27 regular-season matches (six starts).
Montréal sign English defender Pearce
CF Montréal have signed defender Tom Pearce through the 2026 MLS season with an option for 2027. The former England youth international was out of contract after playing for lower-division side Wigan Athletic.
MLS players lead USA roster for 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship
Fifteen players from Major League Soccer clubs are part of the United States roster for the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship, which is set for July 18 to Aug. 4 in Mexico.
LAFC and Columbus meet tonight in an MLS Cup rematch. It might be an MLS Cup preview, too. Not much has changed since last December, even if a few faces have.
LAFC entered the year with some uncertainty after losing Giorgio Chiellini, Kellyn Acosta, Maxime Crépeau, Diego Palacios and Carlos Vela. That’s five starters from MLS Cup 2023 and a group that included LAFC’s best-ever player and an all-time great center back. Even if both were aging, they were still contributing in a meaningful way. They were always going to be tough to replace.
Then LAFC took things slow. Almost uncomfortably slow. They added goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in December, but didn’t make another big move until they brought back Eduard Atuesta in February. It was fair to wonder if they were set to take another step back from the highs of 2022. Because even after making MLS Cup last year, LAFC didn’t quite seem like the ultra-lethal juggernaut we saw win a double in 2022. There were real concerns in midfield and with their rigid style of play. And most teams don’t get better after losing five starters.
For a while, those concerns seemed valid. On May 4, they lost 3-1 at a not-great San Jose Earthquakes side. They had just 15 points through 11 games. That’s not terrible. It is pretty middling, though.
They haven’t lost since.
Now they’re sitting on 2.05 points per game and a +19 goal differential through 21 games. They’re as terrifying as they’ve ever been. That’s partly due to the addition of Atuesta, but it’s mostly down to the fact players who underwhelmed at times last season have taken a step forward.
In particular, Timothy Tillman and Mateusz Bogusz have looked much more comfortable during their second year in MLS. Bogusz has turned into an outright star while, at times, slotting into a new position as a false nine. He’s gone from three goals and four assists over 20 starts in 2023 to 12 goals and six assists over 21 starts in 2024. Now he’s out on the wing while Kei Kamara acts as a proxy for Olivier Giroud – he’ll be available soon, by the way – and still contributing at an elite level.
Meanwhile, the Crew are just starting to see some turnover. Midfielder Aidan Morris is gone to Middlesbrough, but the rest of last year’s title-winning group is largely intact. Sean Zawadzki has been a nice stopgap for Morris while they wait for new signing Dylan Chambost to formally join and the Crew are still thriving. The most difficult challenge they’ve faced this year is being too successful. They had to navigate a run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final and now they’re working through a congested schedule. They haven’t really missed a beat since the final, though.
In the six games since, Columbus have averaged 2.5 points per game. That’s the second-best mark in the league behind… well, LAFC. The Crew have had the better underlying numbers. They’re first in expected points over that span, just ahead of… well, LAFC.
So, yeah. Not only are we talking about two of the best teams in the league, but we’re talking about the two hottest teams in the league. They’re playing at a level above everyone else right now. You shouldn’t be surprised if this is only the first time we see this matchup in 2024.
LA sign midfielder Parente: The LA Galaxy have signed midfielder Isaiah Parente through 2024 with options spanning 2025-26. Parente, 24, joins from MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Ventura County FC after tallying 3g/1a in 16 appearances this season. He played in one MLS match for LA earlier this year.
- LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and the Crew’s Steven Moreira have a special friendship.
- Rosters for the 2024 Special Olympics Unified Sports All-Star Game have been announced.
- Jacob Shaffelburg is on the rise for Canada.
- Kevin Egan wants you to embrace the Big Six era.
- Bradley Wright-Phillips thinks LAFC might have the slightest edge on Columbus.
- Schuyler Redpath has your MLS Fantasy Round 21 positional rankings and Pick’em advice.
Good luck out there. Put up big numbers.
