Arena resigns from New England Revolution
Bruce Arena has resigned as New England Revolution head coach and sporting director. The decision was announced Saturday evening in a joint statement with the club. On July 30, Arena was placed on administrative leave pending a review into allegations he made insensitive and inappropriate remarks.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Morgan undergoes hip surgery
New York Red Bulls midfielder Lewis Morgan will miss the rest of the 2023 MLS season after undergoing successful hip surgery. A recovery timeline was not disclosed. Morgan, 26, was RBNY's leading scorer last season tallying 14 goals and four assists in 32 games. But the Scotland native has fought nagging injuries all 2023, limited to just five appearances (under 300 minutes played).
One more to close the weekend
The Galaxy host first-place St. Louis tonight. Kickoff is set for 8 pm ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
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A brief recap today after a short slate. There’s still plenty to unpack though. Let’s talk it out.
What happened?: Technically, nothing.
So, did we learn anything?: Normally I would just say “No.” and we could move on with our morning, but we’re past that point in the season. Both D.C. and San Jose entered this one in one of their conference’s final two playoff spots, needing to show a bit of urgency to hold onto those spots. Instead, we go that. To be fair, D.C. put up a ton of shots and were unlucky not to see one hit the back of the net. But a scoreless draw at this particular place in the season isn’t a great omen for either side. D.C., with Inter Miami coming up impossibly fast behind them, should be particularly worried anytime they don’t get three points from here on out. Especially at home.
What happened?: A rare mistake from Drake Callender gifted Daniel Sallói an opener and it seemed like Messi-less Miami might be in trouble. However, Leonardo Campana earned and converted a penalty moments later and then got on the end of a DeAndre Yedlin cross before the half closed to earn a brace. In the second half, a quickly taken free kick from Sergio Busquets sent Facundo Farias in on goal and the Herons took a 3-1 lead.
So, did we learn anything?: Well. Folks. That’s that then. It’s almost rude of Inter Miami’s B-team to take all the mystery out of the playoff race, but there’s almost a comfort in knowing this is happening. Like, yeah, you could stress and panic and try to outrun the Terminator chasing you. Or you could relax. Have a drink or two. And let what’s going to happen anyway happen.
The Herons are still 14th in the East, but they’re just six points out of ninth place with two games in hand. The scale has officially tipped toward Miami missing the playoffs as the more surprising outcome. At that point, well, you saw what happened in Leagues Cup. Everything is on the table.
Meanwhile, SKC should be kicking themselves for letting an early lead slip away like that. They finished the night in 12th place and could end the weekend tied on points with the 13th-place Galaxy. Once again, it’s starting to seem like a rough start to the season is going to derail a decent finish down the stretch.
What happened?: Carles Gil gave the Revs the lead and forced Minnesota to resort to desperate measures. With time winding down, the Loons called goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair forward to join the attack on a corner. The ball pinballed around the box until it fell to St. Clair, who deftly slid the ball to Franco Fragapane. Fragapane finished and Minnesota earned a wild draw.
So, did we learn anything?: If you’re the Revs…[shrug]...MLS happens. It’s a road point all the same. There are worse outcomes. If you’re the Loons, you’re stoked about the ending, but still wondering why you can’t get more out of your home performances. They still have just three home wins on the season, the second-worst mark in the West.
What happened?: The Timbers got two goals from defenders because of course they did and officially reinserted themselves into the playoff discussion a couple of weeks after parting ways their head coach... because of course they did.
So, did we learn anything?: One day I’ll stop trying to figure out the Timbers and just admit the only thing we ever truly know about them is we know nothing. I thought they were buried after parting ways with Gio Savarese. You might have thought so too. But here we are. They’ve taken seven points from a three-game stretch of RSL, Seattle and LAFC. That’s about as impressive as it gets in the West. The Timbers have played a couple of extra games, but they’re only one point behind ninth-place Dallas. They’re not thriving, but they’re not nearly as dead as some folks (me) might have thought.
The Timbers aren’t the only big story here though. LAFC are…spiraling? They’ve taken three points from four post-Leagues Cup games. It seemed like they had turned a corner in the tournament after getting some rest, but they’ve tripped over the corner and face-planted in MLS. Yes, they’re still third in the West. But they’re just three points ahead of eighth-place San Jose. This could get far more stressful than expected down the stretch for the reigning champs.
Inter Miami sign midfielder Sunderland: Inter Miami CF have signed central midfielder Lawson Sunderland for the remainder of the 2023 MLS season with options through 2026. Sunderland, 21, joins from MLS NEXT Pro side Inter Miami CF II after tallying five goals and three assists in 40 games (35 starts).
USMNT start second Berhalter era with late win over Uzbekistan: It wasn't the high-flying attacking affair fans may have hoped for at St. Louis CITY SC's CITYPARK, but the US men's national team got the job done with a 3-0 win over Uzbekistan Saturday evening.
- Dayne St. Clair rescued Minnesota United with….an assist?
- The Timbers are eyeing a playoff run after a crucial win over LAFC.
- Miami's "supporting cast" kept their playoff dream alive.
- Sergio Busquets used some quick thinking to give Inter Miami their winner.
- The USMNT are aiming for "better nights" despite a win in Gregg Berhalter's return.
- Ben Wright has your USMNT player ratings.
Good luck out there. Become unkillable.
