Toronto FC get CJ Sapong in trade with Nashville
Toronto FC have acquired veteran forward CJ Sapong from Nashville SC in exchange for Canadian international center back Lukas MacNaughton and up to $200,000 in General Allocation Money, the Eastern Conference clubs announced Tuesday morning.
Columbus Crew trade for NYCFC’s Malte Amundsen
The Columbus Crew have , both clubs announced Tuesday. Amundsen, an MLS Cup 2021 winner, had fallen down the depth chart at NYCFC.
US Open Cup starts tonight for MLS teams
The Third Round of the 2023 US Open Cup will be played Tuesday (April 25) and Wednesday (April 26), marking the entrance of 18 Major League Soccer teams alongside lower-division opposition. Here’s how to watch and stream.
Sporting Kansas City striker Agada out 3 months with leg fracture
Sporting Kansas City striker Willy Agada . The recovery timeline could see Agada sidelined through late July or early August. Since joining SKC last June, Agada has recorded nine goals and two assists in 21 appearances across all competitions. He was the club’s leading scorer in 2022.
D.C. United defender Jeahze suspended pending investigation
MLS was notified Monday that D.C. United defender Mohanad Jeahze was arrested Saturday on allegations of assault while in Sweden during an approved leave from the club. Jeahze has been suspended pending an investigation by Major League Soccer and Swedish authorities. The 26-year-old left back was signed by D.C. United in December from Swedish top-flight side Hammarby IF.
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The US Open Cup starts tonight for the majority of MLS teams. I’ll be honest, I don’t really have much to say about it other than the fact something really, really funny is absolutely going to happen like Chicago losing to a team called “Chicago House.” It’s going to be great. In fact, here’s my list of probable cupsets in this round based on nothing but logos, colors and vibes: South Georgia Tormenta FC (scary bird logo) over Charlotte FC, Union Omaha SC (scary bird logo) over St. Louis CITY SC, Detroit City over Minnesota United (not a scary enough bird logo), Miami FC over Inter Miami (not a scary enough bird logo), Tulsa Athletic (feels like they should have a bird logo) over Sporting KC (bad at soccer right now).
That feels comprehensive, which means we can move on to preparing our minds, bodies and souls for Wednesday night. The Philadelphia Union are facing LAFC in the CCL semifinals in one of the biggest matchups in the history of MLS. I really can’t undersell this. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it until someone acknowledges it as a good idea: We’re watching an MLS version of Celtics-Lakers develop in real-time. I mean, let’s just appreciate for a second that we’re talking about the league’s two biggest points earners over the last five seasons here. They’ve accomplished that feat in entirely different ways that just so happen to be reflective of their cities. And they have given us absolute classic meetings over the past few years with increasingly higher stakes. Now, they’ll meet over two legs to decide who gets a shot at claiming the title of the region’s best team. Folks, it’s a big got dang deal.
It’s also next to impossible to analyze. Those classic matchups I mentioned over the last few years haven’t actually featured a winner. At least not in a normal soccer sense. The only difference has been an MLS Cup penalty shootout. It’s a matchup where the styles are totally different, the quality is high and everyone is rolling a 20-sided die at all times. But, ya know what, let’s give it a quick shot from up here in our ivory tower as “national media” that only has a 30,000-foot view of both these teams.
I hate putting “set pieces” as a key to any game so much. Of course, set pieces are important! They’re important every game. But then you look at how many key moments in the last few meetings have been decided by a set-piece goal and you can’t help but mention it. Whether it’s Jakob Glesnes blasting the ball in from roughly 80 yards or Kellyn Acosta bouncing it off Philly’s wall and into the net at MLS Cup, or Jack Elliott equalizing late in MLS Cup, or like 10 other crazy things that happened at MLS Cup, set pieces mattered. With two teams that are evenly matched like this, those little moments that tilt the scale in their advantage can become massive.
It kind of seems like teams keep forgetting how good he is. Either that or he’s just so good that he makes it seem like teams keep forgetting how good he is. He’s going to be the single-biggest match-winner on the field in this one. Yes, even ahead of Andre Blake at this point. There isn’t anyone in Concacaf on the kind of tear Bouanga is on. He’s the most dangerous player on the pitch at all times, and the Union are going to have to work overtime to contain him.
LAFC are likely going to trot out Kellyn Acosta, Ilie Sánchez and José Cifuentes. Which is absurd.
The Union are likely going to trot out José Martínez, Alejandro Bedoya and probably Jack McGlynn or Leon Flach. Which isn’t quite so much absurdly good but specifically designed to go up against absurdly good and punch them directly in the mouth to see if they can handle it.
It’s awesome to watch every single time and a big reason why these games seem to go off the rails so consistently.
Did I mention these games go off the rails consistently? Over two legs it feels like we could be in for something we’ve never seen before. Again. The deciding factor in all of it might just be an act of God we don’t see coming. All that to say, it’s your fault and your fault alone if you don’t tune in to see the Union win via an errant paper airplane deflecting the ball into the goal or a lightning strike keeping a Philly equalizer out of the net via exploding soccer ball or one or both teams pulling Air Bud and letting a golden retriever play striker. It’s all on the table here.
LA Galaxy sign Costa Rican midfielder Vivi: The LA Galaxy have signed midfielder Gino Vivi through the 2023 MLS season with options spanning from 2024-26. Vivi, 22, was selected by LA in the first round (No. 23 overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas after a four-year career at the University of Central Florida.
Philadelphia Union's Uhre named Player of the Matchday: With a massive win fueled by Mikael Uhre's hat trick, the Philadelphia Union have both momentum and the Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire on their side heading into this week's Concacaf Champions League semifinal showdown against LAFC. The Danish forward took home top individual honors for Matchday 9, striking three times as the Union pummeled Toronto FC, 4-2, to head into the highly-anticipated MLS Cup 2022 final rematch on a high note.
Toronto FC acquire center back Aimé Mabika from Inter Miami: Toronto FC have acquired center back Aimé Mabika from Inter Miami CF in exchange for up to $200,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), the Eastern Conference clubs announced Tuesday. Mabika, 24, is under contract through 2023 with options for 2024 and 2025. The trade, completed before the league’s Primary Transfer Window ended Monday evening, includes $100k in 2024 GAM that’s guaranteed, plus another $100k in performance-based GAM.
- Joe Lowery picked out 10 early-season All-Star performers.
- Charles Boehm looked at the best young player performers from Matchday 9.
- Here’s your Team of the Matchday presented by Audi for Matchday 9.
- Voting for the AT&T 5G Goal of the Matchday is now open.
- Here’s how to watch and stream Philadelphia and LAFC’s titanic CCL clash tomorrow.
- The Union and LAFC are taking their "natural rivalry" between MLS elite to CCL.
Good luck out there. Revenge is a process.
