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rickhorrow · 6 years ago

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15 to watch 12318

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 3 with Jamie Swimmer & Jacob Aere 380,718. That’s the estimated total number of fans at the six college football conference championship games played over the weekend. Those numbers stretched from a record 83,114 – the largest crowd to attend a conference championship game anywhere – who flocked to AT&T Stadium in Arlington to watch Oklahoma battle Texas in the Big 12 title game, to the 35,134 who turned out at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara to watch a lackluster Pac-12 championship game between Utah and winner Washington. Likewise, the must-see slate of Saturday games saw an SEC Championship Game between Georgia and victor Alabama that was not only a rematch of last year’s CFP title game, it was the most popular college football regular season game on any network in seven years, according to CBS. And as usual since the current CFP format was established five years ago, controversy abounds over the choice of the top four teams to make the semi-finals – Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma – with Ohio State, Georgia, and UCF fans particularly enraged at their teams’ supposed snubs. With all this proof of college football’s wild popularity, it’s clear that each season, we’re inching closer to an eight-team college football playoff. It’s really no longer a matter of “if,” but “when.” True or false: the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl is really a thing. Alas, it’s real. So is the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl, Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, and yes, the Cheez-It Bowl. In fact, of the 41 bowl game matchups announced by the NCAA on Sunday, comprising 80 teams and including the January 7 National Championship, only two games do not carry a corporate title or presenting sponsor, cementing the fact that bowl games have become corporate billboards rather than a showcase for regional agricultural pride. New logos on bowl game programs this year include jeweler Jared, title sponsor of the December 22 Jared Birmingham Bowl (which had been without a title sponsor since 2014 when BBVA Compass bowed out), and travel site VRBO, which just days ago reached a deal with ESPN and Florida Citrus Sports to become the title sponsor of the VRBO Citrus Bowl in Orlando on New Year’s Day, hosting Kentucky and Penn State. The good news for all of these brands, broadcasters, and football fans – all 80 teams accepting bowl berths in 2018 have at least a 6-6 record, meaning unlike last year, no losing team will take the field as a postseason perk. PlayStation will extend its naming rights sponsorship of the Fiesta Bowl as part of a multiyear agreement with ESPN. According to SportsBusiness Journal, PlayStation has held naming rights for the bowl game since 2016 as part of a two-year deal; financial details regarding the new contract have not yet been disclosed. The multiyear deal will see PlayStation become the “official gaming and virtual reality sponsor of the CFP and its New Year’s Six bowl games.” “Our audience insights tell us that college football fans are more interested in video games, more likely to play them and more likely to stream sports through a gaming console compared to the average person,” said ESPN Senior VP of Sports Marketing Rob Temple. Before PlayStation, the Fiesta Bowl enlisted Battlefrog (2016), Vizio (2015), Tostitos (1996-2014), IBM (1993-1995), and Sunkist (1986-1990) as title sponsors. This year’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, featuring No. 11 LSU vs. No. 8 UCF, will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on New Year’s Day, with a $17 million payout. The college football coaching carousel slows. Last year on “Black Sunday,” Florida, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and UCLA all fired their head coaches, subsequently causing openings at Mississippi State, UCF, Florida State, and Oregon. This year, it was curtains for Texas Tech's Kliff Klingsbury and UNC's Larry Fedora, but Clay Helton survived at 5-7 USC (and subsequently hired Klingsbury as his offensive coordinator), Lovie Smith not only survived at Illinois but got an extension, and Chris Ash will remain at Rutgers despite going 1-11. “The final full weekend of the college football season was more about who didn't get fired than who did," noted Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated. Staples shared two potential explanations for the coaching carousel slowing. First, “College athletic administrators have realized constant churn rarely breeds success." Second, “Perhaps the schools didn't fire their coaches because they didn't want to pay the steep price tags" to do so. Illinois, for example, would have owed Smith $12 million if they fired him. Yes, buyouts are costly, but they’re not yet stopping the likes of Kansas paying Les Miles $2.775 million a year for five years, with heavy incentives, or Mack Brown receiving an estimated $3.5 million a year to return to UNC despite having been out of coaching for five years. The Oakland A’s unveiled impressive plans for a new 34,000-seat stadium at Howard Terminal. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s recently disclosed their “‘bigger than baseball’ mega-ballpark deal that includes a ‘jewel box’ stadium.” The team’s goal of building a completely privately funded ballpark is contingent upon controlling both the 55-acre Howard Terminal waterfront site and the 111-acre Coliseum site in East Oakland. The stadium’s design will pay tribute as a “deliberate throwback” to early 1900s baseball parks. It would be "nestled amid wedge-shaped high-rises -- some as tall as 20 stories -- with windows looking directly down on the playing field." The site is "too windy for the ballpark to be open to the water," but it would include a "publicly accessible rooftop park with sweeping views of the waterfront, Oakland and San Francisco.” The club has already put in a $137 million bid to purchase the Coliseum site outright. If the Oakland waterfront site doesn’t end up working out for the A’s, Portland might be an option for the franchise after the Portland Diamond Project on Thursday announced an agreement in principle for an MLB-ready ballpark on the Willamette River near downtown. The Houston Dynamo have signed on MD Anderson Cancer Center to be the club’s jersey sponsor starting next season. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the prominent Houston-based cancer center will reportedly pay the MLS club $4 million per year as part of the deal. The Dynamo were the only team is the league without a jersey sponsor this past season, failing to sign one “after its previous deal with BHP Billiton expired.” Under conditions of the contract, the Dynamo will now donate a “portion of single-game ticket sales to MD Anderson, and will also offer fans the option to add on a donation of their own during the purchase process.” BBVA Compass Stadium will also become a totally tobacco- and smoke-free facility, and plans are being made to add additional healthy concession menu options, honoring the sponsor’s work as a health center. “The team said that this is the first season-long, cause-related jersey partnership in MLS history.” More immediately grabbing soccer fans’ attention: the MLS Cup Final this coming Saturday, featuring Atlanta United vs. the Portland Timbers at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. LeBron James and Lindsey Vonn have teamed up with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cindy Crawford to launch a health and wellness brand. Called Ladder, the brand aims to help people “achieve a healthy and active lifestyle” by providing “support and guidance from world class advisors and experts.” The company’s offering will be built around three key pillars: content, community, and product. Content will include information sharing and online training tips, while the community element will draw on insights from experts who “represent different philosophies and beliefs in fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness.” The company is also bringing to market products “with the highest level of safety and efficacy for elite athletes that are also ideal to support everyday active lifestyles.” The idea for Ladder purportedly sprang to life when James suffered severe cramping during the 2014 NBA Finals. When James and his trainer struggled to find a remedy that met “LeBron’s needs for quality and safety,” they set about creating a custom protein powder. Just as sports science leader Embody restores peak performance to weekend warrior orthopedic patients alongside pro athletes, Ladder seeks to bring elite athlete “secret sauce” to health-minded people everywhere. The second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between heated rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate will be held in Madrid. According to the London Guardian, CONMEBOL, South America’s soccer governing body, came to the decision following a meeting between all relevant parties at its headquarters in Asunción, Paraguay. The official location has been set at Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Boca President Daniel Angelici "adopted a stubborn stance” on the matter, "formally requesting" that River be disqualified from the competition and for the second leg “not to be played at all.” The second leg of the match was postponed multiple times after Boca’s bus was attacked by River fans who broke windows and threw tear gas inside. Regardless of the outcome on December 9, this final will forever be marred by the awful scenes in Buenos Aires earlier this month. MGM’s new four year deal with Major League Baseball is significantly more lucrative than its deal with the NBA. According to SportsBusiness Journal, MGM’s deal with MLB is worth $80 million over its lifetime, a far bigger number than the $25 million it committed to the NBA over three years. The numbers don’t do all the talking though. Some key differences distinguish the two deals, namely that MGM “will receive exclusive access to some advanced Statcast data in addition to non-exclusive access to the league’s official stats feed” as part of the MLB deal. The entertainment group will also have an international presence in Japan at MLB grassroots events held in the country, “historically a key overseas territory for the league.” Baseball is believed to be a great sport for fans who enjoy in-game betting, and Japan “could become one of the world's largest gaming markets by the middle of the next decade.” MGM will obviously work toward being granted a gaming license in Japan when the time is right, using baseball betting as its cleat in the door. Tiger Woods and Discovery set GolfTV streaming content partnership. Fresh off strong tune-in (750,000 viewers) during his PPV match against Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods has inked a multi-year global content partnership. The deal offers Discovery and the PGA a significant marketing hook for GolfTV. It plans to stream 2,000 hours of live golf each year along with on-demand content. Content created with Woods will be available in the U.S. eventually, but international streaming will be the main focus at present. GolfTV plans to show Woods’ preparation routines and take viewers behind the scenes of PGA Tour rounds, as well as offering weekly instructional videos and post-round commentary. The bottom line: GolfTV is following the success of other niche sports streaming platforms by building a destination for hardcore fans who welcome the idea of watching their favorite athlete spending an hour hitting shot after shot out of the same sand trap. The PGA Tour has tapped IMG Arena to distribute its official scoring data for media usage and sports betting purposes. The multi-year agreement will see IMG Arena, which was launched by IMG earlier this month, distribute data to sports media companies, news services, and other organizations worldwide. The deal also gives the firm the exclusive rights to sell official data and selected live video of PGA Tour events to international regulated sports betting and gaming markets. The collaboration will support the PGA Tour’s integrity program, implemented earlier this year to protect the organization from betting-related corruption. IMG Arena will provide security and data protection to prevent the unauthorized use of information by outlets licensing PGA Tour data. Said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, “Creating a bigger, more diverse, more engaged fan base around the world is key to any league’s success, and sports betting is part of how we plan to do that.” IMG Arena is now working with more than 250 bookmakers worldwide to provide sports betting-related services such as 24/7 live streaming and on-demand virtual sports products. New Balance’s basketball comeback is official after signing Kawhi Leonard. According to ESPN.com, the Toronto Raptors forward’s multi-year shoe deal with lifestyle brand New Balance comes after a “stalemate over long-term extension talks with current endorser Jordan Brand.” Leonard turned down a four-year, $22 million deal with Jordan; he is expected to earn significantly more money than that under his new contract, though financial details have not yet been disclosed. It has "not yet been confirmed whether Leonard will receive his own signature model or simply become the face of New Balance's new basketball sneaker.” New Balance made a big splash in the basketball vertical last month by signing high school player Darius Bazley, a Syracuse recruit and now-New Balance intern who will forgo college and work towards the 2019 NBA Draft. The NFL is back in the mainstream news spotlight for the wrong reason: continued incidence of domestic violence within the league. According to the Washington Post, the Washington Redskins made recent headlines by signing linebacker Reuben Foster even as the league put him on the commissioner’s exempt list. The move ensures that Foster "will not play" for the Redskins until the league "makes a final disciplinary decision in his case, probably after the conclusion of legal proceedings." It remains highly likely that Foster will not practice or play for the Redskins this season, and could even miss time next season. This continues the latest chapter in the NFL’s struggle to combat domestic violence cases involving its players. Though “much has changed in the four years since former NFLer Ray Rice’s domestic abuse case,” players who are charged with domestic violence sometimes only serve suspensions up to six games. And a “commission on domestic violence organized by the NFLPA has been seen as ineffective, with two consultants resigning in June claiming their recommendations were ignored.” One headline-grabbing example of the NFL getting it right: the near-immediate release of star running back Kareem Hunt by the Kansas City Chiefs last Friday after TMZ released video of Hunt striking and kicking a young woman earlier this year. The Mexican national team soccer team, El Tri as it is popularly known, has made a home for itself in Dallas over the years and now has a plan in place to keep it that way. According to the Dallas Morning News, AT&T Stadium in Arlington will serve as “El Tri’s official home in the United States for the next four years” as part of its annual U.S. tour. The team has played seven games at the iconic NFL stadium over the years, drawing an impressive average of 82,000 fans per game at the venue. Mexican Soccer Federation Secretary General Gilberto Hernandez Oseguera said that even though there are other U.S. cities where El Tri "frequently plays because of their large Mexican community" — like Chicago and Los Angeles — Dallas was "chosen for its showing of unified efforts.” The deal is set to run through 2022, when the next World Cup is staged in Qatar and will only add to soccer’s international popularity and intrigue. The possibility of hosting the World Cup every two years is being explored by FIFA. According to the New York Times, CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez submitted the proposal at a FIFA congress in Kigali, Rwanda, in October, noting that the transition to a biennial tournament "would serve as a viable — and even preferable — alternative to the expanded continental championships like UEFA’s Nations League and the Copa América.” Talks are already underway to get South American clubs involved in the newly-formed UEFA Nations League, which is currently in its inaugural season. A change this significant is likely to be met with fierce opposition both from a soccer standpoint and from an economic standpoint. Sponsors would be forced to pay a lot more with an event this significant being held every other year, while numerous countries would be forced to expand their infrastructure to accommodate such a shift if they ever wanted to host. Another significant hurdle is the cost to host countries. Russia is estimated to have spent $11.8 billion hosting this year’s World Cup – few nations can afford such an expense, and a biennial schedule would likely double the number of host nations required.Top Five Tech ABC will broadcast all three days of the NFL Draft In 2019. According to Sports Business Journal, Day 1 and 2 of the NFL Draft will even feature two ABC primetime shows. Meanwhile, Fox, which covered the Draft’s first two days in 2018, will not broadcast the event live in 2019. ESPN and NFL Network also will cover all rounds of the Draft, which will be held in Nashville April 25-27. ABC’s coverage of the first two days will not be a simulcast of ESPN as the ESPN broadcast will be anchored by the “College Game Day” crew of Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, and Desmond Howard and tailored for the more casual fan. ABC will focus on the personalities and backstories of the draft picks, incorporating live musical acts into its coverage. The NFL Draft saw its best TV audience on record this past year as the three-day event averaged 5.5 million viewers across ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, ABC, and ESPN2. ABC’s model to bring the draftee’s backstory into the limelight might give them the edge for more viewers. For the first time, Showtime Networks Inc. is offering viewers the opportunity to purchase a blockbuster PPV event via an app. According to World Boxing News, this must-see boxing matchup between WBC Heavyweight World Championship Deontay Wilder and lineal champion Tyson Fury will be televised on Showtime PPV directly through the Showtime app. Subscribers and non-subscribers will be able to purchase and live stream the event on Apple mobile and AppleTV devices, Amazon Fire TV devices, Android phones and tablets, and directly on Showtime.com. The steep price point of $74.99 for the match remains the same on all platforms for the showdown of the undefeated heavyweights and the matchup is set to air on December 1. Currently, the fight is available for purchase on Showtime.com and will roll out on select platforms via the Showtime app during fight week. While the boxing world and DAZN have started to integrate OTT streaming into their broadcast regimen, a live stream of a blockbuster PPV boxing event is a science experiment in which Showtime will have to await the results. Rapper P Diddy teams up with the Los Angeles Dodgers to invest in high school esports platform, PlayVS. According to SportsPro, the news came as PlayVS closed its Series B funding round of $30.5 million from investors that also included Adidas and Samsung. For the Dodgers, the funding round was led by Elysian Park Ventures, the private investment arm of the ownership group. PlayVS gives high school students access to esports competitions and college scholarships, and had already secured $15 million in its Series A funding five months prior. The closing of the company’s Series B funding round also coincided with the announcement of partnerships with Psyonix, the publisher of Rocket League, and Hi-Rez Studio, which publishes SMITE. Play VS is also partnering with Riot Games’ League of Legends to start an inaugural season in February, 2019. PlayVS focuses on enhancing students’ experiences by adding popular game titles and more state associations in order to grow a high school esports’ audience and attract players interested in other game genres while simultaneously leveling the “gaming field” for those with accessibility struggles. Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman become team owners of new fan-first football league. Lynch and his former Seattle Seahawks teammate Sherman will be team owners/captains in the new Fan Controlled Football League (FCFL), set to kick off in June. The two players will handle day-to-day operations and work alongside their team’s fans to create the brand, voice, and personality of their respective clubs. Fans will control the roster, the coaching staff, and the play-calling. Said Lynch on his interest in the opportunity, “Tech, gaming, and football, plus I get to really run this sh*t. That’s what’s up.” The FCFL is being billed as the “real life Madden.” With two fan-favorite NFL stars on board, the league is creating an exciting blueprint for the future of fan engagement. The more hands on fans can possibly be, the more invested they are in the sport from both a spending and time allotment perspective. The NBA and ByteDance, a leading technology company operating a slate of content platforms around the world, announced a new multiyear partnership that will deliver customized, short-form mobile content to ByteDance’s hundreds of millions of global users. According to Cynopsis Sports, the deal will see ByteDance leverage its artificial intelligence technology to deliver NBA content to fans in China through its Douyin, Toutiao, and Xigua video platforms. The extensive NBA content available in China will include daily NBA game highlights, behind-the-scenes videos, photos, and news throughout the regular season, NBA All-Star weekend, the NBA Playoffs, and The NBA Finals. China, of course, has long been a major target for the NBA, with the league playing exhibition games there every season and current and former NBA superstars such as Kobe Bryant eclipsing their North American fan bases there. Short form video is the best way to reach young audiences, and the ByteDance deal demonstrates that the NBA has a keen grasp of this tactic. Power of Sports Five The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ryan Switzer turns a radio feud into charity. According to 247 Sports, radio host Colin Dunlap called out Switzer over his lackluster play for the black and yellow. Later, the radio host reconciled over Twitter by pledging to donate $20 to Switzer’s charity of choice for every catch the wide receiver records for the rest of the NFL season with a $500 minimum. Switzer appreciated the response and replied with both a charity and a gift of his own: He doubled the stakes by putting in $40 for every catch he makes during the season and playoffs toward the oncology programs at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Already, the Ryan Switzer Reception Challenge has raised over $4,000 and has reached others in the Steelers' organization. Linebacker T.J. Watt announced that he would join in on the giving, with other teammates expected to follow. Switzer and Dunlap managed to not only defuse the tension, but used their platforms to help their city; meanwhile Pittsburgh is rooting for Switzer to deliver for the team and the charity. The NFL gives back through players’ kicks. According to NFL.com, more than 800 players in the league showcased causes that are important to them by wearing custom cleats during all Week 13 games as part of the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats campaign. Throughout the week, players will share images of their cleats and the stories behind them on social media, using #mycausemycleats. Then, during weeks 13-15 of the 2018 season, NFL teams will designate a home game as their My Cause, My Cleats game, in which players will wear their customized footwear and afterward have an opportunity to raise funds for charitable causes by donating their cleats on the NFL Auction website. Players have worked with Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, and independent designers to create the footgear, and the charities chosen by players represent hundreds of organizations focusing on youth wellness, sex trafficking prevention, cancer awareness, and many other causes. After a slew of social justice debacles with players, the NFL is not only trying to reconcile with many of its athletes but helping to give back to its 31 home team communities and beyond. Calgary Flames defenseman giving back to his community with a trio of charities. Travis Hamonic is a scrappy hockey player who is an All-Star for charitable causes. He and his wife Stephanie launched a new charitable initiative called "Charlie's Children," which is named after their daughter and will support low-income families and single mothers expecting a baby. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, this is the third initiative Hamonic introduced since joining the Flames at the start of the 2017-2018 season. He also created a D-Day partner program, which brings children who have lost a parent to a Flames game; The Northern Project, an attempt to connect to his Metis roots and give back to that community; and most recently, Charlie’s Children. The Calgary Flames Foundation is kicking in funding as well, and Hamonic said the goal is to "raise hundreds of thousands of dollars." Having an individual as passionate about charity as Hamonic is a blessing for the NHL, which needs all the media help it can get to put more eyeballs on the sport. Bill Gates links up with the Olympics to tackle global development goals. In an effort to help achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Microsoft co-Founder Bill Gates will kick off an "Our Global Goals" partnership in 2019 with the Japan Sports Agency. According to sportanddev.org, the agency works in conjunction with the Japanese Olympic Committee to manage the 2020 Olympics and will publicize the Global Goals through the end of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Gates said he was linking up with the Olympic Games in order to increase awareness of the SDGs and to urge Japan to become a world leader in aid and development. The Microsoft co-founder has devoted a lot of his time to his family foundation, where one goal is to help reach the SDG objectives, including ending extreme poverty and combating climate change by 2030. Bill Gates is a name ubiquitous with philanthropy and now, in the wake of fellow Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s passing, it is fitting that Gates is turning to sports to make a difference. If the NFL can craft charity through cleats, then ESPN can team up with basketball stars to do the same with sneakers. ESPN’s annual fundraising week for cancer research is back, and the sports media company has been auctioning sneakers from NBA and WNBA players, coaches, and basketball commentators. V Week for Cancer Research is now in its 12th year and the “Kicks to Beat Cancer” event is one of three new initiatives to raise money for the V Foundation. According to ESPN, sneakers from the personal collections of retired stars including Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Scottie Pippen, Tracy McGrady, and Jalen Rose will be signed and auctioned off for the charity. Additionally, current NBA and WNBA players, coaches, and commentators including DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Candace Parker, Chris Paul, and PJ Tucker, coaches Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski, and ESPN’s NBA host Michelle Beadle will also hand over their shoes for charity. Bidding is live now via Ebay and will run through December 6. Last year, ESPN raised a record $4.5 million during V Week for cancer research and related programs, which brings its current 11-year total to more than $22.2 million.

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years ago

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This Week in MLS - August 21, 2018

August 21, 20185:51AM EDT

Heineken Rivalry Week is here!

Can Orlando City spoil imminent history for Atlanta’s Martinez?

Paced by Vela and Ibrahimovic, El Trafico features top two offenses in West

Rooney, D.C. making move, visit Red Bulls to kick off FS1 Sunday doubleheader

Cannon, Gonzalez spearhead Dallas’ defense for Texas Derby

Toronto’s climb goes through resurgent Impact in 401 Derby

What to watch for: Heineken Rivalry Week

MLS Week 26: Match Notes

Heineken Rivalry Week is Here!

The most robust Heineken Rivalry Week in MLS history kicks off Aug. 22-26 with nine electrifying matchups set to heat up the playoff race over five consecutive days of MLS competition.

From coast to coast, the unyielding passion of clubs and their fervent supporters will feature some of the most established sports rivalries in North America alongside the intensifying new crosstown clashes and regional showdowns. With record-breakers within reach and bragging rights on the line, this Heineken Rivalry Week will be one for history books.

Can Orlando City spoil imminent history for Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez

Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez is on the precipice of MLS history. After last week notching his 27th goal of this season to tie the current all-time high (WATCH VIDEO), Martinez is one goal away from claiming sole possession of a new MLS single-season record and further cementing himself as the league’s greatest goalscorer of all-time.

In addition to already breaking the MLS career hat trick record earlier this season, the 25-year-old Venezuelan has also scored in his past eight consecutive games. If he can find the back of the net against Orlando City SC during Heineken Rivalry Week, Martinez will tie Diego Valeri’s record for goals in consecutive games, which at nine finishes last season, helped the Timbers captain earn Landon Donovan MLS MVP honors.

Atlanta United are undefeated against their Southern opponents, who due to suspensions, will be without two of the strongest Orlando City midfielders in FIFA World Cup player Yoshimar Yotun and Cristian Higuita. Winless in their past five outings, the Lions will be looking to get back into the win column by spoiling any cause for Atlanta United or Martinez celebrations.

Paced by Vela and Ibrahimovic, El Tráfico features two top offenses in West

While the El Tráfico rivalry between the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club is in its infancy, some of the top moments in world soccer have come the two times they have faced off earlier this season. In both matches, LAFC held multi-goal leads at halftime only for the Galaxy to rally, creating instant classics including Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s viral first goal in his debut with the Galaxy. The two highest scoring teams in the Western Conference will look to create another dramatic moment when they face off at StubHub Center on Friday (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN / WatchESPN / ESPN Deportes).

Ibrahimovic, who is tied for second in MLS with 15 goals scored has certainly left his mark on the rivalry, but LAFC’s Carlos Vela has had an equally large impact with three goals in two matches against the Galaxy, the most goals he’s scored against any team this season. The forward who starred for Mexico at this summer’s FIFA World Cup has formed an instant connection with recently acquired Christian Ramirez, who scored two goals in his first start with the club last week. Ramirez is the latest offensive weapon for the highest scoring team in the Western Conference with 49 goals this season.

The Galaxy meanwhile have 48 goals, paced by the dangerous combo of Ibrahimovic and Ola Kamara, who has nine goals scored this season. Both clubs are in need of a victory to keep their current standing in the tightly contested Western Conference playoff race. With an already announced sellout crowd on hand, round three of El Tráfico promises intense passion on and off the pitch.

Rooney, D.C. making move, visit Red Bulls to kick off FS1 Sunday doubleheader

D.C. United is blazing up the Eastern Conference standings with England icon and striker Wayne Rooney boosting his side to a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) that saw him tally three goals and two assists over that span. Rooney and Co. will look to continue that momentum when they visit the New York Red Bulls on Sunday (7 p.m. ET / FS1) as part of an FS1 doubleheader to cap off Heineken Rivalry Week. The Atlantic Cup is the longest-standing rivalry in MLS history, and D.C. is making some noise heading into Sunday’s clash. Rooney’s partnership particularly with Luciano Acosta has stood out during his tenure. The 24-year-old Acosta has scored four goals in his past three games, highlighted by a hat trick against Orlando City SC on Aug. 12. Rooney will square off against fellow Englishman Bradley Wright-Phillips of the Red Bulls. He recently became the first MLS player to tally 15 or more goals in five consecutive seasons, leading the Red Bulls to a current second-place position in the East.

What to watch for: Heineken Rivalry Week

Here is the daily breakdown, viewing information and highlights to watch for during an intense Heineken Rivalry Week (times ET):

Wednesday, Aug. 22

New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls (7 p.m. | FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN): NYCFC forward and 2010 FIFA World Cup winner David Villa has returned from injury as his side goes up against Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, who has tallied a whopping 11 goals in seven New York Derby matches.

Thursday, Aug. 23

Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew SC (7 p.m. | ESPN+): Crew SC forward Gyasi Zardes, enjoying a renaissance season, needs one more goal to match his career high of 16 set in 2014; his next goal also would be the 50th of his MLS career.

Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas (9 p.m. | UniMás, UDN): Competing for El Capitán, a 19th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon, Western Conference-leading Dallas enters the Texas Derby having posted just one defeat in the past 12 meetings against the Dynamo (6-1-5 since 2013).

Friday, Aug. 24

Orlando City SC vs. Atlanta United (8 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN Deportes): Atlanta’s 25-year-old Venezuelan striker Josef Martínez has his first full-game opportunity to set a new MLS single-season goalscoring record. Martínez tied the record of 27 goals during Sunday’s 3-1 win against Columbus Crew SC.

LA Galaxy vs. Los Angeles Football Club (10:30 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN Deportes): Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic enters two goals shy of 500 career professional tallies in league play, and he will have a sold-out StubHub Center in his corner in the third installment of El Tráfico. The Galaxy are 1-0-1 against expansion LAFC, rallying on both occasions.

Saturday, Aug. 25

Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact (8 p.m. | TSN, TVA Sports, ESPN+): The defending MLS Cup winners and recent Canadian Championship victors, ninth-place Toronto will be in search of the full three points to close the gap against a Montreal team that is clinging onto the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference – the final position for the coveted MLS Cup Playoffs.

Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake (9 p.m. | ESPN+): RSL, a nine-time winner of the Rocky Mountain Cup, leapt into fourth place in the Western Conference after earning their second road victory this past weekend. Colorado has won the Rocky Mountain Cup four times, including the first two editions in 2005 and 2006.

Sunday, Aug. 26

New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United (7 p.m. | FS1, FOX Deportes): England star Wayne Rooney has posted three goals and two assists during D.C.’s five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1), quickly propelling the Eastern Conference side within striking distance of a postseason position with multiple games in hand.

Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC (9:30 p.m. | FS1, FOX Deportes): The longest U.S.-based series and Cascadia Rivalry features a Seattle team that touts a club-record six-game winning streak heading in. Sounders FC’s 5-0 win against the LA Galaxy on Sunday also tied for the MLS side’s largest margin of victory.

TV Broadcast

NYCFC v. New York Red Bulls

Yankee Stadium

(Bronx, New York)

7 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes / TSN

Houston Dynamo v. FC Dallas

BBVA Compass Stadium

9 p.m. ET, UniMás / Twitter

Chicago Fire v. Columbus Crew SC

Toyota Park

(Bridgeview, Illinois)

7 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Orlando City SC v. Atlanta United

Orlando City Stadium

(Orlando, Fla.)

ESPN / ESPN Deportes

LA Galaxy v. Los Angeles Football Club

StubHub Center

(Carson, California)

ESPN / ESPN Deportes

Toronto FC v. Montreal Impact

(Toronto, ON, Canada)

ESPN+ / TSN / TVA

Colorado Rapids v. Real Salt Lake

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

(Commerce City, Colo.)

New York Red Bulls v. D.C. United

Red Bull Arena

(Harrison, NJ)

FS1 / FOX Deportes

Portland Timbers v. Seattle Sounders FC

Providence Park

(Portland, Ore.)

FS1 / FOX Deportes

Cannon, Gonzalez spearhead Dallas’ defense with Texas Derby on docket

FC Dallas have had the upper hand against the Houston Dynamo for the past five years in the Texas Derby, and this season’s edition is led by Dallas’ youthful defense. Spearheaded by a back line that features 20-year-old Reggie Cannon and anchored by 23-year-old goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez, FC Dallas look to maintain their first-place lead in the Western Conference when they visit Houston on Thursday at BBVA Compass Stadium (9 p.m. / UniMás, UDN).

Dallas is tied for the second-fewest goals conceded in the West with 30 allowed in 24 matches, and that back line will be a crucial part of the squad maintaining its dominance in the series. Since the start of the 2013 season, FC Dallas are 6-1-5 against the Dynamo in regular-season play. Combined with new attacking pieces such as 25-year-old striker Dominique Badji and 21-year-old Chilean midfielder Pablo Aranguiz, Dallas is looking to capitalize against a Houston team that has struggled of late in MLS play but has shown its grit by advancing to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final against the Philadelphia Union on Sept. 26 at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Toronto’s pivotal climb goes through resurgent Impact in 401 Derby

After running away with the Supporters’ Shield en route to the 2017 MLS Cup crown, Toronto FC are in unfamiliar territory as they host a resurgent Montreal Impact side in the 401 Derby on Saturday at BMO Field (8 p.m. / TSN, TVA Sports). Fresh off winning their third straight Canadian Championship last Wednesday, TFC (6-12-6, 24 points) will attempt to climb from their ninth-place standing in the Eastern Conference when they host Montreal (10-13-3, 33 points). Spearheaded by Ignacio Piatti, who leads his side with 12 goals and nine assists, Montreal has accrued 21 points over the past 11 games, good for sixth place in the East. Have the tables turned in the Impact’s favor against Toronto?

Secret Walls events paint intersection of soccer, art and music in Brooklyn, Los Angeles

MLS and Heineken are celebrating the unique clash of soccer, art, and music through the creation of soccer-themed murals during Secret Walls street art competitions at sold-out events in New York City and Los Angeles.

On Monday, fans from both sides of the New York Derby were joined by midfielder Sean Davis (NYRB), goalkeeper Luis Robles (NYRB), forward Ismael Tajour (NYCFC), and defender Anton Tinnerholm (NYCFC), as they cheered for their respective ‘street art’ teams in Brooklyn, New York. The evening concluded with a performance by triple-platinum recording artist Young M.A.

MLS and Heineken will also host a Secret Walls event in Los Angeles on Wednesday in advance of Friday’s sold out rivalry match between the LA Galaxy and LAFC.

MLSsoccer.com providing exclusive Heineken Rivalry Week programming

Kicking off the Heineken Rivalry Week on Wednesday night live from Yankee Stadium, MLSsoccer.com will have no shortage of digital shows to preview and recap this exciting week of matchups. Complete coverage details are listed below.

Wednesday, Aug. 22

6:30 p.m. ET: New York Derby edition of ExtraTime Live driven by Continental

9:30 p.m. ET: Matchday Central Postgame Show

Thursday, Aug. 23

8:30 p.m. ET: Matchday Central Pregame Show

Friday, Aug. 24

7:30 p.m. ET: Matchday Central Pregame Show

1 a.m. ET (Saturday): Matchday Central Postgame Show

Saturday, Aug. 25

6:30 p.m. ET: Matchday Central Pregame Show

12:15 a.m. ET (Sunday): Matchday Central Postgame

Sunday, Aug. 26

6:30 p.m. ET: Matchday Central Pregame Show

12 a.m. ET (Monday): Matchday Central Postgame Show

MLS Week 26: Match Notes

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls, 7 p.m. (FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN)

NYCFC had their two-game undefeated streak come to an end in a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday evening at Talen Energy Stadium.

The Red Bulls had their two-game winning run come to an end but extended their undefeated streak to three games, reaching a 2-2 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Saturday afternoon.

Daniel Royer scored both Red Bulls goals – his second two-goal game in the past three matches. Royer has four two-goal games in his MLS career. Each time, he has scored a pair of braces over a three-game span.

The Red Bulls have won six of the 11 meetings all-time in league play, with a 25-12 goal differential. Included in that was a 7-0 Red Bulls win on May 21, 2016, at Yankee Stadium, the victory matching the largest margin of victory in MLS history (and the seven goals by the Red Bulls their club record). In all competitions, the Red Bulls have won eight of 13 matches, with one draw, with a 29-12 goal differential.

The teams have met twice this year in league play, each winning one — the Red Bulls again cruising to another heavy victory in the New York derby, a 4-0 win on May 5 at Red Bull Arena, and NYCFC winning 1-0 in the Bronx on July 8. The teams also met in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, as the Red Bulls eased to another 4-0 victory in the series, also at Red Bull Arena.

Two of NYCFC’s four wins vs. the Red Bulls came last year, a 2-0 victory June 24 in the club’s first win ever at Red Bull Arena, and a 3-2 victory at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 6, as David Villa hit for his first career MLS hat trick, overcoming a Bradley Wright-Phillips brace.

Wright-Phillips has scored 11 goals against NYCFC, scoring in seven of the games, with two goals in a game on four occasions.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew SC, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Fire had their MLS club-record losing streak extended to eight matches, falling 2-1 to the Montréal Impact on Saturday evening at Stade Saputo. Nemanja Nikolic scored the Fire goal, his 11th of the season.

Crew SC saw their three-game winning streak come to an end, falling 3-1 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Gyasi Zardes scored his 15th goal of the season, his fourth in the past four games.

The teams are meeting for the third time this season, each having won on their home ground. Nikolic scored the game’s only goal after 27 minutes for a Fire victory April 7 at Toyota Park, then Zardes scored twice as Crew SC took a 3-0 win May 12 at Mapfre Stadium.

Crew SC are undefeated in their past eight home meetings in the series (6-0-2), the last win for the Fire in Columbus coming in 2013. The Fire have won the past two meetings in Bridgeview, following a four-game home winless streak in the series.

The Fire have won two of the past four meetings between the teams, after going 10 games winless against Crew SC, dating back to a 2-1 victory in Columbus on June 22, 2013. Crew SC had won five of the meetings in between, with five draws.

Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas, 9 p.m. (UniMás/UDN)

The Dynamo equaled a club record with their fifth consecutive defeat – their winless run now at seven games – when Real Salt Lake scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in stoppage time for a 2-1 win at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday evening.

FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja became the ninth coach in MLS history to reach 100 league wins, guiding his club to a 2-0 victory against Minnesota United FC at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening.

It’s been a rivalry owned by FC Dallas in recent years: The Dynamo have won just once in the series over the past five seasons. Since the start of 2013, FC Dallas are 6-1-5 in league play against Houston, and have won the three meetings between the teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Dynamo haven’t won in Frisco since 2011, but the last three meetings there have ended in draws. FCD has won five of the past nine matches in all competitions between the teams at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Matt Hedges gave FCD a first-minute lead, but Mauro Manotas leveled just seven minutes later, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw July 21 at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The clubs play for “El Capitán,” the 19th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon to be awarded to the winner of the season series by supporters’ groups for both clubs.

Friday, August 24, 2018

Orlando City SC vs. Atlanta United, 8 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

Orlando City return to action after a weekend away, their winless streak now at five games with a fourth loss in that time, following a 3-2 defeat to D.C. United at Audi Field on Aug. 12. Dom Dwyer scored his 11th goal of the season, his third in as many games.

Atlanta United extended their undefeated streak to six games with a fourth victory in that time, defeating Columbus Crew SC 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Josef Martínez moved into a tie for the all-time MLS single-season goalscoring record with his 27th goal of the season. In just 25 games, Martínez is the fastest in league history to reach the 27-goal mark (the previous mark was 27 goals in 30 games by Roy Lassiter in 1996). Martínez’s goal was his ninth in a row for Atlanta United, one shy of the all-time league record.

Two of the newest clubs in the league have already set the South on fire with their rivalry – and it’s been one completely owned by Atlanta United. In five meetings all-time, Atlanta has not lost to its neighbor to the south, earning a pair of victories this year, a 2-1 win on May 13 at Orlando City Stadium, and a dominant 4-0 victory on June 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Atlanta claimed victory in the first meeting between the teams, July 21 of last year at Orlando City Stadium, before the teams then played to two draws.

LA Galaxy vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

The Galaxy equaled the biggest margin of defeat in their 23-year history (set twice previously), suffering a 5-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon. The loss extended the Galaxy’s winless run to four games.

LAFC won their second game on the trot on the heels of a five-game winless run, both wins coming by shutout after a 2-0 defeat of the Colorado Rapids at Banc of California Stadium on Sunday evening.

Their rivalry is just two games old, but the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club have already created some seminal moments.

The teams first met on March 31 at StubHub Center – and the Galaxy overturned a 0-3 deficit for a 4-3 win – just the second time in MLS history, in 5,114 league matches, a team overturned a three-goal deficit for a victory. (It took 4,916 games for the first.). Zlatan Ibrahimović scored two goals, including the equalizer and the game-winner, and became just the third player in MLS annals to score the game-tying goal and the game-winning goals on his debut. He became the 16th player in MLS history to score two goals in his first league game. No player has ever scored a hat trick on his debut.

The teams met for the first time at Banc of California Stadium on July 26, and once again there was a dramatic comeback. LAFC was up two goals after just 20 minutes, but Romain Alessandrini and Ola Kamara scored four minutes apart late in the match to leave the teams in a 2-2 draw.

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Union won their second successive game and their third in the past four matches, defeating New York City FC 2-0 at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening. Borek Dockal set up both Union goals, and he is now one of three players tied for second place in the MLS assist standings with 12.

The Revolution had their winless streak extended to seven games with a second consecutive loss, falling 2-0 to D.C. United at Audi Field on Sunday evening.

The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and the Union have won the first two. They took a 2-0 win in the season opener for both clubs on March 3 at Talen Energy Stadium, then on Aug. 11, Jack Elliott scored a pair of goals within the opening 24 minutes as the Union took a 3-2 win at Gillette Stadium.

The Union have won five of the past six meetings between the clubs, outscoring New England 15-2 in those victories. The only Revolution win in the series since 2015 came July 29 of last year at Gillette Stadium, a 3-0 victory.

Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact, 8 p.m. (TSN, TVA Sports, ESPN+)

TFC saw their winless streak in league play stretched to three games with a second draw in that span, reaching a 1-1 result with the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Impact put an end to a four-game winless run but extended their undefeated streak to three games, defeating the Chicago Fire 2-1 at Stade Saputo on Saturday evening.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season in league play. Jeisson Vargas scored the game’s lone goal after 41 minutes as the Impact took a victory March 17 at Olympic Stadium.

The teams have evenly split their last four league meetings. Each team has once at the other’s ground, both coming last year, TFC cruising to a 3-1 win on Aug. 23 at Stade Saputo, then the Impact taking a three-goal lead before the game was a half-hour old before winning 5-3 on Sept. 20 at BMO Field.

The Impact had won two league games in a row at BMO Field before TFC won 1-0 last Oct. 15. They were the first two wins ever for the Impact in Toronto, going 0-6-4 in the first 10 meetings in all competitions at BMO Field.

Before this season, the teams had met in every season they’ve been together in MLS in the Canadian Championship, with each team defeating the other once for the title – TFC winning the second of their three titles in a row in 2017, while the Impact won the title in 2014.

The teams also met in a remarkable Eastern Conference Championship in 2016, when Toronto FC won the second leg 5-2 in extra time to advance to their first MLS Cup with a 7-5 victory on aggregate. It marked the most goals ever scored in a two-leg series since the format started in 2003.

Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United FC, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Sporting won their third consecutive game – all by shutout – in a 3-0 defeat of the Portland Timbers at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday evening. It was the 10th clean sheet of the season for Tim Melia, now leading MLS.

MNUFC saw their winless streak reach four games with a third defeat in that time, falling 2-0 to FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening.

The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Wan Kuzain scored his first MLS goal as Sporting rolled to a 4-1 win on June 3 at Children’s Mercy Park. The teams also played to a 1-1 deadlock on May 20 at TCF Bank Stadium.

The teams met three times in MNUFC’s inaugural season, evenly splitting their league series. Minnesota United won the first matchup between the clubs, a 2-0 win on May 7 at TCF Bank Stadium; they also reached a 1-1 draw in Minneapolis on Oct. 7. Sporting won the lone meeting in Kansas City, a 3-0 triumph on June 3. The teams also met in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, with Sporting strolling to a 4-0 victory on June 14 at Children’s Mercy Park.

Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m. (ESPN+)

The Rapids had their three-game undefeated run put to an end, falling 2-0 to the Los Angeles Football Club at Banc of California Stadium on Sunday evening.

Real won on the road for the first time since May 26, getting the game-tying and game-winning goals in stoppage time for a 2-1 win against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday evening.

Albert Rusnák scored both RSL goals, the game-winner coming in the 100th minute, equaling the latest goal ever scored in stoppage time in a regulation game, the second time the game-winner was netted that late (also: Kaká, Orlando City vs. Toronto FC on June 25, 2016, also a penalty kick).

The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Real got three goals in the final eight minutes plus stoppage time for a 3-0 victory on April 21 at Rio Tinto Stadium. On July 21 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, RSL held a two-goal lead after 17 minutes, but the Rapids got a late equalizer from Dillon Serna for a 2-2 draw.

Real have a 16-game home undefeated streak alive vs. Colorado. Since the Rapids’ last win in Utah, a 2-0 victory on April 30, 2007, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Real have won 12 games with four draws. Colorado has never won at Rio Tinto Stadium (0-10-4 all-time in league play).

Real Salt Lake have come away with points on five of their last eight trips to Commerce City (three wins, two draws, dating back to 2013).

The rivals play for the Rocky Mountain Cup, a trophy awarded by the supporters’ groups of both teams.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 10 p.m. (TSN)

Chris Wondolowski scored the 141st league goal of his MLS career – now four goals away from tying Landon Donovan for the all-time record – as the Quakes played to a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC at Avaya Stadium.

Whitecaps FC extended their league undefeated streak to four matches, reaching a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls at BC Place on Saturday afternoon. Kendall Waston scored both Vancouver goals, his first career two-goal game in MLS.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season, after reaching a 2-2 draw on May 16 at BC Place.

The Quakes have a six-game undefeated streak in the league series, with the last Whitecaps FC win in a regular-season meeting between the teams coming on July 26, 2015. In the six league meetings since, the Quakes have won twice, with four draws.

The Quakes have never lost to Whitecaps FC at home, with three wins in nine meetings there all-time. The teams have reached draws in five of the last seven meetings in San Jose, the Quakes win last March 11 the first by either team there since April 11, 2015.

The Quakes have come away with points on their last three league trips to BC Place. The Quakes’ 2-1 win on Aug. 12, 2016, at BC Place was the first ever for the away team in the all-time series. The Quakes had lost on each of their six previous visits to Vancouver.

The teams did also meet in the Knockout Round in last year’s MLS Cup Playoffs – and Whitecaps FC took a 5-0 win at BC Place, the second-most goals scored by a team in a postseason game in league history.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United, 7 p.m. (FS1, FOX Deportes)

D.C. United won their third consecutive match – their longest winning run of the season – and extended their undefeated streak to five games in a 2-0 victory against the New England Revolution at Audi Field on Sunday evening.

The teams have met 91 times in all competitions over the years – the most of any two clubs in MLS history. New York has won 33 and United have won 43, including a 7-4-2 record in the postseason. They play for the Atlantic Cup, awarded to the winner of the season series by supporters’ groups from both clubs.

It’s been a while since D.C. United have seen any success in the series. The Red Bulls have a six-game undefeated streak alive in the series, including a 1-0 win at Audi Field on July 25, the lone meeting between the teams this season.

The Red Bulls won the final meeting ever between the clubs at RFK Stadium, a 2-1 triumph on Decision Day (Oct. 22) last year, ending a five-game home undefeated streak for United in the series.

The Red Bulls have a nine-game undefeated streak going in regular season matches at Red Bull Arena, having won five of the past seven meetings in Harrison. United’s last win at the Red Bulls came in 2011.

Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 9:30 p.m. (FS1, FOX Deportes)

The Timbers saw their losing run extended to three games – after a club-record equaling 15-game undefeated streak – suffering a 3-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday evening.

Sounders FC set a club record with their sixth consecutive league victory – and extended their undefeated streak to nine games, tied for second-longest in the club’s MLS history – in a 5-0 win over the LA Galaxy at CenturyLink Field. The win equaled the club’s record for margin of victory over its 10 MLS seasons.

The Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers have met 101 times in all competitions, the most between two U.S.-based clubs, the second-most in U.S./Canadian soccer history. Since their first meeting in 1975 in the old North American Soccer League, Seattle has won 50 times and Portland has won 37, with 14 draws. In MLS league play, Sounders FC have won nine matches, the Timbers have won seven, and six have been draws. The Timbers won both meetings in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

The Timbers won 3-2 on June 30 at CenturyLink Field – their first win ever in Seattle in an MLS regular season game (Sounders FC were 7-0-3 leading up to that match. However, the Timbers did win there during the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs.

The Timbers have won four of the past five league meetings in Portland, with one draw, over the last two seasons, including a 1-0 win there on May 13. Sounders FC last won in Portland in 2014. When the Timbers took a 4-1 win on June 28, 2015, the three-goal victory equaled Portland’s largest margin of victory against the Sounders since 1977.

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This Week in MLS – August 21, 2018 was originally published on 365 Football

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soccerstl · 5 years ago

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Illinois High School Soccer Playoff Schedules

Jr. Andrew Feldker challenges So. Ben Loftus in Edwardsville’s narrow 2-1 win at Oerter Park on September 12, 2019

The Illinois High School Soccer Playoff Schedules have been released. I’ve identified the area games which will also be included in my High School calendar. The Class 1A playoffs begin next Saturday with some play-in games, leading the the Regional semifinals beginning October 15th…

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soccerstl · 6 years ago

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Triad Lady Knights Title Chase

The @Triad_Soccer Lady Knights Chase Second Title in Three Years. Watch the Semifinal at 1pm

The Triad Knights won 2-0 against the Springfield Senators in Metro Cup action March 14, 2019 at Columbia

The Triad Lady Knights return to the Final Four today for the second time in three years, in pursuit of the school’s third title (2011 & 2017). Head Coach Matt Bettlach, who earned his 100th career win when the Knights defeated Jerseyville in the Regional semifinal, will lead the girls into…

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#Triad Knights

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soccerstl · 6 years ago

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Wednesday High School Soccer Playoffs

Fr. Desire’ Adams of Pattonville battles Fr. Jenna Benson of Mehlville for the ball on April 26, 2019

We’re getting close with only two more day’s of District play in Missouri while Illinois will wrap up their large school regionals by Saturday. No more double headers for this guy! I’m off to Pattonville tonight to check out the Pirate’s as they host Howell Central. The Pirates are facing a rash…

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soccerstl · 6 years ago

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Illinois Small High School Soccer Playoffs Open Tuesday

Illinois Small High School Soccer Playoffs Open Tuesday. Top seeds include @CHSsoccer_girls and @MaterDeisoccer2

Haley Glover, Columbia Eagles in their 3-0 win against Edwardsville Tigers in Metro Cup action March 14, 2019

Three weeks remain in the Illinois Small High School soccer season as Playoffs open Tuesday. A champion will be crowned May 25th in Chicago. There is a slate of seven Regional games I’ve highlighted below with Regional Finals scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Althoff and Columbia will…

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#Chloe Graff #Columbia Eagles #Fae Harrell #Haley Glover #IHSA Girls Soccer #Kennedy Jones #Mater Dei Knights

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soccerstl · 6 years ago

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Illinois High School Soccer Playoffs Update

The Illinois High School Soccer Playoffs continue with Sectionals in Class 1A while Class 2A and Class 3A begin Regional play. Here’s a look at the area games this week. I’ll be taking in Althoff’s semifinal match against Breese Central tonight although my weekend is booked with the Missouri State Cup tournament.

I’ll update this report with scores and stories as they become available

Class 1A

T…

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#Riley Hubler

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soccerstl · 7 years ago

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Wednesday Illinois and Missouri High School Playoff Soccer

The list of competitors continues to decrease and there are some very tough District title matches in Missouri while a pair of Southwest Conference foes renew their match hoping to advance to their Regional Final. Plenty of choices and as usual, I’m looking for a game that ideally isn’t getting covered by the big dog STLHSS so that means I’m headed to an early Class 2 match today. I’ve got your…

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#Emma Varvera #MSHSAA District Playoffs #Zoe Clark

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soccerstl · 7 years ago

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NJCAA Playoff Soccer Opens

Alivia Dubois of Lewis & Clark (Springfield HS) is dispossessed by Kate Ohler of St. Louis CC (Lindbergh) during their match on September 11, 2017 The NJCAA Playoff soccer season is underway and Women’s programs locally are well represented. The Region 24 (Illinois) and Region 16 (Missouri) semifinals are being played locally. Both Lewis and Clark as well as Southwestern Illinois (SWIC) are…

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#Lewis and Clark Trailblazers #NJCAA Division 1 soccer #St Charles CC Cougars #STLCC Archers #SWIC Blue Storm

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soccerstl · 7 years ago

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Tuesday High School Playoff Off Soccer

Sr. Daniel Hentz helps lead a defense that has allowed only six goals in 20 games this year for Edwardsville. This from the 2-0 shutout of Granite City on October 17, 2017 The slate of games expands dramatically today as High School Playoff Off Soccer continues with games on both sides of the Mississippi (and Missouri) Rivers today. Illinois began a week earlier and have advanced further.…

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junker-town · 8 years ago

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How college football relegation could affect your team, in a 15-year simulation

Wanna see how much more interesting promotion and relegation would make college football?

Political anchor issues serve clear purposes. They tend to be ideologically pure issues, things that get your mind in the right place and your base excited. They also tend to be less politically realistic; they’re pretty far out there sometimes, and introducing them is often a tactic for drawing acceptable compromise.

The anchor issue for my College Football Commissioner platform was relegation. It is a pet issue, and of the items on the commish wish list, it would be the least likely to actually enact.

Relegation introduces fairness and merit to a sports environment that can often lack it.

* Your conference affiliation is impacted by which programs you buddied up to 100 years ago. It has little to do with what you’ve accomplished, or proved you could accomplish, on the field in modern times.

* The conference you happen to be in thus determines so much about your standing in the sport, from your revenue to your competition to your chance at a title.

* European soccer long ago introduced promotion and relegation, or breaking one enormous league — England’s Football League or Germany’s Deutscher Fußball-Bund, for instance — into tiers. The top teams in a league’s tier get to move up, and the bottom teams have to move down. (See below for how this would work in CFB.)

* Aside from maybe college basketball, no American sport — not even soccer — would benefit from or more seamlessly fit this than college football. We have so many teams, in every part of the country, with such clearly defined levels of prestige to strive for.

It is something, however, that has to be enacted at the start of a league’s existence; trying it later on will meet massive resistance from those already in the top tier of the sport. That doesn’t make it any less of a great idea, though.

And to further illustrate the fairness it can introduce, I attempted a massive simulation. A 15-year simulation, to be exact.

This would likely work best if each power conference had a tier of conferences set up beneath it.

So Tier I is the Power Five, Tier II is the Group of Five (with the AAC tied to the ACC, Conference USA tied to the Big 12, the MAC tied to the Big Ten, the Mountain West tied to the Pac-12, and the Sun Belt tied to the SEC), Tier III is the top FCS conferences, and on and on.

There are plenty of variations you could attempt. I discussed a lot of them in this relegation opus.

You could set up eliminator games. Instead of relegating the last-place team in one tier and promoting the winner of the tier below, you could have them play for the spot in mid-December.

As a carrot on the stick, you could offer the opportunity for big programs to field junior teams at smaller levels.

You could make it a two-year process to slow down movement and allow teams suffering a bad season to rally the next year.

To look at the potential effects, however, I kept things simple.

Worst team goes down; best team moves up. I set up eight tiers to incorporate all of Divisions I-III as they existed in 2002 — certain tiers include more than one conference in a given region (the Northeast and Patriot conferences in Tier IV, for instance) — and I set the ball in motion.

For grins, since it was part of the commissioner platform as well, I set up an eight-team Playoff for Tier I that included the five conference champions and three at-larges. And as a way of tracking the best teams in each tier at a given time, I also included a mock championship for Tiers II-IV.

(Because you have to set up a ton of rules for this dumb sport, I made Ivy League teams eligible for the Tier IV championship but not for promotion or relegation.)

Enough talking. Here’s the simulation*.

* How did I simulate these results? With duct tape and chicken wire, basically. Obviously there isn’t going to be a good way to simulate how a Division III team might fare in changing Division II conferences, perhaps against a couple of former FCS teams. I used actual results where possible, S&P+ where feasible, Sagarin where needed, Logan Hansen’s Division III ratings at times, too. But a lot of this came down to figuring out rough “Your record was X-X in real life Tier VI, and the jump to Tier V appears to be worth about one fewer win” generalizations. It was messy. So be it.

2002

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Kansas State at 1 Miami, 5 Iowa at 4 USC, 6 Washington State at 3 Georgia, 7 Oklahoma at 2 Ohio State

Relegated from Tier I: Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Stanford, Vanderbilt

Promoted to Tier I: Colorado State, Marshall, North Texas, TCU, West Virginia

Tier II championship: Colorado State vs. West Virginia

Tier III championship: Boise State vs. Western Kentucky

Tier IV championship: McNeese State vs. Penn

2003

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Florida State at 1 Oklahoma, 5 Texas at 4 Michigan, 6 Ohio State at 3 USC, 7 Kansas State at 2 LSU

Relegated from Tier I: Arizona, Illinois, Iowa State, Mississippi State, North Carolina

Promoted to Tier I: Boise State, Miami (Ohio), Middle Tennessee, Pitt, Southern Miss

Tier II championship: Boise State vs. Miami (Ohio)

Tier III championship: Delaware vs. Fresno State

Tier IV championship: Colgate vs. Northern Arizona

2004

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Iowa at 1 USC, 5 Cal at 4 Texas, 6 Virginia Tech at 3 Auburn, 7 Georgia at 2 Oklahoma

Relegated from Tier I: Baylor, Kentucky, Marshall, Washington, Wake Forest

Promoted to Tier I: Boston College, Georgia Southern, Louisville, Northern Illinois, Utah

Tier II championship: Louisville vs. Utah

Tier III championship: Navy vs. Stanford

Tier IV championship: Harvard vs. UTEP

2005

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 West Virginia at 1 USC, 5 Oregon at 4 Ohio State, 6 Notre Dame at 3 Penn State, 7 Georgia at 2 Texas

Relegated from Tier I: Colorado State, Miami (Ohio), North Texas, Oklahoma State, Pitt

Promoted to Tier I: Akron, Iowa State, North Carolina, Stanford, Vanderbilt

Tier II championship: Iowa State vs. Stanford

Tier III championship: Appalachian State vs. Nevada

Tier IV championship: SMU vs. Texas State

2006

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 West Virginia at 1 Ohio State, 5 LSU at 4 USC, 6 Louisville at 3 Michigan, 7 Boise State at 2 Florida

Relegated from Tier I: Akron, Georgia Southern, Iowa State, NC State, Stanford

Promoted to Tier I: BYU, Central Michigan, Kentucky, Rutgers, USF

Tier II championship: BYU vs. Rutgers

Tier III championship: Hawaii vs. UMass

Tier IV championship: Mount Union vs. Portland State

2007

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 West Virginia at 1 Ohio State, 5 Georgia at 4 Oklahoma, 6 Missouri at 3 Virginia Tech, 7 USC at 2 LSU

Relegated from Tier I: Middle Tennessee, Northern Illinois, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Washington State

Promoted to Tier I: Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi State, Wake Forest

Tier II championship: Kansas vs. Wake Forest

Tier III championship: Richmond vs. Washington

Tier IV championship: Chadron State vs. Elon

2008

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Virginia Tech at 1 Oklahoma, 5 USC at 4 Alabama, 6 Utah at 3 Texas, 7 Penn State at 2 Florida

Relegated from Tier I: Central Michigan, Hawaii, Louisville, Mississippi State, Virginia

Promoted to Tier I: Appalachian State, Arizona, Ball State, Oklahoma State, Pitt

Tier II championship: Arizona vs. Oklahoma State

Tier III championship: James Madison vs. Rice

Tier IV championship: Minnesota-Duluth vs. Weber State

2009

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Georgia Tech at 1 Alabama, 5 Florida at 4 Boise State, 6 Oregon at 3 TCU, 7 Ohio State at 2 Texas

Relegated from Tier I: Arizona State, Ball State, Colorado, Maryland, Vanderbilt

Promoted to Tier I: Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Mississippi State, Stanford, UConn

Tier II championship: Cincinnati vs. UConn

Tier III championship: Villanova vs. Washington

Tier IV championship: SC State vs. UW-Whitewater

2010

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Virginia Tech at 1 Auburn, 5 Wisconsin at 4 Stanford, 6 Boise State at 3 TCU, 7 Oklahoma at 2 Oregon

Relegated from Tier I: Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, UCLA, Wake Forest

Promoted to Tier I: Arizona State, Georgia Southern, NC State, Northern Illinois, Tulsa

Tier II championship: Arizona State vs. NC State

Tier III championship: Delaware vs. Nevada

Tier IV championship: Eastern Washington vs. FIU

2011

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Wisconsin at 1 LSU, 5 Arkansas at 4 Stanford, 6 Oregon at 3 Oklahoma State, 7 West Virginia at 2 Alabama

Relegated from Tier I: Appalachian State, Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon State

Promoted to Tier I*: Baylor, Houston, Montana, Nevada, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington

Tier II championship: Baylor vs. Toledo

Tier III championship: North Dakota State vs. Temple

Tier IV championship: Illinois State vs. Montana State

* Due to conference realignment — Nebraska moving to the Big Ten, Colorado moving into the Pac-12’s ecosystem (but not into the Pac-12 because of Tier II status at the time), two teams are promoted to the Big 12 and three are promoted to what is now the Pac-12.

2012

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Georgia at 1 Notre Dame, 5 Kansas State at 4 Oregon, 6 Stanford at 3 Florida, 7 Florida State at 2 Alabama

Relegated from Tier I: Boston College, Houston, Illinois, Kentucky, Montana

Promoted to Tier I*: Cincinnati, Louisville, North Carolina, North Dakota State, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Syracuse

Tier II championship: Ole Miss vs. Oregon State

Tier III championship: Kent State vs. Utah State

Tier IV championship: Central Arkansas vs. San Jose State

* Due to conference realignment, two teams are promoted to the ACC and two are promoted to the Big 12

2013

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Missouri at 1 Florida State, 5 Stanford at 4 Michigan State, 6 Baylor at 3 Alabama, 7 Ohio State at 2 Auburn

Relegated from Tier I: California, Georgia Southern, Purdue, UConn, USF

Promoted to Tier I*: Bowling Green, Duke, East Carolina, Navy, UCF, UCLA, UL-Lafayette

Tier II championship: UCF vs. UCLA

Tier III championship: Colorado State vs. UW-Whitewater

Tier IV championship: Eastern Illinois vs. North Texas

* Due to conference realignment, three teams are promoted to the ACC.

2014

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Michigan State at 1 Alabama, 5 Baylor at 4 Ohio State, 6 TCU at 3 Florida State, 7 Mississippi State at 2 Oregon

Relegated from Tier I: Bowling Green, Nevada, Syracuse, Tulsa, Vanderbilt

Promoted to Tier I*: Boston College, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Minnesota, Utah State

Tier II championship: Louisiana Tech vs. Minnesota

Tier III championship: Illinois State vs. Memphis

Tier IV championship: Coastal Carolina vs. South Dakota State

2015

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Ohio State at 1 Clemson, 5 Iowa at 4 Oklahoma, 6 Stanford at 3 Michigan State, 7 Notre Dame at 2 Alabama

Relegated from Tier I: East Carolina, Oregon State, Rutgers, UCF, UL-Lafayette

Promoted to Tier I: Bowling Green, California, Memphis, Temple, Western Kentucky

Tier II championship: California vs. WKU

Tier III championship: Southern Miss vs. WMU

Tier IV championship: Akron vs. Chattanooga

2016

8-team Tier I playoff: 8 Wisconsin at 1 Alabama, 5 Penn State at 4 Washington, 6 Oklahoma at 3 Ohio State, 7 Michigan at 2 Clemson

Relegated from Tier I: Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Marshall, Missouri, Utah State

Promoted to Tier I: Appalachian State, Colorado, Tulsa, USF, Western Michigan

Tier II championship: Colorado vs. WMU

Tier III championship: Wyoming vs. Youngstown State

Tier IV championship: Charleston Southern vs. New Mexico

Starting in 2002 and adjusting for realignment as best as possible (it was messy), here’s where things ended up heading into 2017.

And yes, my Missouri Tigers became the first Playoff participant to end up getting relegated. Whatever. In my simulation, Mizzou wins the 2007 title. Worth it.

A team’s original tier, if different from the current one, is noted in parentheses.

To start 2017, one former FCS team is playing in Tier I (North Dakota State, naturally), and three Division II schools (California-Pa., Northwest Missouri State, and UM-Duluth) and a Division III school (Wisconsin-Whitewater) have made it to Tier II. (Northwest has the longest winning streak in college football right now.)

And in noteworthy plummets, Rutgers has fallen from Tier I to Tier III in just two years, three Group of Five teams (EMU, NMSU, FIU) are stuck in Tier IV, and 11 FCS teams have fallen to Tier VI.

Colorado was in Tier III as recently as 2015 but pulled off back-to-back promotions. This was probably good for the ego, as the Buffaloes were not only behind Tier II Colorado State in 2015. They were sharing the Tier III WAC with Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State-Pueblo. Ouch.

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