Kick Off: Expansion clubs vie for draft priority, Philadelphia Union to stick with Jim Curtin?

News  |  Videos  |  Schedule & Stats  |  Clubs  |  Fantasy  |  Shop Forward To A Friend Kick Off: Expansion clubs vie for draft priority, Philadelphia Union to stick with Jim Curtin? Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning: 1. HIGH PRIORITY MLS' 2015 expansion clubs, New York City FC and Orlando City, will square off in Wednesday's Expansion Priority Draft (2 pm ET, live stream on MLSsoccer.com), during which the clubs will select their ranking in the various MLS player acquisition mechanisms, including the upcoming Expansion Draft and SuperDraft. The event will include head coaches Jason Kreis (NYCFC) and Adrian Heath (OCSC), accompanied by a supporter from each club. 2. A GAME IN HAND IS WORTH ... HOW MANY POINTS? Tied on points with the LA Galaxy for the Supporters' Shield lead but with one fewer game played, the Seattle Sounders look to bounce back from their heavy loss against New York when they face FC Dallas on Wednesday (9 pm ET, MLS LIVE). However, with FC Dallas looking set to break their attendance record this season, the Sounders are travelling to a venue that is slowly becoming something of a fortress for the home team. 3. KANSAS CITY DO THE JOB Sporting Kansas City turned in a convincing 3-0 win over Real Estelí (HIGHLIGHTS) in CONCACAF Champions League action at Sporting Park, meaning KC control their own fate in their final group-stage game next month. The game marked the long-awaited return of Eric Kronberg between the posts and included Benny Feilhaber playing his usual part in Kansas City's success. After some tumultuous times earlier in his career, has the US international found exactly the right home with SKC? 4. TIMBERS STAND ON THE VERGE Having stressed how important a win was, Portland Timbers boss Caleb Porter was more than pleased with his side's impressive performance in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with the home team taking apart Guyana's Alpha United 6-0 (HIGHLIGHTS) to gain full control of their CCL fate. 5. DC CAN CLINCH D.C. United can become the first MLS side to secure their place in the Champions League quarterfinals with either a win or a draw at home against Panamanian side Tauro on Wednesday (8 pm ET, FOX Sports 2) and they would be wise to do so, because as Chris Pontius notes, "We certainly don't want to have to go down to Panama needing a result." 6. FLYING IN STYLE If the New York Red Bulls want to reach next spring's Champions League quarterfinals, they must win their next two games and, as such, Mike Petke has taken a strong side to El Salvador for their game against FAS (10 pm ET, FOX Soccer Plus). It also seems no expense has been spared in their travel arrangements. 7. GOT YOUTH? MLSsoccer.com's 24 under 24, presented by adidas, continues with a look at the latest MLS academy success story, "Willy Franchise" -- the Columbus Crew's Wil Trapp. Why does it matter? Because thriving MLS academies are the natural next step for a league on the rise, and because it might be better to produce 100 world-class talents than one global superstar (VIDEO). Finally, here's a look at why young players often struggle to transition to the professional game (VIDEO). 8. CURTIN CALL While it is not yet official, reports suggest that following the Philadelphia Union's impressive turnaround this season, Jim Curtin has done enough to have the interim title taken away from his job description and become the club's new head coach on a long-term basis. 9. PONDERING PIRLO Could Andrea Pirlo really be on his way to MLS? It may seem unlikely, but according to reports, the LA Galaxy have been in talks with the 35-year old Italian about filling Landon Donovan's soon to be vacant Designated Player spot. 10. INTERNATIONAL EXILE While Robbie Keane continues to be a vital player for the Republic of Ireland, it seems another Designated Player's international career may be over, as Nigeria manager Stephen Keshi has stated that Obafemi Martins, still only 29, is not in Keshi's future plans. 11. HOME IMPROVEMENT With the ground-breaking ceremony complete, work has officially begun on the expansion of Toronto FC's BMO Field. Things are starting to get better on the field as well, and although Jermain Defoe is unlikely to play this weekend, the striker is set to address the media on Wednesday. 12. FIVE FOR FIGHTING Could the Vancouver Whitecaps really be accused of looking too far ahead? Not according to head coach Carl Robinson, who insists his side have 'five cup finals' to play before the end of the season as they try and secure a playoff space. However, there was another incident involving Omar Salgado for the 'Caps to address on Tuesday. 13. A GOLD CUP FOR EVERYONE To celebrate its 60th anniversary, UEFA will hold Euro 2020 in cities all around the continent, rather than awarding host rights to one country. Could something similar work for the CONCACAF Gold Cup? 14. THE ITALIAN JOB Montreal Impact owner Joey Saputo appears to be in the final stages of becoming a part owner of Italian Serie A side Bologna. This has led some to wonder exactly what that would mean for the Montreal Impact. 15. DATES FOR THE DIARY MLS has released the 2014 playoff schedule, and it includes a break for the international fixture window between the conference semifinals and conference finals. Also, while we haven't gotten past this season yet, do we already have a tentative date for the start of the 2015 calendar? MLSsoccer.com Musts What happens when Clint Dempsey asks about Clint Dempsey The value of academies and the future of MLS American Exports: Jozy Altidore scores a goal!