Kick Off: Jermaine Jones leads Revs vs. champs on NBCSN; Robbie Rogers for US national team?

News  |  Videos  |  Schedule & Stats  |  Clubs  |  Fantasy  |  Shop Forward To A Friend Kick Off: Jermaine Jones leads Revs vs. champs on NBCSN; Robbie Rogers for US national team? Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning: 1. PLAYING FOR POSITION Sporting Kansas City host the New England Revolution tonight (8 pm ET, NBSCN in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada) as the two sides battle for playoff position in the East. With Toni Dovale working hard to adapt to life in MLS, could the young Spanish forward play a major role down the stretch? Centerback Erik Palmer-Brown might also be called upon, although the young defender feels he still has a lot to learn. 2. CAN'T-MISS VIDEO OF THE DAY New England's Jermaine Jones, who Revs fans will hope to see playing on national TV tonight, has quickly become one of the stand-out personalities in MLS after only a few weeks on the job. Here's a chance to get to know more about him and his celebrity connections in an exclusive behind-the-scenes look on MLS Insider. 3. WHO'S NUMBER 1? The Revs had three players who made the 2014 edition of the highly anticipated 24 Under 24 rankings which were released on Thursday. DeAndre Yedlin topped the chart, but how did the Sounders find and develop the prolific young talent? Meanwhile, here are some other names that will hope to make the list in 2015. 4. PORTLAND GOING PRO? With the controversy regarding his comments on referees now behind him, Toronto FC's Michael Bradley will look to lead his club into a big weekend match against the Portland Timbers (Saturday, 1 pm ET, TSN1 in Canada, MLS LIVE in the US). But the Timbers may also have their minds on a potential major announcement. 5. NEW ROLE FOR PONTIUS The Philadelphia Union, currently on the outside looking in to the playoff places, head to RFK stadium on Saturday for an all-important game against East leaders D.C. United (3 pm ET, NBCSN in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada) and as Chris Pontius continues his comeback, the United star has been reflecting on his new role within the team. 6. PAPPA ON STRIKE The Seattle Sounders won't have to worry about losing Marco Pappa to international games again anytime soon as the midfielder has joined a boycott of the Guatemalan national team. The Sounders hope to continue their march toward a treble when they take on Chivas USA on Saturday (4 pm ET, MLS LIVE) and Chivas forward Leandro Barrera might think twice about diving again after being fined by the MLS Disciplinary Committee. 7. ANOTHER MUST-WIN The Vancouver Whitecaps face another game that they simply have to win when they take on Real Salt Lake this Saturday (7 pm ET, TSN2 in Canada, MLS LIVE in the US), a team it turns out they don't like very much. They may have a chance as well, with RSL coach Jeff Cassar hinting he may rest some key players. 8. MANAGING INJURIES The Columbus Crew and the Montreal Impact face off on Saturday (7:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE) with both sides featuring Designated Players who know a thing or two about injuries. Federico Higuain has been battling through them during this crunch run while the Impact are carefully managing Ignacio Piatti's minutes. 9. RETURNING RAPIDS With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the Colorado Rapids could welcome back some very important players for their game against the San Jose Earthquakes (Saturday, 9 pm ET, MLS LIVE). Meanwhile, with 2015 quickly approaching, the Quakes new stadium is really starting to come together. 10. BLAMING THE BENCH? The Houston Dynamo play the Chicago Fire this weekend (Sunday, 3 pm ET, UniMas) with the loser almost certainly bowing out of the playoff chase. The Dynamo will be given a boost by the fact that Fire defender Bakary Soumare has been handed a one-game ban, but could a lack of depth be to blame for Houston's current predicament? 11. ROGERS REINVENTED The New York Red Bulls visit the LA Galaxy on Sunday (8:30 pm ET, ESPN2 in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada) as they attempt to bounce back from their disappointing mid-week Champions League exit, which remains a hot topic of conversation. Meanwhile, for the home side, is Robbie Rogers ready to return to the USMNT ... as a left back? 12. DALLAS' DYNAMIC DUO There's no game for FC Dallas this weekend after their strong midweek win against the Seattle Sounders and while head coach Oscar Pareja is focused on the importance of coaching and player development, will he continue to rely on the South American pairing that paid dividends vs. Seattle? 13. WHERE ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? New York City FC's choices in the Priority Draft served to highlight the team's priorities and where they feel their best players are likely to come from. They already have a few superstars on board, although Frank Lampard continues to be hounded about the possibility of extending his Manchester City stay. 14. CAHILL SET FOR INTERNATIONAL ABSENCE The New York Red Bulls look set to lose Tim Cahill during their crucial October run-in, as the Australian international has been named to the Socceroos squad for two friendlies in the Middle East. 15. CAN SACRAMENTO EMULATE ORLANDO? This weekend marks the USL PRO final between the Sacramento Republic FC and the Harrisburg City Islanders (10:30 pm ET on YouTube). With the Republic chasing an MLS franchise the game is expected to be a sellout and, although they came into the playoffs as the bottom seed, the Islanders, complete with a number of Philadelphia Union loanees, will be looking to play the spoilers. MLSsoccer.com Musts ExtraTime Radio: DeAndre Yedlin on his 24 under 24 honors Cubo's next step: Scoring for El Tri Watch: Maurice Edu "Mic'd up"