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Kick Off: D.C. United clinch CCL top seed, Timbers are ousted and Real Salt Lake face Chivas USA tonight
Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning:
1. JOCKEYING FOR POSITION
Real Salt Lake play their final regular-season game tonight when they take on Chivas USA (9:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE) with the chance to, at least temporarily, move back into third place in the Western Conference. RSL may be full of confidence heading into that match, but Chivas USA have won both of the previous encounters this season and are seeking a sweep.
2. UNITED RESERVES GET IT DONE
D.C. United may have taken a reserve side to Panama for their final CONCACAF Champions League group game, but they still did enough to earn a 1-0 win over Tauro (HIGHLIGHTS) to secure one of the top four seeds heading into the quarterfinals.
3. TIMBERS CRASH OUT
Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the Portland Timbers who, despite having won their first three games in the Champions League, still bowed out of the tournament following a 3-1 loss to Honduran side Olimpia (HIGHLIGHTS). Anything less than a two-goal defeat would have taken the Timbers through, but a disastrous start sealed their fate.
4. IMPACT AIM FOR CLEAN SWEEP
The Montreal Impact want to make it four wins out of four and improve their seeding in the Champions League when they take on the New York Red Bulls tonight (8 pm ET, FOX Sports 2), but they'll have to do it without a number of regular starters. With the Red Bulls focused squarely on the playoffs, they'll also be fielding a much-changed lineup and have once again recalled Connor Lade from the New York Cosmos, something the NASL side are not too happy about.
5. PURPLE IS THE NEW BLACK
With their first competitive game less than five months away, Orlando City launched their new website on Wednesday, and it's safe to say it stands alone on the MLS color wheel.
6. COACHING CRITERIA
With the Houston Dynamo in search of a new head coach, team president Chris Canetti laid out his vision for the hiring. That coach could have Houston forward Giles Barnes at his disposal in 2015 and the Englishman has stood out as one of the team's best players during an up-and-down season. But prior to their most recent game, Barnes proved himself to be a class act off the field as well.
7. CURTIN SET TO STAY?
Meanwhile, in the case of another team with a yet undefined coaching situation, Philadelphia Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz has given the clearest indication yet that current interim coach Jim Curtin may well have earned the job on a permanent basis after stating: "I envision Jim being with us for a long time."
8. DEFOE'S SEASON OVER
Has Jermain Defoe already played his final game for Toronto FC? Rumors linking the English striker with a move back to London refuse to go away, and it now seems that injury will prevent Defoe from playing in Toronto's final game of the season.
9. SETTING AN EXAMPLE
The Portland Timbers have built quite the reputation as one of the top clubs in the country when it comes to the relationship with their supporters and the Timbers Army. So much so that the club have been sought out not just by other soccer clubs, but by teams in sports all around the world, to find out just how they do it.
10. CLICK YOUR HEELS TWICE
It seems that Roger Espinoza still has his heart set on a return to Sporting Kansas City, as his current club manager, Wigan Athletic's Uwe Rosler, confirmed that the midfielder wants to leave the English side, stating, "Roger came twice to me and wanted to leave the club. He wanted to return to Kansas."
11. BACK IN THE NEW YORK SWING?
David Villa is already proving himself an important player for Australian side Melbourne City, but the Spanish striker is now heading back to New York to take care of some commitments with his parent club, New York City FC.
12. FUTURE'S BRIGHT
What does the future hold for MLS partner USL PRO? Nothing but good things, according to Orlando City, and, as the club whose success in that league helped secure an MLS club, they're certainly in a good position to comment.
13. MINDING THE NET
With Tim Howard currently on his year-long hiatus from the US national team, both Nick Rimando and Brad Guzan are in the running for the starting role in the team. With each making compelling arguments for themselves during the recent international break, it may not be a simple choice for Jurgen Klinsmann to make.
14. MLS ON VERGE OF ATTENDANCE RECORD
It promises to be a big MLS weekend both on and off the field. The league could be on the verge of a new attendance record and the Seattle Sounders could be on the brink of another record season at the gates.
15. DEANDRE YEDLIN: VIDEO STAR
Not content with being one of the most promising young American players around, DeAndre Yedlin has now gone and got himself in a music video as well. No, it's not one of Clint Dempsey's songs.
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