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Kick Off: New England give thanks for Jermaine Jones | Seattle go Homegrown | Orlando City eye DP No. 2
Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning:
1. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM
Jermaine Jones' arrival with the New England Revolution coincided with the Revs' remarkable run to the MLS Cup Playoffs, presented by AT&T, and although manager Jay Heaps isn't denying the influence the US international has had, he feels it's important to note that his team was already back on the right track. They get set to host the Crew in the 2nd leg with a 4-2 aggregate-goal advantage (Sun., Nov. 9 at 5 pm ET on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes). Meanwhile, Jones was hit with a fine for his simulation against the Columbus Crew.
2. RSL LOOK TO THE STARS
Real Salt Lake head to StubHub Center on Sunday for a crucial 2nd leg clash with the LA Galaxy (7:30 pm ET, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes in the US, TSN2/RDS2 in Canada) and despite some debatable referee calls from the first match, RSL GM Garth Lagerway is confident that the "games get decided by players on the field." Indeed, could Luis Gil prove to be a deciding factor on Sunday?
3. THIERRY TURNING BACK THE CLOCK
The Red Bulls have played two games at home in the playoffs now and, flying in the face of history, they have actually won both of them. Part of that is undoubtedly due to Thierry Henry's performances. And should the Red Bulls advance past D.C. United on Saturday (2:30 pm ET, NBC and UDN in the US), their next task thankfully won't be affected by Tim Cahill's latest international call-up.
4. SEATTLE SIGNINGS
The Seattle Sounders are busy preparing for their decisive second leg vs. FC Dallas on Monday (10:30 pm ET, NBCSN and UDN in the US, TSN2 and RDS2 in Canada). But have the Rave Green also found their next Homegrown star? They might potentially have two of them: 17-year-old forward Victor Mansaray has just signed a Homegrown contract and it looks like University of Washington striker Darwin Jones might soon be joining him as well.
5. D.C. HAVE OPTIONS
With a 2-0 deficit heading into their second-leg match against the Red Bulls on Saturday (2:30 pm ET on NBC and UDN), D.C. United know they have a tough task ahead of them if they want to advance to the Eastern Conference final. However, as the team considers its options, head coach Ben Olsen believes they're "going to have a few guys available who can change this game."
6. STADIUM NEWS
D.C. United is busy on another front as well, with the city council discussing the club's plans for a new stadium. It came on the heels of the release of a new report on the proposed venue which outlines some serious benefits should DC choose to build it.
7. ORLANDO'S NEXT DP?
With their new kits unveiled, Orlando City SC also revealed that they're closing in on 9,000 season tickets sold for their inaugural MLS season. The club is also apparently looking to sign another four players in the coming weeks, potentially including a second Designated Player.
8. EMPTY TANKS FOR SKC
Sporting Kansas City's season ended earlier than the defending MLS Cup champs would have liked. According to Designated Player Matt Besler, part of the reason for that is, "to be honest with you, I think we ran out of gas." Meanwhile, former SKC star Uri Rosell made his UEFA Champions League debut on Wednesday.
9. WILL FERNANDEZ RETURN?
Sebastian Fernandez's loan spell with the Vancouver Whitecaps has come to an end, and while both parties are keen for their association to continue next season, striking a new deal might be trickier than it seems. The club is also firmly in the market for a proven goalscorer to help out their talent-laden midfield.
10. WILDFIRE
This offseason presents manager Frank Yallop and the Chicago Fire with plenty of options as they look to build a team capable of making the playoffs next season. But could one of the rumored options includejettisoning the majority of the current side this winter?
11. MORE DATES FOR THE DIARY
MLS has revealed several key dates for the upcoming offseason, including a number of drafts, combines and several trade windows. There's also more preseason news after details were released about the 2015 Carolina Challenge Cup, which will feature both MLS expansion teams Orlando City SC and New York City FC.
12. GUARDIOLA FOR THE US?
Jurgen Klinsmann's job as head coach of the US national team appears to be pretty secure for the next four years. But might we already have an idea as to a potential successor? In the meantime, who's likely to make Klinsmann's squad for the upcoming international friendlies?
13. TESHO'S OPTIONS
The Canadian national team may have suffered another blow, following reports that FC Dallas rookie Tesho Akindele has apparently turned down an invitation to the upcoming Canadian Camp in favor of interest from the US national team.
14. PUT ON A VIDEO
Will MLS referees soon be able to call on video replays to help them out? That much remains to be seen but, having visited the Netherlands to witness a system being tested, Professional Referees Organization general manager Peter Walton is confident the system will be a success.
15. EGG ON HIS FACE
Start your day off with a smile and watch how one LA Galaxy stalwart was feted on his birthday. It gets pretty messy. Watch the video here.
MLSsoccer.com Musts
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