Kick Off: Joy for Seattle Sounders in thrilling USOC final, key CCL wins for D.C. United, Portland Timbers

News  |  Videos  |  Schedule & Stats  |  Clubs  |  Fantasy  |  Shop Forward To A Friend Kick Off: Joy for Seattle Sounders in thrilling USOC final, key CCL wins for D.C. United, Portland Timbers Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning: 1. SOUNDERS WIN THRILLING US OPEN CUP FINAL The Seattle Sounders won the first trophy of a potential treble after beating the Philadelphia Union 3-1 in the 2014 US Open Cup final (HIGHLIGHTS). While the Sounders celebrated lifting their fourth US Open Cup trophy in six seasons, Clint Dempsey vowed to add more to the cabinet. 2. UNION RUE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES While the Philadelphia Union's quest for a first trophy ended in defeat, Union interim coach Jim Curtin felt his side "had them on the ropes a bit" after taking the lead. Curtin was also full of praise for both his own side's effort and the Sounders' strong performance. But in the end, the Union joined a regrettable Philadelphia tradition of coming up agonizingly short. 3. D.C. TAKES CONTROL With Fabián Espíndola suspended for this weekend's game against the Chicago Fire, D.C. United were able to put their star striker to work in the CONCACAF Champions League instead, with the Argentine ace scoring twice to lead United to a 2-1 victory over Jamaican club Waterhouse (HIGHLIGHTS). United now need just a tie from one of their final two games against Tauro to advance to the quarterfinals , although better results would improve their seeding. 4. PORTLAND MARCH ON The Portland Timbers made sure their first home game in the CONCACAF Champions League was a successful one, beating Honduran power Olimpia 4-2 (HIGHLIGHTS). Not only does the win put the Timbers in a commanding spot in their group, it also has Caleb Porter feeling pretty good about the depth of his squad. 5. IMPACT READY FOR 'MOST IMPORTANT GAME' The Montreal Impact host the New York Red Bulls in tonight's all-MLS CCL encounter (8 pm ET, FOX Sports 2), and with Montreal's league campaign all but over, the Impact are ready for what they call "the most important game of the season." The Red Bulls are still fighting on two fronts, though, and as such, plan to field a much changed line-up, including recently recalled Connor Lade. 6. RED BULLS WEIGH OTHER FACTORS The news that the New York Red Bulls are not planning to field a USL PRO team in 2015 came as a disappointment to many but, as head coach Mike Petke explains, there are other factors to consider beyond simply what makes sense from a soccer perspective. 7. WHITECAPS NOT GIVING UP The Vancouver Whitecaps, on the other hand, want to field their own USL PRO team but suffered a setback when the New Westminster council voted against serving as home to their new team. Consequently, the Canadian side are now looking at other options. 8. COLORADO PARTNERING UP IN CAROLINA? The Colorado Rapids appear to be finalizing their plans for a USL PRO partnership in 2015 with the report that the club will partner with USL PRO mainstay Charlotte Eagles. This season, after eight games without a win, the pressure is mounting on the Rapids as they prepare to face Rocky Mountain Cup rival Real Salt Lake on Friday (10 pm ET, NBCSN). After missing all but 30 seconds of the last two games due to his record red card against the LA Galaxy, the early indications are that Joe Nasco will once again get the start in goal. 9. THE HARDEST CUTS Orlando City announced on Tuesday which players will not be part of their MLS squad for their inaugural expansion season. In addition to seven players who had already signed MLS contracts, Orlando City are still hoping to add Luke Boden, Harrison Heath and Adama Mbengue to their roster for next year, but many more fell by the wayside after several memorable seasons in USL PRO, and head coach Adrian Heath revealed how hard those decisions were to make. 10. LEARN FROM THE BEST One MLS player is on the fringe of a roster, but in a slightly different way. LA Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes may be a long shot to be called up for the US national team, but as ESPNFC's Doug McIntyre reports, it's going to happen sooner than later, and much of his progression has depended on learning from the talents around him. 11. BAD BREAK FOR THE CREW While he may have primarily served as a reserve this year, the Columbus Crew will have to get by without Daniel Paladini for the rest of the season, as the midfielder appears to have broken his leg in training. 12. LOUD AS A LION Having made his first appearance last weekend, the New England Revolution's newest signing, Geoffrey Castillion, has played just 14 minutes worth of soccer for his new club. Yet there is reason to believe the former Ajax academy standout will offer something special. 13. SAYING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS Frank Lampard made his first appearance for Manchester City on Saturday as he gets ready for life in MLS come March, and the former England international sat down with Men in Blazers to discuss why he chose New York City FC, as well as what he hopes to achieve in his time here. 14. SHEA'S SECOND START Brek Shea made his second start for Birmingham City on Tuesday night and, while this one did not end quite as well, with the midfielder getting pulled 54 minutes into his side's 2-0 loss, his new manager believes the US international will only get better and better. 15. PLANNING A TRIP With MLS officials set to visit Sacramento on Thursday, the league has released its itinerary for the trip. Interestingly, while a site in the railyards was already thought to be the lead contender for a potential stadium location, it's the only one listed on the visit. MLSsoccer.com Musts Houston Dynamo lament lack of "mental sharpness" New England Revolution brass "feel really good" after active summer on the market THE WORD: Ghosts of Bethlehem Steel still linger