| Kick Off: Paying tribute to Dwayne De Rosario | Obafemi Martins staying put | Cup action returns Here are the 15 stories we're talking about this morning: 1. THANKS DERO Dwayne De Rosario quietly retired over the weekend, and the tributes have been rolling in for an MLS and Canadian national team icon who remains the all-time leading scorer in CanMNT history. SI.com dived into the vaults to recall DeRo's dominant role in the Houston Dynamo dynasty of the '00s, while MLSsoccer.com's own Daniel Squizzato explains why the brash, bold DeRo provided Canadian soccer with a tantalizing glimpse of what could be . 2. CANADIAN DRAMA Staying north of the border, Wednesday brings another night of Amway Canadian Championship action as DeRo's former side Toronto FC host the Montreal Impact for the second and decisive leg of their semifinal matchup (7:30 pm ET, Sportsnet in Canada, MLS LIVE in USA/Mexico). Out in Vancouver, the Whitecaps will welcome NASL side FC Edmonton in the other semifinal (10 pm ET, Sportsnet in Canada, MLS LIVE in US/Mexico), which now opens at BC Place thanks to last week's snowstorm-interrupted first leg in Edmonton. (As a result, the decisive second leg is set for Clarke Field on May 20.) 3. IMPACT STILL FINDING THEIR FEET Despite their impressive run in the CONCACAF Champions League, it is fair to say the Impact are still trying to find their way in MLS following their loss to the Portland Timbers on Saturday. However, with one notable former player suggesting he wants to coach in MLS, could the Impact players benefit from having Alessandro Nesta on their coaching staff? 4. OKUGO'S OUT BUT LARIN'S ON THE UP Orlando City will take on D.C. United in MLS play on Wednesday (8 pm ET, ESPN 2 in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada) looking to break a three-game winless streak. They'll have to try and do it without Amobi Okugo, who picked up a suspension for yellow-card accumulation, but young Canadian striker Cyle Larin is starting to find his way. 5. MAGICAL MINNOWS The United States' own domestic cup tournament is also in action this week, though as a far bigger undertaking than the ACC, the US Open Cup is still working through its early rounds, featuring lower-division and amateur sides. Wednesday's schedule includes a cross-Michigan matchup U.S. Soccer has dubbed "The Melee in the Mitten." More of the federation's USOC coverage can be found here, while MLSsoccer.com's Open Cup content lives here. 6. DOWN A MAN Sometimes you just can't beat good preparation. The New York Red Bulls apparently spent time practicing with just 10 men before Sunday's clash with New York City FC, and sure enough, it paid off as they handled the early ejection of Matt Miazga adeptly. On the other side of town, Jason Kreis pulled David Villa from New York City FC's derby loss on Sunday over injury concerns, but injury had nothing to do with the yanking of another of the club's big-name players. 7. RED BULLS RUMORS James McClean has been heavily linked with the Red Bulls in recent days and with the Irish striker currently in New York, the rumors don't look to be dying down any time soon. Is he close to signing or just enjoying a postseason holiday? Kevin Prince Boateng has also been linked to RBNY recently, but head coach Jesse Marsch is still adamant the club is not interested. 8. ZUSI'S LATEST BLOW Graham Zusi had been nearing a return to full fitness and setting his sights on returning to the US national team. However, those goals may have suffered a slight setback following the news that the midfield man suffered a concussion during Sporting Kansas City's draw with D.C. United. 9. ROBINSON'S ROAD TO THE TOP It's hard to argue with the job Carl Robinson has done since taking over as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps. But did you know that at the time of his appointment, the Welshman apparently didn't think he was ready for the role? 10 MARTINS IS SETTLED Following their 3-2 loss to Columbus Crew SC, things went from bad to worse for some of the Seattle Sounders' players as they attempted to make their way back home. However, there is good news for the Rave Green, as one of Obafemi Martins' representatives has scotched rumors of him returning to the English Premier League: "there's no way he is leaving…. Martins is settled in America." 11. BARNES STORMING Having won their first game in five on Sunday, the Houston Dynamo will be hoping they've now turned a corner. A lot of the club's hopes will rest with the eventual arrival of Mexican striker Erick "Cubo" Torres, but in the meantime, a recently-capped Jamaican international is stealing the show for the men in orange. 12. MEXICO PRIORITIES BECOME CLEAR With Mexico playing in both the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the Copa America this summer there were plenty of questions as to which tournament Miguel Herrera would prioritize. However, the Mexico manager released his roster for the Copa America on Monday and while it does includes former Red Bull Rafa Marquez, it seems the majority of his stars are being reserved for the CONCACAF tournament. 13. THE SEMIFINAL COUNTDOWN Fans of Atlanta's new MLS franchise may soon be able to refer to their future team by an actual name, as a story on Monday has indicated that team owner Arthur Blank wants to have the team's official title in place before the city hosts two Gold Cup semifinals on July 22 this summer. Speaking of imagery and identity, Transform magazine checks in on MLS' own rebranding process here. 14. SOCCER IN CINCINNATI? It looks like professional soccer could be on its way to Cincinnati, as reports are suggesting the city has been awarded a USL franchise for 2016. 15. LOVE IS LOUDER Robbie Rogers recently called for a ban on all homophobia in sports stadiums and it seems LA Galaxy teammate Robbie Keane has taken up a similar cause, penning a heartfelt letter in support of marriage equality as the Republic of Ireland gets set to vote on the subject. MLSsoccer.com Musts Instant Replay: Was Dempsey offside in Columbus? ExtraTime Radio: Collin on Disney World, KC vs Orlando and expansion life Team of the Week: Just how many Crew SC players made the latest XI? | 
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου