TWIM: Landon Donovan on brink of another record

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Forward To A Friend ASSIST RECORD AT DONOVAN'S MERCY PLAYOFF PRESSURE: Three teams can clinch, three can be eliminated MIGHTY MITE: Shortest player in pro sports has never stood taller PRESIDENTIAL TREATMENT: Defending champs are honored at the White House SJ v POR NBCSN Saturday 11:00 PM ET POR v SJ CSN CALIFORNIA Wednesday 10:30 PM ET DC v SKC NBCSN Friday 8:00 PM ET NY v HOU NBCSN Saturday 6:00 PM ET VAN v DAL UDN Saturday 7:00 PM ET COL v SEA UNIMAS Sunday 3:00 PM ET NE v CLB Saturday 7:30 PM ET LA v TOR Saturday 10:30 PM ET CHI v MTL Sunday 5:00 PM ET CHV v RSL Sunday 7:00 PM ET TOR v HOU Wednesday 7:30 PM ET

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Kick Off: High-flying DC United host champs on NBCSN tonight; Union playoff hopes take a hit

News  |  Videos  |  Schedule & Stats  |  Clubs  |  Fantasy  |  Shop Forward To A Friend Kick Off: High-flying DC United host champs on NBCSN tonight; Union playoff hopes take a hit Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning: 1. QUICK ON THE DRAW The Philadelphia Union's playoff hopes took a hit on Thursday after their late lead was cancelled out by an even later equalizer in a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire (HIGHLIGHTS). And although a flubbed kick by Rais Mbolhi led to the tying goal, Union interim manager Jim Curtin says it's not entirely the 'keeper's fault. The result also marked the Fire's 17th draw of the season, setting a new MLS record. 2. BEASTS OF THE EAST Having lost five of their last six games, Sporting Kansas City will be looking to get back on track when they visit D.C. United tonight (8 pm ET, NBCSN) and goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen is doing his part to help motivate his former teammates. But if they're going to stop the slide, SKC have to find a way to deal with United's grizzled veteran and ex-KC player Davy Arnaud.  3. RED BULLS' BIG CHANCE The New York Red Bulls will look to take advantage of the Philadelphia Union's misstep when they take on the Houston Dynamo this Saturday (6 pm ET, NBCSN). While their chances will be helped by the return of Lloyd Sam, the Red Bulls will be missing influential defender Jamison Olave. 4. SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER It will only help Obafemi Martins' MVP chances that he was voted the Etihad Airways Player of the Month for September after his five-goal binge. And it's hard to argue he's not the most important player on the league-leading Sounders, after you see these numbers. 5. WHITECAPS RIDING HIGH With the Vancouver Whitecaps back in control of their own playoff destiny, Designated Player Pedro Morales is feeling upbeat heading into this Saturday's game against FC Dallas (7 pm ET, UDN). Teammate Darren Mattocks also has a positive vibe, hoping he can shine for both club and country during this final stretch run. 6. WILL FORTUNE FAVOR REVS? Depending on Friday's result between DC and SKC, the New England Revolution could potentially take a big step toward securing a postseason berth when they play the Columbus Crew on Saturday (7:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE). To do that though, the Revs will have to get past a defense that has suddenly become very hard to beat. It's also a chance for Lee Nguyen to continue to prove he deserves another US national team call-up. 7. TORONTO'S BIG TEST Toronto FC will be looking to build on their renewed playoff hopes following their massive win last weekend when they visit the LA Galaxy (Saturday at 10:30 pm ET, TSN). Not an easy job for any team, but TFC may get a boost from the return of Jermain Defoe. 8. DONOVAN LOOKS AHEAD With his final game for the US national team just around the corner, and his pending retirement coming shortly after that, Landon Donovan has been talking about what he might be doing next. Commentating? Coaching? College courses? How about making up with Jurgen Klinsmann? 9. WHO GETS ARMBAND? The Portland Timbers travel to Northern California for what feels like a must-win game against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday (11 pm ET, NBCSN) and while the Timbers fans made a get-well-soon tifo for Will Johnson, he won't be the only absentee for the all-important match. 10. MAKING HIS CASE Zat Knight effectively has just four games to prove to the Colorado Rapids they should take up his option for 2015 and, as such, the 34-year-old Englishman is keen to jump straight in against the Seattle Sounders this Sunday (3 pm ET, UniMas), where he'll face the unenviable task of stopping Clint Dempsey & Co. 11. IMPACT PLANNING AHEAD Following their 1-1 draw with the Union on Thursday, the Chicago Fire face a short turnaround to get ready for the Montreal Impact on Sunday (5 pm ET, MLS LIVE). Both teams have little left to play for at this stage but Impact coach Frank Klopas has been using the scenario to his advantage. 12. JUST WIN, BABY Real Salt lake visit Chivas USA on Sunday (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE) with a chance to secure a playoff spot and, as such, the team from Utah plan to go all out for the win. They can thank Joao Plata for helping to get them in this position: After watching this MLS Insider video, you'll gain a whole new appreciation for Platita. 13. FRIENDLY FOCUS The US roster is due over the weekend and, unlike the women's national team, there hasn't been an accidental leak of the squad. Whoever's named to the team will take part not only in Landon Donovan's final game but also a friendly against Honduras, which so far has sold approximately 7,000 tickets. 14. THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT The future continues to look bright for the US national team, as the Under-17's cruised to victory over Costa Rica in the opening game of a tournament being played in Panama, with the LA Galaxy's Haji Wright scoring a hat-trick in the 5-2 victory. Meanwhile, is another promising young American set to join La Liga? 15. RANKING ROOKIES While FC Dallas launched Tesho Akindele's Rookie of the year campaign, last year's winner, Dillon Powers, has just been rewarded with a new contract from the Colorado Rapids. Perhaps that can help Powers recapture some of the fine form he showed in his debut season. MLSsoccer.com Musts MLS Insider: Plata stands tall ExtraTime Radio: Carl Robinson on Goalscoring DP's and the Cascadian playoff race Is Robbie Keane MVP frontrunner?  Galaxy Captain happy either way

Kick Off: Philadelphia Union face must-win tonight on ESPN2, Sporting Kansas City visit White House

News  |  Videos  |  Schedule & Stats  |  Clubs  |  Fantasy  |  Shop Forward To A Friend Kick Off: Philadelphia Union face must-win tonight on ESPN2, Sporting Kansas City visit White House Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning: 1. PLAYOFF HUNTING The Philadelphia Union face the Chicago Fire Thursday night (8 pm ET, ESPN2), and with the Union still chasing a playoff spot and recently returned striker Antoine Hoppenot wants to play a part. A loss tonight means the Fire's playoff hopes are all but over, and Fire head coach Frank Yallop has suggested the club isn't afraid to spend money this offseason to address the shortcomings. 2. WHITE HOUSE SELFIES Sporting Kansas City were at the White House on Wednesday, honored by President Barack Obama for their 2013 MLS Cup success and, while he couldn't get the President to be in it, yes, Dom Dwyer got his White House selfie. 3. JOHNSON TAKING IT SLOW Will Johnson is back in Portland following successful surgery on his broken leg, and the Portland Timbers captain has been talking about the road to recovery, acknowledging, "I'll take my time with it as well. You've got to be smart with injuries like this." 4. HOME-SCHOOLED Not only can the LA Galaxy claim to have one of the strongest starting lineups in MLS this season, but thanks to the club's academy and new USL PRO side LA Galaxy II, they also have a number of promising young Homegrown Players coming through the ranks as well, trying to follow the lead of MLS starter Gyasi Zardes and teenager Jack McBean, who spent the year with Galaxy II. 5. DALLAS VIA EL PASO On Wednesday, 16-year-old Alejandro Zendajas became the latest Homegrown player to join FC Dallas and, in doing so, the first to sign from one of the MLS side's affiliate clubs. 6. WHERE'S MAURO? Dallas have managed to thrive without injured playmaker Mauro Díaz for much of the season, but having him on the field has always been the preference. But after re-injuring his hamstring, Dallas manager Oscar Pareja said Díaz has returned to Argentina to work with rehab staff there. But the club expects him to return before the end of the season. 7. KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR Former English Premier League player Zat Knight is finally a Colorado Rapids player. The Englishman had agreed to terms with the club before the roster freeze date and, having eventually acquired the proper paperwork, the 34-year-old defender should be available to play immediately. 8. SOUNDERS GETTING DEEPER The Seattle Sounders already have plenty of depth in their squad, but the Supporters' Shield contenders just got a little more of it for the stretch run, as both Martinique international Kevin Parsemain and draft pick Damion Lowe have been removed from the disabled list. 9. PLANNING FOR PIATTI Montreal Impact attacker Ignacio Piatti has undoubtedly turned into one of the best signings of the MLS season. But will teams learn to adjust to Piatti in 2015, similar to what's occurred with Marco Di Vaio this year? 10. STILL HOPE IN VEGAS Las Vegas' attempts to pursue a Major League Soccer club remained alive on Wednesday after the City Council voted 6-1 in favor of a proposed soccer stadium. However, the developers now have some work to do on the bid by December. 11. PRESEASON PLANS FOR ORLANDO While many MLS teams head to Orlando for preseason games, 2015 expansion club Orlando City are apparently looking to spend some of their first MLS preseason in Brazil. It will be Adrian Heath's first chance to assess his new squad in action, but the coach is pleased with the development of the players he has so far. 12. SOONER THAN LATER Sacramento Republic president Warren Smith is bullish about his club's chances of becoming an MLS expansion side: "We're just hopeful it can happen sooner rather than later." With a first-year USL PRO title tucked under their belt, what can the club do next to help further that goal? 13. ROOKIE RANKINGS With young forwards Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas) and Harry Shipp (Chicago Fire) cooling down of late, it's left a door open for a handful of promising centerbacks to make a run at the Rookie of the Year award. Find out which defending is shooting up the projected rankings all the way to No. 1. 14. NEW ENGLAND GET SPORTING With Fredy Montero and Oriol Rossell in their ranks already, Sporting Clube de Portugal are no strangers to MLS-developed talent and now, with a new partnership between the Portuguese club and the New England Revolution, links between Lisbon and MLS are likely to get stronger. 15. PROUD TRADITION, MOVING MOMENT It's a proud tradition for the Portland Timbers players to raise a sawn-off slab of log after scoring a goal, a tradition that dates back all the way to the 1970s, but following a recent win, Timbers defender Pa Modou Kah drafted someone very special to help him with the ceremony. MLSsoccer.com Musts Armchair Analyst: More experiments? A roster for Klinsmann and the US Witness Omar Gonzalez's directorial debut! MLS Fantasy: The lucky 13 $100m challenge

Kick Off: MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City meet the President; RSL down Republic

News  |  Videos  |  Schedule & Stats  |  Clubs  |  Fantasy  |  Shop Forward To A Friend Kick Off: MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City meet the President; RSL down Republic Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning: 1. GOOD WITH THE BAD While Sporting Kansas City prepare for their visit to the White House (WATCH IT LIVE at 1:30ET here), their injury woes got a little bit worse on Tuesday with the news that teenager Erik Palmer-Brown has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his right foot. 2. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS Mark Watson's future as head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes remains unclear as a result of last week's rumors about Dominic Kinnear's return. How does Watson feel about that? According to the 44-year-old, it's just "part of the business." 3. REAL SALT LAKE TAKE DOWN THE REPUBLIC The Sacramento Republic may have been experiencing a USL PRO championship hangover after falling 2-0 to Real Salt Lake (watch highlights here) in a friendly on Tuesday which offered a number of the MLS club's fringe players a chance to make an impression. 4. POGATETZ PLAYS IN SCRIMMAGE The Columbus Crew also played a scrimmage against the NASL's Indy Eleven on Tuesday in which new signing Emanuel Pogatetz got his first game action with the team. The match also featured 17-year-old prospect Ben Swanson, whom head coach Gregg Berhalter revealed will continue training with the Crew indefinitely. 5. OBA THE SALESMAN Seattle Sounders players got a first look at their newest teammate on Tuesday after Onyekachi Apam finally joined up with his new team. While the Nigerian defender took part in his first training session, Obafemi Martins is claiming the credit for convincing the defender to join his team. 6. MUST-WIN FOR THE UNION? While Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin stopped short of calling Thursday's game against the Chicago Fire (8 pm ET, ESPN2) a must-win, he surely knows its importance. Which makes it all the more concerning that Sebastien Le Toux remains a serious injury doubt after limping out of the game against D.C United. So what options does Curtin have up front? 7. WAITING FOR DEFOE Having scored 11 goals in 16 regular-season games, Jermain Defoe has had quite the debut season in MLS. But he has not started consecutive games since mid-July and has not played at all since Aug. 23 due to injury, a stretch which could be set to change this weekend after Defoe returned to training. 8. BODEN SET TO RE-SIGN WITH ORLANDO All-USL PRO left back Luke Boden is set to become the latest player to officially continue with Orlando City into their first season in MLS in a move seen as a no-brainer for both parties. 9. OLYMPIC PREPARATIONS As the US Soccer Federation begins preparations for Olympic qualifying in 2016, hopefully with a better outcome than in 2012, the US U-23 national team will take on Brazil's U-23s in a friendly next month. 10. HONDURAN SQUAD ANNOUNCED We may not know the US squad for the upcoming October friendlies yet, but we at least know who they might be playing against after Honduras announced a squad which includes five MLS players. 11. IBARRA ON POTENTIAL CALL-UP Miguel Ibarra has caught a lot of attention since the news that the Minnesota United star was on Jurgen Klinsmann's preliminary squad for the upcoming US national team friendlies. While that does not guarantee Ibarra a spot on the final squad, the 24-year-old has talked about what a call-up would mean to him. 12. TURNING A PROFIT Want further proof that soccer is on the rise in North America? The US Soccer Federation's latest external audits show an increase in both income and spending for both national teams but, perhaps more importantly, the figures show that US Soccer actually turned a small profit on the US Open Cup this year. 13. SEARCH TEAM While Fulham are currently managerless, their new coach will play a big role in the future of US prospect Emerson Hyndman. With that in mind, Brian McBride, former US, MLS and Fulham star, has been named to the five-man search committee tasked with finding a new manager. 14. VIABLE VEGAS? There has been a lot of talk lately about Las Vegas and its attempts to land an MLS franchise, yet what are the chances and what needs to happen in order to make it real? The Guardian takes a long look at both the pros and cons of the proposed franchise. 15. CONGRATULATIONS! Injury may have ruled Todd Dunivant out for most of the LA Galaxy's season, but at least things are going right for the defender off the pitch. Congratulations! MLSsoccer.com Musts March to the Match: Why D.C. United have the edge atop the Eastern Conference Robinson: Whitecaps not as deep, but can "without a doubt" compete MLS Power Rankings, Week 29: Sporting Kansas City continue to fall