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Published on November 14, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release

1. Toronto FC rested and ready after weekend break

By Kurt Larson Toronto Sun - November 13, 2016

Juice boxes and Doritos and assorted treats. Reminds you of simpler times, doesn't it?

Like when the final bell on the last day of school signaled the beginning of summer.

It was a time to relax and let loose and mentally recover.

There were similar feelinging around the KIA Training Ground last Friday, two full days before Toronto FC reconvened in preparation for the Eastern Conference final.

Nick Hagglund descended the staircase inside the club's training centre carrying a box full of the aforementioned treats - "his diet," head coach Greg Vanney joked.

Out the TFC defender went, "headed to Columbus," to take in a U.S.-Mexico World Cup qualifier.

Just as eager for the two-day break, Will Johnson followed at a pace akin to the Road Runner.

Few TFC players or staff members remained beyond noon.

"It's been a busy three weeks for the group," Vanney said. "They've had to lock in, engage. We've asked a lot of them physically. This was the first two days they've had off in a long time. We pushed them physically to get what we needed to (before the weekend). Now we hope they get a mental recovery period and a physical recovery period and come back ready to go - both reinvigorated and refocused. It's still a long week."

It has been a long season - the longest in Toronto FC's 10-year history.

The Reds reported for preseason during the third week of January. They've been competing for almost 10 months with few breaks.

"They earned (the weekend off) and they needed this weekend to clear their minds so they can come back again focused and motivated," Vanney added.

"We haven't spent a minute talking about (the Montreal Impact). It's just about getting guys to stay fit and healthy and getting them whatever they need."

There's a correlation between fitness and form at this time of year. The Reds are the healthiest they've been all season heading into two of the biggest matches in club history.

At least part of that has to do with squad rotation. Vanney started 22 different players through 34 regular-season fixtures this year. And 20 Reds appeared 10 or more times this season.

Pundits lamented the fact Vanney rarely used the same starting lineup in consecutive fixtures throughout the campaign, though some of that was due to injuries and international call-ups.

And yet, here Toronto is, on the cusp of not only making MLS Cup, but hosting the league's championship match. And Vanney has a full compliment of in-form players to choose from at the conclusion of a grueling season.

"It's vital during the grind of the summer that you mix it up as much as you can," Vanney said. "We did it by choice and by virtue of various situations. I do believe if you last the entire season and you get into the playoffs it becomes a grind. The fresher the guys are the better off you can be. But there's a fine line in some of that because you also want the continuity to be right."

It's certainly been that way through the first three games of these playoffs. The Reds have been in full control of every contest - including both semifinal legs against not-so-mighty New York City.

Toronto's unbelievable form has been so good that a number of regular contributors have been left out of the side.

After appearing 21 times during the regular season, rookie Tsubasa Endoh hasn't made it off the bench yet during these playoffs. The same can be said for Jay Chapman, Mo Babouli and Jordan Hamilton, all of whom played a part throughout the summer grind.

"There's a lot of guys who've played a bigger role over the course of the year and have helped us get to where we are," Vanney explained.

"But we know what the needs are for a specific game. It's important to know what each guy brings to the equation."

Back from their club-issued, weekend holiday, the Reds now turn their attention to next Tuesday's massive all-Canadian tilt at Olympic Stadium.

One of the unintended consequences of this two-week international break has been the ability for both Montreal and Toronto FC to recover and build hype for what should be an epic series.

It's like heading back to school - or, the training ground - following a brief vacation.

The next break won't arrive until one of these two sides goes out of the competition.

MLS FINAL A 'BIG MOMENT' FOR CANADA

The Eastern Conference final between Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact could raise the profile of Major League Soccer within this country, according to TFC's Tosaint Ricketts.

"This is the first time a Canadian team will make it to the MLS Cup final, which is big," Ricketts told reporters. "To have a lot of Canadian players involved in these matches - maybe not in the starting lineup but on the roster - that's big for Canada as well. It's a step forward. It gives the kids in the MLS academies something to look forward to. It will give them that extra confidence that it's possible to make it."

The Impact announced last week that the opening leg (Nov. 22) is approaching a sellout at the 60,000-seat Olympic Stadium. Toronto FC also is trending towards a second leg (Nov. 30) sellout of 35,000 at an expanded BMO Field.

"It's a big moment for me and the other Canadian boys," Ricketts said, adding that joining Toronto FC has bolstered his career, which for the most part has been spent as a journeyman in Europe.

"This organization has been pushing for this for many years," the Edmonton native continued. "It's good to be here and be back in Canada during this.

"I'm getting playing time. I'm getting a chance to show Canada and the supporters what I can provide on a weekly basis."

2. Toronto FC architect Leiweke weighs in on rise of the Reds

By Laura Armstrong Toronto Star - November 14, 2016

Tim Leiweke's fingerprints are all over the current regime at Toronto FC, but the former president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment isn't taking credit for the Reds' success this season.

"We did good things," Leiweke, who left last fall after about 2 1/2 years in Toronto, told the Star over the phone from California this past week. "(Current TFC president) Bill Manning came in here and did better things."

General manager Tim Bezbatchenko was hired under Leiweke, now founder and CEO of the Los Angeles-based Oak View Group. Together, the two Tims dove into Major League Soccer's designated player game, signing striker Jermain Defoe and current captain Michael Bradley - a $100-million package sold to the public as a Bloody Big Deal - before bringing in strikers Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco in the wake of the flop that was Defoe's tenure.

Coach Greg Vanney also started under Leiweke, as did the major renovation of BMO Field.

"He really thrust this team into the spotlight, and I think if we go on to be a championship team, certainly he gets some credit for that, without a doubt," Manning said before the season began.

Still, it was Manning, brought in by MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum last October, who made the Reds better with crucial finishing touches, Leiweke said. They brought in defenders Drew Moor and Steven Beitashour, goalkeeper Clint Irwin and midfielder Will Johnson - players who thrive under pressure.

"It's the one thing we didn't have last year, so I'm really a huge fan," Leiweke said. "I think the very reason that Toronto's (in the Eastern Conference final) is because Bill and Tim went out and found those four MLS veterans, the real character guys that came in and taught that organization how to win this year."

Winning was never something Leiweke shied away from during his time in Toronto. Within a month of taking over, the St. Louis native was already - famously - talking about the route the Stanley Cup parade would take when the Toronto Maple Leafs were crowned champions. There is hope for the future now, as the Leafs rebuild under president Brendan Shanahan, also brought in by Leiweke in April of 2014. And the Toronto Raptors won a seven-game playoff series for the first time last spring under president Masai Ujiri - yet another Leiweke hire.

He says it's for others to judge his track record, and credits MLSE's board for approving the big moves.

"None of that would have happened if the board wasn't prepared to spend the money they've spent," Leiweke said. "None of that would have happened if we wouldn't have been able to go out and convince Brendan Shanahan to come back to Toronto. None of that would have happened if we weren't able to go out and get Masai Ujiri to move to Toronto, and none of that would have happened if we weren't able to get Tim, Greg, Robin (Fraser, TFC assistant coach) and then Bill."

One major turning point, he added, came after the Defoe "experiment" blew up. Instead of losing faith, Tanenbaum and MLSE's executive committee invested in Altidore, who has been a pillar for Toronto FC down the stretch.

"I think that was a really key moment where we did not hide, we admitted our mistakes and we moved on. We went out and brought in another designated player. I think the fact that Larry and the board didn't blink there, I think that was a real major moment - not just for that team, but for MLSE. It showed that this board and Larry, they wanted to win."

Defoe didn't take well to Toronto, Leiweke said. The fact that Bradley, Altidore and Giovinco thrive on the pitch and love the city is special.

"Toronto's a really unique, special place and right now if you look at it, they're arguably, within Major League Soccer, they're the talk of the league," he said, adding TFC's devoted fans had waited long enough for a chance to celebrate.

And with the Montreal Impact up next in the Eastern final starting Nov. 22, Leiweke believes the story is about to get even better.

"A lot of people would argue not having a U.S. team in the Eastern Conference finals would hurt the league," he said. "I'd argue this is the best thing to ever happen, because people don't understand the competitiveness, the animosity, the rivalry between Toronto and Montreal."

While he said he's caught as many Reds games as he could on TV, and stopped in to see the team after last Sunday's 5-0 win over New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, Leiweke has yet to make it back for a game at BMO Field this season. That could change on Nov. 30, when he's hoping to be in Toronto for the decisive second leg of the Eastern final.

He did get a taste of The Six recently, when he was reunited with Drake for one of the 6 God's tour dates in California. It was Leiweke who brought in the hometown sensation as the Raptors' global ambassador. The team's fourth Drake night is Wednesday, when the Golden State Warriors visit the Air Canada Centre.

The two have remained friends. Leiweke said the rapper added three shows at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., at his request.

"He loves Toronto and he loves all of these teams," he said of Drake.

If he makes it to BMO Field for the finale, Leiweke seems content to stay out of the spotlight.

"You sit here and look at what's going on and you kind of wish you were a part of it, but the fact is, I get the benefit of being a part of it because Larry was kind enough to invite me back.

"They're my friends, so I will celebrate for them. That's good enough for me."

3. U.S. men's soccer team faces a tough task in Costa Rica

By Kevin Baxter Los Angeles Times - November 13, 2016

Trying to handicap World Cup qualifying can be a little like trying to predict a presidential election: Nothing seems to go the way it's supposed to go on paper.

In the South American tournament, for example, Argentina, ranked No. 1 in the world by FIFA, is sixth in the standings after 11 games. And in European qualifying, Greece has a better record than Portugal and the Netherlands.

By those standards, the predicament in which the U.S. finds itself after one game isn't dire, but it is noteworthy. Because after failing to win in a place where they had never lost, the Americans landed in Costa Rica on Sunday needing to avoid a loss in a place where they have never won.

Last week's setback to Mexico in the opening game of the 10-game "hexagonal" round of the CONCACAF tournament was the first for the U.S. in Columbus, Ohio, as well as the first qualifying loss on home soil since 2001. As a result, the Americans traveled to Costa Rica, where they are 0-8-1 all-time, needing a win to avoid the worst start to the final round of the CONCACAF tournament since 1986, when they didn't qualify.

"It's very difficult to play in Costa Rica. But we have a lot of confidence we can win there," former Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez said in Spanish. "It's not going to be easy.

"We just have to move forward. We can't have our heads down."

Since the U.S. began its run of seven straight World Cup appearances in 1990, it has never lost the first two games of the final qualifying competition. That would make a loss Tuesday historic, though not necessarily fatal since the CONCACAF tournament can be extremely forgiving.

To qualify directly for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the U.S. needs to only finish among the top three in the six-team tournament, which also includes Honduras, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. The fourth-place team wins a spot in an intercontinental playoff, where a final World Cup spot is up for grabs.

That's the path Mexico followed to the Brazil two years ago after it won just once in its first eight hexagonal games.

"I remember sitting in Honduras a couple of years back: First game, doom and gloom, World Cup's over," goalkeeper Tim Howard said, recalling the U.S. loss to Honduras in its qualifying opener in 2013. "But it's a first game. We've got a whole bunch more to go."

The U.S. must now go part of that way without Howard, who came out of the Mexico game in the first half with what an MRI exam showed was a thigh muscle injury. Howard returned to his club team in Colorado for treatment, leaving Brad Guzan to take his place Tuesday.

That's not the only change the U.S. is likely to make against Costa Rica, which beat Trinidad and Tobago in its first game. The Americans struggled mightily against Mexico after starting the game with an unusual formation that featured three central defenders on the back line, only to dominate the final hour after switching, at Michael Bradley's suggestion, to a 4-4-2 alignment.

Expect Coach Juergen Klinsmann to go with that from the start Tuesday.

"We're going to correct it in Costa Rica," Klinsmann said. "If we ... play the way we played the second half, I'm not worried."

4. As Mexico did to them, U.S. men aim to flip Cup qualifying script in Costa Rica

By Steven Goff Washington Post - November 13, 2016

Some 45 minutes after the U.S. men's national team's 2-1 defeat to Mexico on Friday, goalkeeper Tim Howard was asked about the thankless trial that lay ahead Tuesday: a visit to Costa Rica, where the Americans have lost eight consecutive World Cup qualifiers.

"Yeah, we haven't won," he said on the chilly pathway to the team bus outside Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. "Probably the same way Mexico felt today."

Mexico flipped the Columbus script after four consecutive 2-0 defeats. The United States will now seek to end 27 years of San Jose misery.

If there was a silver lining to the loss on the opening night of CONCACAF's final round of qualifying, it was that the six-nation competition for three tickets to Russia in 2018 leaves opportunity to amend flawed ways and discover fresh paths.

The first set of matches also showed unpredictability in the region. All three hosts lost, the first time that had occurred since Sept. 1, 2001, which was also the last time the Americans had lost a qualifier at home (3-2 to Honduras at RFK Stadium). As in that cycle, the Americans will attempt to rebound in Costa Rica.

"We have to be 100 percent, especially like we showed in the second half of the Mexico game," midfielder Jermaine Jones said "That's the only chance you have over there."

All things considered, the Americans would gladly take a draw in Costa Rica and then recalibrate for the March matches against Honduras at home and Panama away. A victory would do wonders but isn't mandatory. After all, the last stage of qualifiers, known as the "Hexagonal," is forgiving. Each country will play 10 games, with half the field getting automatic berths and another team entering a two-leg playoff against an Asian side next fall.

There was less margin of error in the semifinal round, albeit against weaker competition in a four-team group: four fewer games and two available slots.

While dropping points at home was worrisome, it came against the group favorite, an immensely talented Mexican squad with global ambitions. The loss does, though, create an unfamiliar situation: going on the road after an opening setback. The Americans lost their first match in the previous World Cup cycle as well, but that was on the road (Honduras). They recovered in their next outing, a month later against Costa Rica in a Colorado snowstorm.

There won't be any advantages - climatic or otherwise - in Costa Rica.

"We know it's going to be hostile, we know it's going to be a hard place to go to, but we know the ability we have in our guys," goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. "We showed at times, especially in the second half on Friday, that when we are at our best, we are a good team. We're going to need that come Tuesday night."

Guzan will start in place of Howard, who suffered a right adductor injury in the first half against Mexico. He did not travel with the team to Costa Rica on Sunday, instead returning to the Colorado Rapids for further evaluation ahead of the MLS Western Conference finals, which will begin Nov. 22 against the Seattle Sounders.

In relief against Mexico, Guzan was beaten by Rafael Marquez's 89th-minute header, though the fault on the goal was in the marking assignments. Three U.S. players were within range of Marquez, who connected off a corner kick to record Mexico's first victory in an away qualifier against the United States since 1972.

Costa Rica, a 2014 World Cup quarterfinalist, is riding high after winning at Trinidad and Tobago, 2-0. Panama is also off to a terrific start after a 1-0 stunner at Honduras.

Mexico, the United States and Costa Rica remain the group favorites, while Honduras's status as the fourth-best team has slipped.

Even if the Americans were to fall to 0-2-0 in the final round for the first time, Coach Jurgen Klinsmann does not appear in jeopardy of losing his job - despite criticism of his tactics against Mexico that failed from the start and prompted adjustments in the first half. The Americans were the better team after intermission until Marquez spoiled the night.

During a media roundtable a few hours before the Mexico match, U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati pointed out that the organization has not changed coaches in midstream in 27 years.

The unspoken rule: The USSF won't take action unless the World Cup berth were in grave danger. In the CONCACAF setup, it takes more than one or two early defeats to hit the breaking point.

"So no one has started the process and not finished it since 1989," Gulati said. "And I expect that to be the case here."

5. After loss to Mexico, US heads to Costa Rica

By Ronald Blum Associated Press - November 14, 2016

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - The United States is in danger of becoming the fourth team to start 0-2 in the final round of CONCACAF's World Cup qualifying since the hexagonal format was adopted ahead of the 1998 tournament.

The Americans traveled to Central America on Sunday, two days after a 2-1 loss to Mexico in Columbus, Ohio - the Americans' first home loss in qualifying since 2001. They are 0-8-1 in qualifiers at Costa Rica - losing their last eight in a row.

The teams play Tuesday night.

"It's just part of the qualifying process, the whole kind of long road obviously over 10 games," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said after Friday's match. "And so it's not a problem, but it's obviously it's disappointing."

All three hosts lost Friday, the first time that happened in the hexagonal since Sept. 1, 2001, when the U.S. was defeated 3-2 by Honduras at Washington's RFK Stadium. But there is plenty of time to rebound.

The top three teams in the North and Central American and Caribbean finals advance to the 2018 tournament in Russia and the fourth-place nation meets Asia's No. 5 finisher in a playoff for another berth.

Canada (1997) and Trinidad and Tobago (2001) both started 0-2 and failed to qualify, but the Soca Warriors overcame losses to the U.S. and Guatemala in 2005 to finish fourth, then beat Bahrain in a playoff to reach the 2006 tournament in Germany.

The U.S. Soccer Federation noted the average points needed to qualify from the hex has been 15.6, which means the U.S. would need four points on the road if form holds and it wins four remaining home matches. The U.S. earned six points on the road in the final round of qualifying for the 1998 tournament, five for 2002 and seven in each of the last three cycles.

"We have to look forward, pick ourselves up," forward Jozy Altidore said.

The U.S. left behind goalkeeper Tim Howard, who departed the opener in the 40th minute after injuring the adductor muscle in his right leg. After a refueling stop in West Palm Beach, Florida, the team arrived at its hotel in San Jose at 7:30 p.m., following an afternoon storm.

Costa Rica has become the perennial No. 3 team in the region behind Mexico and the U.S., and Los Ticos reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup before losing to the Netherlands on penalty kicks.

In the Americans' first qualifying match at Costa Rica, John Kerr scored in the 44th minute off Jeff Hooker's cross after Mike Windischmann long pass down a flank, to gain a 1-1 draw on May 26, 1985, at Estadio Alejandro Moreira in Alajuela, about 13 miles from San Jose. Oscar Ramirez had put the hosts ahead about one minute earlier after Arnie Mausser misplayed a cross.

The U.S. then lost seven consecutive qualifiers by a combined 16-5 at San Jose's Estadio Saprissa, where fans were right behind the benches and some threw bags of urine at the visitors.

The site shifted in 2013 to Estadio Nacional, which opened two years earlier and has an athletics track around the field. The result was similar, with the Americans giving up goals to Johnny Acosta and Celso Borges in the first nine minutes of a 3-1 loss that ended their team-record winning streak at 12 games, three shy of Spain's world mark. American midfielder Michael Bradley, originally in the starting lineup, limped off the field during warmups after spraining his left ankle and was on crutches at the bench during the match.

"The message is very simple," Klinsmann said after the loss. "We've got to do down there and get a result, which we will do."

6. U.S. confident it will rebound vs. Costa Rica

By Martin Rogers USA Today - November 14, 2016

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - While attention of the American public narrows firmly onto soccer only once every four years, when the World Cup gets underway, the process of reaching the global fiesta can be fraught with difficulty.

The United States has made it to the last seven World Cups and is expected to do so again, but Friday's home defeat to Mexico was an early pothole that caused a stumble. Tuesday's visit to Costa Rica, never a happy hunting ground, is another obstacle laced with trickery, but also provides an opportunity to ease initial concerns.

"It is way too soon for doom and gloom," U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "We go to Costa Rica, get a result, and everything looks solid again."

Howard is right in that the Mexico outcome, while disappointing, was merely the first in a 10-game schedule that will decide the CONCACAF region's six-team, double round-robin final stage, from which it will send three teams directly to Russia in 2018.

However, teams that start poorly have a habit of getting themselves in trouble, and Costa Rica is arguably the most difficult place in the region to try to get a win, perhaps even more so than Mexico City.

Furthermore, Howard is out, the veteran keeper having injured his groin in the 2-1 defeat in Columbus, Ohio, that ended the U.S. sterling recent home streak against its fiercest rival. He will be replaced by Brad Guzan, who recently lost his starting spot with English Premier League struggler Middlesbrough.

In San Jose, the U.S. historically is 0-8-1, losing 3-1 in the last qualifying cycle, and coming up against a team that reached the quarterfinals of the last World Cup before falling to the Netherlands on penalty kicks.

"We have to go there and get a result, which we will do," coach Jurgen Klinsmann said.

Even Lionel Messi's Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal are finding the qualification struggle problematic, and the U.S. has overcome troubled times at this juncture before, so now is not the time to panic.

Nevertheless, another defeat would surely see questions about Klinsmann's methods raised once more, particularly after how he seemed to be tactically outmaneuvered in the early part of the game against Mexico.

The U.S. has come to see a quadrennial spot at soccer's top table as an inherent right. It isn't, but the comparative weakness of the CONCACAF region means that the process should be negotiated comfortably enough. The only issue comes if the U.S. makes life difficult for itself, and Tuesday will go a long way toward determining whether that is the case.

7. Klinsmann: USA will get result at Costa Rica on Tuesday

By Paul Kennedy Soccer America - November 14, 2016

For the second straight time, the USA has opened the Hexagonal with a loss and will face Costa Rica, its toughest Concacaf opponent in recent years, in their second game.

But the circumstances this time are more precarious. Instead of facing the Ticos at home -- where it won, 1-0, in the Snow Bowl game four years ago -- the USA must travel to Costa Rica, where it has lost eight straight qualifiers.

Still, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann is counting on a reaction from his players against Costa Rica, which had the best record of any Hexagonal team against the USA in the last 10 games.

USA vs. Hex opponents (last 10 games): W-T-L TEAM 7-2-1 Trin. & Tobago 7-2-1 Panama 7-1-2 Honduras 3-3-4 Mexico 3-2-5 Costa Rica

The loss to Mexico was the first at home since a 3-2 loss to Honduras in September 2001, a span of 30 games.

"The message is very simple," Klinsmann said. "We have got to go there and get a result, which we will do. [The Mexico game was] the first of 10 qualifying games. It's obviously the big one -- Mexico is the biggest one we play. But we always know that when we play Mexico it's a nail biter and sometimes it goes their way and the other times it goes our way. I told them we're going to into Costa Rica and then in the summertime we can't wait to go to Azteca Stadium [to face Mexico] and go for it right there in their home. It is just part of the qualifying process. It is a long road over 10 games. It is not a problem but obviously it is disappointing."

Klinsmann added that the USA doesn't want to fall farther behind Mexico and Costa Rica in the Hexagonal. Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama all won on the road, marking the first matchday since the USA's loss to Honduras at RFK Stadium in 2001 that that happened.

"I think it's a sense of anger in us," he said of the 2-1 loss to Mexico. "It's a sense of urgency because you don't want to be behind. All these qualifying games are nail-biters, all of these qualifying games are difficult, but that's what the players are prepared for." Klinsmann added he was confident of a good performance after seeing how the USA played in the second half against Mexico.

8. MLS Awards: Hedges is Defender of the Year

By Ridge Mahoney Soccer America - November 14, 2016

For the first time in the 21-year history of FC Dallas, one of its players has been named MLS Defender of the Year. Matt Hedges, a fifth-year pro who finished second in the voting last year, earned 24.39 percent of the vote to edge out fellow finalists Jelle Van Damme (LA Galaxy) and Axel Sjoberg (Colorado).

Buttressed by Hedges, 26, FCD posted 12 shutouts and finished fourth in fewest goals allowed (40). FCD won the Supporters' Shield and also captured the U.S. Open Cup title.

In 26 games Hedges scored one goal on 10 shots, committed 28 fouls and was cautioned five times. According to whoscored.com he averaged 1.5 tackles and 3.7 interceptions per game.

After helping North Carolina win the 2011 NCAA Division I championship, Hedges was drafted No. 11 overall by FCD in the 2012 SuperDraft. He was named team captain in 2014 and earned a U.S. cap against Panama Feb. 8, 2015.

Here is the breakdown of the voting by players, media members, and club officials:

Defender of the Year Voting Player Media Club Avg. % Matt Hedges (FC Dallas) 21.77% 19.81% 31.58% 24.39% Jelle Van Damme (LA Galaxy) 19.73% 16.98% 25.00% 20.57% Axel Sjoberg (Colorado) 6.80% 28.30% 15.79% 16.96% Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas) 7.48% 12.26% 6.58% 8.78% Steve Birnbaum (DC United)) 10.20% 3.77% 3.95% 5.97%

MLS Defender of the Year 2016 -- Matt Hedges (FC Dallas) 2015 -- Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact) 2014 -- Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC) 2013 -- Jose Goncalves (New England Revolution) 2012 -- Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City) 2011 -- Omar Gonzalez (L.A. Galaxy) 2010 -- Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake) 2009 -- Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew) 2008 -- Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew) 2007 -- Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution) 2006 -- Bobby Boswell (D.C. United) 2005 -- Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards 2004 -- Robin Fraser (Columbus Crew) 2003 -- Carlos Bocanegra (Chicago Fire 2002 -- Carlos Bocanegra (Chicago Fire 2001-- Jeff Agoos (San Jose Earthquakes) 2000 -- Peter Vermes (Kansas City Wizards) 1999 -- Robin Fraser (L.A. Galaxy) 1998 -- Lubos Kubik (Chicago Fire) 1997 -- Eddie Pope (D.C. United) 1996 -- John Doyle (San Jose Earthquakes)

9. Whitecap Bolaños Stars as Costa Rica Defeat Trinidad & Tobago

By Gareth Wolff MLSMultiplex.com - November 13, 2016

The Hex, the CONCACAF region's final six-team round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, got off to a good start for CONCACAF-based Vancouver Whitecaps players. Costa Rican attacking midfielder Christian Bolaños in particular will be happy with his performance. Costa Rica won 2-0 in Trinidad & Tobago to go top of the Hex qualifying group.

Bolaños scored the opening goal for Los Ticos. The goal itself was a tap-in into an empty net, but he showed good awareness to read the developing play.

Bolaños then assisted the second goal in the 92nd minute to seal the three points, running half the length of the field and neutralizing two defenders before laying the ball off to Rónald Matarrita to score. Bolaños was named man of the match for his performance.

Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston also played the full game for Costa Rica, and will be happy with the clean sheet. Costa Rica's next game will be at home to the United States on Tuesday, November 15th at 6 pm PST.

Elsewhere in the region, forward Blas Pérez played the full 90 minutes for Panama as they came away from Honduras with a 1-0 win.

Four Whitecaps Feature for Canada

Canada finished the previous qualifying round behind Mexico and Honduras, and are therefore not involved in the Hex. Instead, they lost 2-0 in an international friendly in South Korea on Friday. The four Whitecaps players called up for Canada all started the game. David Edgar played 45 minutes. Marcel de Jong, Fraser Aird, and Marco Bustos all played the full 90 minutes. Bustos made his first start for the senior team, and he was named Canada's man of the match.

After a season spent mostly in the USL with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, Bustos will be hoping to build on performances like this one. Next season will be his best opportunity so far to stake a claim for a spot in the Whitecaps midfield.

10. Sounders Academy get chance to shine at US Western Soccer Showcase

SounderatHeart.com - November 13, 2016

Last week, the youngest members of the Sounders soccer system traveled to the National Training Center in Carson, California. There U.S. Soccer's Technical Advisers and Youth National Team coaches were finishing their focused scouting efforts of meaningful games when they headed to the Western Regional Showcase. The showcase offers players three games against teams outside their division, selected to provide meaningful games and a variety of competition.

On Friday, November 4, the 26 U13 teams started off the event with two shortened games each. The Sounders Discovery Program U13 squad started the day against Ablion SC. Previously against ASC, the SDP squad lost 2-0. But, thanks to the defensive efforts of center back Rogelio Briceno and left back Takashi Sasaki, the rematch ended in a 0-0 draw.

Later that day, Briceno put in another impressive performance in the 1-1 draw with Juventus Sport Club, often intercepting opposition attacks and quickly restarting play with forward passes. The SDP squad took the lead in the 10th minute when striker Mark Dormoh took advantage of a half-clearance following a corner kick and scored the goal.

On Saturday, November 5, the SDP squad finished the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Sacramento Republic. Dormoh got the goal again after a well-timed run beat Sacramento's offside trap allowing him to put the ball in the back of the net.

That same day, the U14 teams started their play, playing full-length games with high-scoring production. Sounders U14 squad started off the weekend against Real Salt Lake, missing three top players to US National Team duty. But, that didn't hold them back. Young holding midfielder Sota Kitahara controlled the midfield despite playing up a year. His ability to win the ball back and maintain possession allowed the Rave Green to control the match for long spells. Two goals from striker Clements Sintayehu and an opportunistic goal from Ray Serrano gave the Sounders a 3-2 victory.

The next day, it was a similar story in the 5-2 win over San Jose Earthquakes, as Sintayehu and Serrano overwhelmed the Earthquakes backline. Striker, Sintayehu pitched in with a goal and two assists, while Serrano contributed three goals and an assist. One tactical adjustment from the match was center back Elias Katsaros slotting in as the holding midfielder and shutting down the Earthquakes' best attacking player.

In the final match against Sacramento Republic, a goal from Sintayehu and two from Serrano ensured that the Rave Green left California undefeated, finishing with a 3-3 draw.

"The weekend was very valuable for us," U14 head coach Sean Henderson told SoundersFC.com. "We played well against three very good teams. We were able to see where we are at in our development, both individually and as a team."

"As a team, we all understand that this is a work in progress," said Henderson. "The players are not afraid of making mistakes and understand how important it is for us to keep learning and keep getting better."

The Development Academy is designed to provide a positive learning environment for players, coaches and referees. And based on some of the individual and collective performances, the showcase was certainly an important step in the right direction.

11. Toronto FC sell out away section at Olympic Stadium

By Oliver Platt WakingtheRed.com - November 11, 2016

More than 40,000 tickets have been sold for Toronto FC's visit to the Olympic Stadium to face the Montreal Impact, but it's not just home supporters snapping them up.

The 1,400 seats allocated specifically for travelling Reds fans have already sold out, Canadian soccer reporters Duane Rollins and Rudi Schuller both tweeted on Thursday.

Away followings of that size are rarely seen in MLS due to the league's geography, so it promises to be some spectacle on November 22.

Morris named Rookie of the Year

Surprise, surprise. Seattle Sounders striker Jordan Morris was named MLS' Rookie of the Year yesterday after a debut season in which he scored 12 goals in 34 games.

Keegan Rosenberry had an excellent year and Jack Harrison is a talent, but Morris was the best combination of current ability and upside among this season's first-year players. He can be expected to challenge the 20-goal mark next season if he remains a Sounder and has demonstrated why Werder Bremen took a liking to him last winter.

Morris succeeds Cyle Larin as the Rookie of the Year, and it is exciting to think ahead to the battles for club and country the two strikers could have over the coming years. You would have to expect that an opportunity in Europe will also be forthcoming for both of them eventually.

12. Only 10,000 tickets left for Impact's playoff game at Olympic Stadium

By Alicia Rodriguez MLSsoccer.com - November 12, 2016

MLS Cup Playoff fever is high in Eastern Canada right now, and Montreal may be the center of the "epidemic" at the moment.

The Montreal Impact announced on Friday the club has sold more than 50,000 tickets for the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Championship first leg match, taking place Nov. 22 against Toronto FC at Olympic Stadium (8 pm ET, TSN1/3, RDS in Canada | ESPN in US).

As a result, the game is setting up to be one of the Top 5 attended Impact matches at Olympic Stadium in history, and that place in the ranking could yet climb, with less than 10,000 tickets left for purchase as of Friday.

To show the progress of ticket sales for the game, the club lit up the stadium tower like a barometer. On Friday, the tower was 83 percent lit.

To purchase tickets for the playoff derby showdown between Montreal and Toronto on Nov. 22, head to the ticket section on the Impact website.

13. Tim Howard to miss next USMNT qualifier, Colorado Rapids playoffs in doubt

By Caitlin Murray FOXSoccer.com - November 13, 2016

We knew this was coming, but now it's official. Tim Howard will not be going to Costa Rica as the U.S. men's national team continues the Hex round of World Cup qualifying.

Howard suffered "an injury to his right adductor," according to a statement from U.S. Soccer. The severity of the injury was not indicated, but it could end up forcing Howard to miss MLS Cup playoffs, with his Colorado Rapids team set for the Western Conference finals next week.

For the USMNT, the 37-year-old's absence isn't ideal. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has often rotated Howard with Brad Guzan, but Guzan hasn't played for his club, Middlesbrough, since August. Guzan was not asked to make many saves when he came in on Friday to finish the match against Mexico, and now he will have to focus on Tuesday's match in Costa Rica.

For the Rapids, it could force them to go back to Zac MacMath in net if Howard isn't ready in time. MacMath, with a very good defense in front of him, had been having an excellent season as the Rapids' start until he was bumped so Howard could take his spot as a summer acquisition.

The Rapids and MacMath had been doing well enough before Howard's arrival that it was unclear if the club really needed him. As it turns out, the Rapids have conceded more goals since Howard arrived, although blaming that all on Howard wouldn't quite be fair.

Still, as good as MacMath had been playing for the first few months of the season - and it was the best stretch of his career - he hasn't been a regular starter since the summer. He last played for Colorado in September, a one-off where he conceded twice, and asking him to come back during MLS Cup playoffs isn't ideal.

The Rapids have their first leg of the Western Conference final on Nov. 22 (10 p.m. ET, FS1) and for a team as defensive and low-scoring as Colorado is, the Rapids will hope whichever goalkeeper they have will be in form.

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(This sampling of coverage is a service provided to members of the media by MLS Communications)

MLS Newsstand - November 14, 2016

Select Clips

- Sold out MAPFRE Stadium crowd sees Mexico defeat the U.S. Men's National Team in World Cup Qualifier (SportsCenter, ESPN)

- Tim Howard suffers injury in U.S. Men's National Team match against Mexico (SportsCenter, ESPN)

- Jordan Morris carries Sounders FC to playoffs, wins MLS Rookie of the Year (ESPNFC, ESPN2)

- Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC might be the most competitive sports rivalry in Canada (SportsNet.ca)

- Real Salt Lake brings back coach Jeff Cassar for 2017 season (KSTU-SLC, Salt Lake City, UT)

MLS Articles

1. Toronto FC rested and ready after weekend break (Toronto Sun)

2. Toronto FC architect Leiweke weighs in on rise of the Reds (Toronto Star)

3. U.S. men's soccer team faces a tough task in Costa Rica (Los Angeles Times)

4. As Mexico did to them, U.S. men aim to flip Cup qualifying script in Costa Rica (Washington Post)

5. After loss to Mexico, US heads to Costa Rica (Associated Press)

6. U.S. confident it will rebound vs. Costa Rica (USA Today)

7. Klinsmann: USA will get result at Costa Rica on Tuesday (Soccer America)

8. MLS Awards: Hedges is Defender of the Year (Soccer America)

9. Whitecap Bolaños Stars as Costa Rica Defeat Trinidad & Tobago (MLSMultiplex.com)

10. Sounders Academy get chance to shine at US Western Soccer Showcase (SounderatHeart.com)

11. Toronto FC sell out away section at Olympic Stadium (WakingtheRed.com)

12. Only 10,000 tickets left for Impact's playoff game at Olympic Stadium (MLSsoccer.com)

13. Tim Howard to miss next USMNT qualifier, Colorado Rapids playoffs in doubt (FOXSoccer.com)

(Additional articles for consideration can be submitted directly to Jane Sexton of MLS Communications at Jane.Sexton@MLSsoccer.com .)

1. Toronto FC rested and ready after weekend break

By Kurt Larson

Toronto Sun - November 13, 2016