Category: MLS Soccer

The Galaxy's resurgence is undeniable, but their ultimate validation awaits.

The longstanding partnership between New York City FC and Etihad Airways took another significant leap. The MLS side announced that the airliner will take the naming rights of its future soccer-specific stadium in Queens in a 20-year agreement. Construction of the $780 million venue, now called Etihad Park, is slated to begin by the end …

• Midfielder follows David Beckham into MLS ownership
• San Diego will be part of Western Conference from 2025

Juan Mata has followed David Beckham in becoming the owner of an MLS team, after he announced that he was joining the investment group of San Diego FC. The former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder, who now plays for Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s A-League, is the first active player to become a partner in a US franchise. San Diego will be part of the Western Conference from 2025.

The award of an expansion slot was announced in May 2023, with San Diego chosen ahead of Las Vegas, whose bid was backed by the owners of Aston Villa. The 2025 launch came too late for Mata to be involved as a player, with the Spanish midfielder, who had been released by Vissel Kobe in January, eventually joining Sydney as a free agent in September. Now he has become a part owner with a small shareholding while he continues as a professional, unlike David Beckham, whose ownership of Inter Miami had been written into his contract with MLS when he joined LA Galaxy, but was not announced until he had retired.

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• Argentinian coach to resign from Messi’s club per reports
• Miami won MLS-record 74 points before early playoff exit

Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has resigned as the head coach of Inter Miami, citing personal reasons, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.

Martino guided the Lionel Messi-starring club to an MLS-record 74 points (22-4-8) and the Supporters’ Shield in the regular season, but Inter Miami fell short in the MLS Cup playoffs. The club were eliminated in the first round by No 9 seed Atlanta United.

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Martino led the team to a record-breaking MLS Supporters Shield finish, but lost to Atlanta United in the first round of the playoffs.

The signing of forward Gabriel Pec has proved to be a vital part of the Galaxy's transformation into an MLS Cup contender after an eight-win season.

Christian and Alexis discuss the USMNT’s gutsy 1-0 win over Jamaica. Then, Stefan Frei joins the show to chat MLS playoffs. Later, Christian and Alexis break down Marta’s wonder goal to sent the Orlando Pride to the NWSL Cup final.

While the MLS plays many of its games on subscription television, the NWSL is putting its playoffs on good, old-fashioned network TV.

Major League Soccer faces pressure to shift its season calendar to align with Europe's in order to maximize playoff exposure and synchronize with global transfer windows.

• Player had been placed into artificial coma
• Midfielder was married with a young son

Ecuador and FC Cincinnati midfielder Marco Angulo has died from his injuries sustained in a car crash that also killed his former youth team teammate Roberto Cabezas, the Ecuadorian Football Association said on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Angulo was a passenger in the car that crashed into a metal barrier on the Rumiñahui highway southeast of Quito on 7 October. The driver and Cabezas, who played for Independiente Juniors, were killed in the incident.

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The 22-year-old Angulo was on loan to Ecuadorian side L.D.U. Quito this season.

While MLS and its Apple broadcast partners were deeply invested in Lionel Messi leading Inter Miami to the MLS Cup, parity has again leveled the field.

Inter Miami heads into a pivotal 2025 season with a Club World Cup spot, potential roster upgrades hindered by MLS restrictions, and the ticking question of whether Messi will stay beyond his current contract.

The league has made the Argentinian star the crux of its push for growth. But now that his season is over will neutral fans bother to watch?

Everyone loves an underdog story, although an iPad may have been angrily thrown across the room in the Garber household as Atlanta United shocked Inter Miami on Saturday evening. Tim Cook might have reacted in a similar way after posting how “excited” he was to watch Lionel Messi and Co in the MLS playoffs. He won’t be watching any more of him this year.

These were the Messi playoffs. The league’s entire postseason marketing focused on the GOAT, pre-empting a predicted march to MLS Cup glory after Miami had set a regular-season points record. Messi was everywhere: on billboards, in social media promos and TV ads. They even aired Inter Miami’s first playoff game in Times Square. MLS had been building to this moment ever since Messi arrived in Florida.

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• Inter Miami ousted by Atlanta with 3-2 Game 3 loss
• Jamal Thiaré double sparks massive playoff upset
• Miami will play in 2025 Club World Cup despite flop

There will be no MLS Cup for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami this year. Atlanta United saw to that with a massive upset, sending the game’s most decorated player and biggest-spending team home earlier than anyone imagined.

Jamal Thiaré scored twice, Bartosz Slisz’s header in the 76th minute was the winner, and Atlanta United stunned Inter Miami 3-2 on Saturday night to win their best-of-three first round MLS Cup playoff series in three games.

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