MLS Playoffs gets put on temporary hold this week as the league heads into another international break to accommodate the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying games, the Euro 2016 qualifying playoffs and a few friendlies.
The conference finals will resume on Nov. 22 but until then, clubs — including those still in title contention — will have to temporarily part ways with their stars and here is a list of those who have been called up to represent their respective countries, as of Nov. 10.
Chicago Fire
- Matt Polster (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
Colorado Rapids
- Kevin Doyle (Ireland) — UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, at Bosnia and Herzegovina (Nov. 13, Nov. 16)
- Maynor Figueroa (Honduras) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, at Canada (Nov. 13), vs. Mexico (Nov. 17)
- Dillon Serna (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
Columbus Crew
- Tony Tchani (Cameroon) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, at Niger (Nov. 13), vs. Niger (Nov. 17)
D.C. United
- Bill Hamid (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Haiti (Nov. 13), at Panama (Nov. 17)
FC Dallas
- Tesho Akindele (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
- Moises Hernandez (Guatemala) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 13), at St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 17)
- Je-Vaughn Watson (Jamaica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Panama (Nov. 13), at Haiti (Nov. 17)
Houston Dynamo
- Boniek Garcia (Honduras) —2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, at Canada (Nov. 13), vs. Mexico (Nov. 17)
- Luis Garrido (Honduras) —2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, at Canada (Nov. 13), vs. Mexico (Nov. 17)
- Giles Barnes (Jamaica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Panama (Nov. 13), at Haiti (Nov. 17)
LA Galaxy
- Alan Gordon (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Gyasi Zardes (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Robbie Keane (Ireland) — UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, at Bosnia and Herzegovina (Nov. 13, Nov. 16)
- Dave Romney (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
- Oscar Sorto (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
Montreal Impact
- Ambroise Oyongo (Cameroon) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, at Niger (Nov. 13), vs. Niger (Nov. 17)
- Johan Venegas (Costa Rica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Haiti (Nov. 13), at Panama (Nov. 17)
- Wandrille Lefevre (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
- Eric Miller (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
New England Revolution
- Jermaine Jones (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
New York City FC
- Mix Diskerud (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Khiry Shelton (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
New York Red Bulls
- Matt Miazga (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Kemar Lawrence (Jamaica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Panama (Nov. 13), at Haiti (Nov. 17)
- Karl Ouimette (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
Orlando City
- Brek Shea (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Cyle Larin (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
Philadelphia Union
- Andre Blake (Jamaica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Panama (Nov. 13), at Haiti (Nov. 17)
Portland Timbers
- Darlington Nagbe (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Will Johnson (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
- Alvas Powell (Jamaica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Panama (Nov. 13), at Haiti (Nov. 17)
Real Salt Lake
- Kyle Beckerman (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Elias Vasquez (Guatemala) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 13), at St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 17)
- Boyd Okwuonu (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
- Sebastian Saucedo (Mexico U-20s) – friendlies, vs. Canada (Nov. 13, Nov. 15)
San Jose Earthquakes
- Fatai Alashe (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
Seattle Sounders
- Obafemi Marins (Nigeria) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, at Swaziland (Nov. 13), vs. Swaziland (Nov. 17)
- Marco Pappa (Guatemala) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 13), at St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 17)
Sporting Kansas City
- Matt Besler (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Marcel De Jong (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
- Krisztian Nemeth (Hungary) — UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, at Norway (Nov. 12), vs. Norway (Nov. 15)
- Jon Kempin (U.S. U-23s) — friendlies, at Brazil (Nov. 11, Nov. 16)
Toronto FC
- Michael Bradley (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
- Jozy Altidore (United States) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Nov. 13), at Trinidad & Tobago (Nov. 17)
Vancouver Whitecaps
- Kendall Waston (Costa Rica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Haiti (Nov. 13), at Panama (Nov. 17)
- Russell Teibert (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
- Sam Adekugbe (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
- Kianz Froese (Canada) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Honduras (Nov. 13), at El Salvador (Nov. 17)
- Darren Mattocks (Jamaica) — 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, vs. Panama (Nov. 13), at Haiti (Nov. 17)
MLS HANDS OUT SEVERAL AWARDS
Portland Timbers and U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Darlington Nagbe won the second MLS Individual Fair Play award of his career last Friday, while the Philadelphia Union claimed its second team title in as many years.
Nagbe, who was called for only 11 fouls all season, edged fellow teammate Nat Borchers and San Jose Earthquakes’ Marvell Wynne to become just the fourth players in league history to win the individual title multiples times, joining Sebastien Le Toux, Steve Ralston and Michael Parkhurst. Nagbe, who first won the award in 2013, was also not carded at all for a second year straight season.
For the Union, it claimed the Team Fair Play award over the Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy thanks to their league-fewest 374 fouls during the season.
On the other end of the spectrum, MLS announced on Monday that Alan Kelly has been named the league’s Referee of the Year while Corey Parker was named Assistant Referee of the Year.
Kelly beat out the other two finalists, Baldomero Toledo and Jair Marrufo, while Parker edged Peter Manikowski and George Gansner for the awards that were voted on by the media, players and club management.
BAKARY SOUMARE TO RETIRE AT THE END OF SEASON
MLS veteran and FC Dallas defender Bakary Soumare is calling it a career.
The nine-year pro announced on Monday — his 30th birthday — via Instagram that he will retire at the end of the season, citing injuries as the main reason.
“Recent health setbacks have made this a necessity,” Soumare wrote. “But while I make the decision with conviction, it is one that has sparked a great deal of personal and professional reflection along with enthusiasm for what lies ahead.
“Soccer — football to some of you — has provided me with an abundance of good fortune and riches, far behind what any child born in Mali, West Africa in 1985 could have imagined.”
Soumare, originally a No. 2 overall pick by the Chicago Fire in the 2007 SuperDraft out of the University of Virginia, also featured for the Philadelphia Union and Montreal Impact prior to joining FC Dallas in a midseason trade this season. The defender, however, has not appeared in a single game for Oscar Pareja’s squad, which is still in the title hunt, due to concussion symptoms he suffered since August.
Soumare made 125 appearances during his regular-season career in MLS, including a career-high 28 starts for Chicago in 2008. Soumare also appeared four times in the playoffs and also featured for the Mali national team 13 times — including the 2010 African Cup of Nations.
ORLANDO CITY SIGNS MASON STAJDUHAR AS HOMEGROWN PLAYER
Orlando City announced a new Homegrown Player signing on Monday, promoting 18-year-old goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar to its senior squad from the club’s Soccer Development Academy program.
Stajduhar, a Florida native, was part of the U.S. U-20 team in the recent Four Nations Tournament in Germany. Stajduhar was also named to last season’s U-18 USSDA Best XI team by U.S. Soccer and is ranked as the No. 4 overall goalkeeper in his age group in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
“This is a great moment for our club and for Mason, who has continued to improve his skills and confidence as a goalkeeper,” Orlando City’s general manager Paul McDonough said in a statement.
Stajduhar becomes OCSCs fourth Homegrown Player, joining Tyler Turner, Harrison Heath and Tommy Redding.
ECNL COMMISSIONER TO JOIN ATLANTA UNITED FC
Sarah Kate Noftsinger, the Elite Clubs National League commissioner since 2010, will be leaving her post to take up a role with MLS expansion franchise, Atlanta United FC, effective Nov. 30, according to a league press release.
The ECNL is an organization that was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States, according to the league website. The ECNL is comprised of 79 member clubs, supporting a total of 395 teams, with rosters totally more than 10,000 elite female athletes age U14-U18.
“In the 5 years she has been with the League, Sarah Kate has done a remarkable job of helping us accomplish our mission of ‘raising the game’ and making elite youth female soccer in the United States better,” ECNL President Christian Laver said of Noftsinger. “While we are sad to see her go, we are also very excited for her as she begins a new chapter of her life in professional soccer. The foundation she has helped build will continue to grow, and the ECNL will continue to help clubs, coaches, and players raise their bar.”
Jen Woodie, ECNL Member Services Manager, will become Acting Commissioner.