Last year around this time, when the Union lined up Celtic FC and Manchester United a week apart, the break from the MLS regular season seemed a welcome one.  Philadelphia was sputtering in the middle of its inaugural campaign, the baby steps they had been making beginning to take their physical and emotional toll. Now, however, as Philadelphia prepares to take a week off and host world-renowned opponents Everton FC and Real Madrid in a span of just 4 days, they put on the back burner a highly successful first half of the season.

Head over to ASN Philly for more.

The New England Revolution (3-9-7, 9th in the East) fell 3-0 to a surging Philadelphia Union (8-4-7, 1st in the East) squad yesterday evening at Gillette Stadium. Carlos Ruiz, Carlos Valdes, and Sheanon Williams all tallied for the Union as they dispatched a Revolution team still looking for their first win since May 14th.

Revs ASN has all of the gory details. And Philly ASN chimes in as well.

Jack McInerney scored the lone goal in the Union’s second international friendly win that showcased all of the Union’s impressive youthful crop as the 18-year old striker lined up in the second half with fellow teenagers Amobi Okugo, Roger Torres, and a 15-year old trialist (U-17 standout) Zach Pfeffer. Continue Reading

Week Sixteen (or Week Seventeen, depending how you look at it) confirmed that Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan still deserve their title as best duo in the league but, as it was, the Galaxy looked relatively vulnerable. It was Buddle and Donovan who bailed them out late vs. San Jose. Kasey Keller showed he still has it at 40 and can come back from a bad match to make sure his Sounders gets the three points they need. It was another Sounder, however, that stole the show and deservedly won this week’s ASN Player of the Week honors.

Week 15's Best XI has several new inclusions as we hit the halfway point of what has proven to be a very interesting season. Kansas City, however, looking lost for the past several weeks, rode the quality play of their shotstopper to a much-needed week of results. The Union found more late game dramatics to secure three points at PPL Park, led by a fan favorite who just celebrated an impressive milestone. The battle for Player of the Week in the end went against the grain and to someone that has kept his squad in a match more times than any of us could count. Read on here.

Sebastien Le Toux strengthened his bid for an All-Star spot with a goal and an assist as the Union got back to their winning ways in front of 17,251 at PPL Park. Breton Bonnette reports from Chester, Pa., with photo gallery supplied by Terry McLaughlin.

The New York Red Bulls played another listless performance Saturday night and this time were punished by an efficient Columbus Crew squad. By taking all three points from the match, the Crew move five points clear of the Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings. John Zidar reports from Crew Stadium. The RBNY reaction.

The Colorado Rapids found themselves down by a goal 20 minutes into the match against the Kansas City Wizards at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night, but hometown striker Conor Casey scored the equalizer in the 74th minute and almost earned three points for his team with another shot in the 89th minute. Pat Shea reports from Commerce City, Colo., complete with player ratings from both teams so be sure to check it out!

On the last weekend of World Cup action, Major League Soccer had a full schedule of games on tap. There were several results of importance, perhaps none bigger than the Landon Donovan-less LA Galaxy loss at the New England Revolution. In Seattle, the young Sounders provided a spark but it was 19-year-old Miguel Montano’s red card that changed the balance of the game and allowed FC Dallas to steal a late 1-1 draw from Seattle. Nick Schiffler has that report, complete with player ratings. A full photo gallery is available as well.

In front of a crowd of 17,158 at the second-ever game at PPL Park, two counter attacks led to two San Jose goals locking up three vital away points for the Earthquakes. In an otherwise engaging and entertaining performance, the Philadelphia Union defense on counter-attacks were best summed up by Piotr Nowak as “professionally naive”. Breton Bonnette reports from Chester, Pa., with Union player ratings supplied by San Toma.

The New York Red Bulls and DC United played a drab scoreless stalemate at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night, in a match that was short on highlights of any kind and from either team. The Red Bulls extended their MLS unbeaten streak to five and captured the Atlantic Cup – the regular season series between the two sides – for the first time since 2003. Short match report and full photo gallery.

The Philadelphia Union return to Chester for a second game in their new digs as the season really starts to heat up. Games vs. San Jose, Celtic FC, Toronto FC, and English giants Manchester United highlight a homestand that will help Union fans get over their World Cup withdrawal. First up, however, will be to solve a hardworking San Jose squad that sees itself above .500 for the first time since returning to the league several years ago. Seb Le Toux and Danny Mwanga hope to continue their impressive form as the Union’s quest to get back to breakeven starts in earnest. Breton Bonnette reports from the City of Brotherly Love.

The New York Red Bulls return home after a lengthy absence themselves. Red Bull Arena is old hat for the team by now, but not for the visiting DC United. The team from the nation’s capital are no longer playing like a last place club and have a number of new signings to integrate into the squad. Chris Snear updates us on that situation. Meanwhile, Red Bulls rookie sensation Tim Ream was the featured guest on a podcast co-hosted by ASN’s New York correspondent. Listen to that here.

The Kansas City Wizards (3-7-3) will host Chivas USA (3-9-2) at CommunityAmerica Ballpark with both teams hoping to turn around their disappointing seasons. The Wizards, currently in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, have won only once (a 2-0 home win over Philadelphia on June 10) since back to back victories in the opening two weeks of the season. Chivas USA just snapped a six game losing streak in league play last weak with a 1-1 draw at home to Philadelphia. Nate Brinson reports from Kansas City.

Opening night at PPL Park had everything - a fire alarm scare (Chickies and Pete's to thank for that one), fireworks, a packed house of 18,755 Union faithful, an electric atmosphere, fans spelling out "UNION" in blue, gold, and white seat cards, and Baldomero Toledo in the middle of the field. Nothing compared, however, to what all Philadelphians crave for: a win. They would get that as well. Breton Bonnette reports from Chester, Pa.

The LA Galaxy enter the two-week World Cup break undefeated after beating the visiting Houston Dynamo 4-1. Forward Jovan Kirovski led the scoring charge with a first-half brace while forward Tristan Bowen and midfielder Alex Cazumba supplied the second half strikes. It took just 47 seconds for the Galaxy to get on the board. Ivan Yeo reports from the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

From the nation’s capital, Steve Long reports on the changing fortunes of DC United and identifies the factors that have ushered in what could be a new era after all. Or is that an old one?

The New York Red Bulls defeated Chivas USA 1-0 in the last MLS match before the World Cup break for both teams. It was a lethargic affair from two very tired teams, punctuated only by Seth Stammler’s highlight goal, occasional roughhousing and questionable refereeing decisions (or non-decisions). Here ASN’s player rankings for the victorious home side.

Two organized defensive units grappled scoreless for 85 minutes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night, but three key changes late in the game gave the Colorado Rapids a dramatic 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew. Pat Shea has that report , including Rapids player ratings.

The Chicago Fire were outplayed throughout the majority of their match against the visiting Philadelphia Union, but capitalized on their chances and reaped the benefits of all three points. Jeff Tobin has the partisan view from Bridgeview, Ill., and Breton Bonnette supplies player ratings for the Union.

The Seattle Sounders soundly defeated the New England Revolution by a score of 3-0. Here is a photo gallery supplied by David Lindsay.

That will do it for MLS coverage for a little while, at least from the ASN home page. Local team-specific sites (links in the right column) will have updates over the next two weeks, but this site will be mainly devoted to that little tournament in South Africa, where ASN will be on the ground.