After a quiet weekend of play, the scorers of Major League Soccer came to play in Week 26, as six players netted a brace in games across North America. 

From Friday's blowout win by LA at StubHub Center to the crazy six-goal thriller in Portland, plenty of stars were able to find the back of the net with ease. 

With that in mind, we opted to shape our MLS Team of the Week in a 4-3-3 to fit in as many attack-minded players as possible.

Continue reading on to see who was good enough to make the latest MLS Team of the Week. 

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

Thierry Henry may be 37 years old now but as the saying goes: class is permanent.

He thoroughly proved that point in New York Red Bulls' game against Sporting Kansas City, absolutely smashing a shot from the corner of the box to take a 2-1 lead. 

It was a brilliant goal and proved to be the winner for Red Bulls.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

It's that time of the week again, where we make some outlandish predictions about what will happen in the weekend of play in Major League Soccer. 

With the playoff race now ratcheting up with two months of play left, every single second on the field counts for teams desperate to keep their MLS Cup hopes alive. 

With the thirst for the playoffs higher than it has been all season, there are bound to be some unexpected performances—both good and bad.

Before those shock showings can happen, we have a chance to predict who will step out of the shadows and star in our bold predictions for the MLS weekend. 

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

Carlos Bocanegra became the newest United States international to announce his formal retirement from professional football.

The 35-year-old defender broke the news on Twitter:

Plenty of teammates and other American soccer luminaries saluted the retiring star:

Bocanegra's club career spans the globe. After spending four years with the Chicago Fire, he moved on to Fulham. Following a successful stint in England, the center back headed to France, where he played for Rennes and Saint-Etienne. Bocanegra then made brief stops in Scotland and Spain before going home to play for Chivas USA.

Most U.S. Soccer fans will remember Bocanegra for his national team career. His 110 caps are tied for seventh all time, according to USSoccer.com. His 14 goals are the most for an American defender, one ahead of Marcelo Balboa's 13.

Bocanegra played a pivotal role on 2006 and 2010 U.S. World Cup squads, captaining the side and moving wherever Bob Bradley needed him on the back line. He had since been pushed to the periphery by current national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

MLSSoccer.com's Matthew Doyle felt what helped to set Bocanegra apart was his ability in the air despite not being a colossal physical presence:

Here's what Bocanegra said to ESPN Magazine back in 2012: "Now I think playing football helped me because I bring some of that aggressiveness to the soccer field. I enjoy smashing into someone and embrace physical contact." 

That he did. Bocanegra attacked the ball in the air like few players I have seen, right up there with Tim Cahill and Fabio Cannavaro in terms of guys who were less than 6 feet tall. He was an aerial force, especially in scoring situations - something reflected in his goal total for the USMNT.

This is truly a transitional period for U.S. soccer. Landon Donovan's already announced his retirement, while Tim Howard is taking a yearlong hiatus from the national team. You wonder if that's only the tip of the iceberg for the Everton goalkeeper, who's 35 years old.

Between Bocanegra, Donovan and Howard, you're looking at 300-plus combined caps walking away from the national team—at least for the time being in Howard's case.

Klinsmann is already eying up a semifinal appearance in the 2018 World Cup. In order for that to happen, new players will have to emerge as leaders as the old guard moves aside. The United States need more players like Bocanegra.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The calendar now reads September, meaning it is crunch time for many sides in the thick of the playoff race in Major League Soccer. 

As each week passes, the tension grows and the reliance on stars to deliver multiplies. 

In the matches this weekend in MLS, a few stars will be asked to lead their respective teams to victory, but they will have to get past road blocks in the form of difficult matchups.

Continue reading for a look at the 10 key battles to watch across the league this weekend. 

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

MLS has a lot of talented players, whether they're former European stars like Thierry Henry or U.S. stalwarts such as Landon Donovan. 

However, there are several others who receive undeserved praise. They will be highlighted in this slideshow based on the fanfare they receive and whether their stats correlate with their salaries. All wages can be found on the MLS Players Union website.

Here are the 10 most overrated players in Major League Soccer.

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

The month of August belonged to the LA Galaxy, which is why three of the team's stars rank in the top five of the Major League Soccer Player Power Rankings. 

Bruce Arena's side ended its magnificent August with a 3-0 romp of Chivas USA that put their goal total for the month at 19. 

The three main reasons for that high-powered attack are Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes, who have caught the eye of everyone around the league.

One of those players was able to knock Bradley Wright-Phillips off the top spot of this list for the first time in over two months. 

Continue reading on to see who took the MLS Player Power Rankings throne away from the Red Bulls forward. 

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

It was another wild week in Major League Soccer, as the playoff pictures in both the East and the West were flipped around again and the battle for the league’s Supporters’ Shield raged on.

Toronto FC will also have a new coach next week after Ryan Nelsen was fired, and Jermaine Jones made his MLS debut.

There are also a number of brilliant goals to take a look at.

Check it all out in this week’s MLS wrap.

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

After a frantic set of games last week, things in Major League Soccer quieted down a bit in Week 25. 

Aside from the crazy goings on at Sporting Park Friday night, this weekend's set of matches felt a bit dull compared to recent weeks. 

Despite the lack of production on the offensive side of the ball, there were still a decent amount of controversial calls, defensive lapses and standout performances. And there was also the second managerial sacking of the year. 

Continue reading for our weekly list of the biggest winners and losers in MLS.

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

In a complete contrast from last week, Major League Soccer saw plenty of stellar defensive displays over the last three days. 

Seven shutouts were recorded across the nine games played in Week 25, which led to plenty of quality candidates at the back for the latest MLS Team of the Week. 

Although defense was the theme of the weekend, the left midfield position saw four players shine in one of the steepest battles for the best 11 of the week all season. 

Continue reading on to see which 11 players earned a spot in the MLS Team of the Week. 

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here