New York City Football Club may have only just decided upon their club crest and still have at least around a year until they play their first game in the MLS, but that hasn't stopped a New York Red Bulls fan from defecting to the club and getting a tattoo.

The club's supporters group posted a picture of the stamp on their Twitter feed:

Got ink? Look what one of our supporters got -- pic.twitter.com/FDcZT2T2qD

Interestingly, though, Empire of Soccer carries quotes from the fan, explaining why he got the ink:

Being part of something from Day 1 was also a big pull for me. The Man City angle doesn't bother me. I even support another EPL team. MLS learned its lesson with Chivas and I think that’s evidenced by how distinct the NYCFC badge is from Man City’s.

[...]

Once the badge came out, I was struck by the interlocking NYC. It felt timeless to me—bigger than just a soccer team. In my opinion, it will become as synonymous with NY soccer as the interlocking NY of the Yankees is to baseball in the city and the US.

Getting it inked is not just an homage to the club, but to my city.

The club is set to become the MLS's 20th franchise next year. Orlando City is also set to join the MLS in 2015, while David Beckham's Miami franchise eyes a 2017 start.

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The third week of the Major League Soccer season saw the most action in 2014 with a full slate of nine games taking place across the United States and Canada. 

Plenty of players delivered standout performances in those nine games, but only 20 were able to make the most recent player power rankings.

Continue reading to see which 20 players made the cut after Week 3.

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The first pictures of David Beckham's proposed Miami football stadium have been released.

Speculation has been rife as to where in the city the stadium would be placed, and the latest image would appear to suggest a port location, per MailOnline Sport's Twitter account:

At 25,000 seats, it would be the third-largest football stadium in the MLS, per Charlie Skillen of the Daily Mail, and with Beckham rumoured—per The Sun via Metro—to want to bring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo to the league, he is sure to fill it.

According to Andres Viglucci and Patricia Mazzei of the Miami Herald, the design of the stadium would be "European" in style with steep banks of seats bringing patrons much closer to the action, and it will ensure a fantastic view of the pitch from every seat.

An undulating roof will also allow wonderful vistas of the city from the port area, which would normally only be available to those sat in their yachts.

The proposed area around the stadium would undergo a massive regeneration with shops, a plaza, a nightclub and other establishments all bringing new life to a tired and worn-out area of the city.

There's certainly a buzz about the choice of a port location and it sits well with the "Southern Legion," a set of fans committed to getting behind the project and eventually the team.

Via their own blog, they are urging everyone to get behind the push for a stadium in Miami Port, but certain sections of the locale are none too happy at the prospect of a downtown location for the project.

Key port tenant Royal Caribbean Cruises are concerned that the influx of fans on matchdays and having a stadium in such close proximity to their own headquarters could well interfere with their immediate and future plans.

John Alschuler, Beckham’s New York-based real-estate advisor, agrees with the "Legion" and is in no doubt that this is the right move for the city, per the Miami Herald report:

We have a chance to do something special. It can be one of the great stadiums. We feel a stadium downtown can be a key contributor to the revival of a great city.

David loves what it’s becoming, and much of that energy is downtown.

Perhaps in a PR exercise designed to keep potential neighbours onside with the project, he added: 

If the County Commission doesn't agree that soccer at the port is a good idea, we’ll play somewhere else.

We want to come to the port only if we’re an asset to the port. If we’re a liability to the port, then we shouldn't be there.

In any event, the Miami MLS franchise will be a reality soon enough and these plans clearly demonstrate that Beckham and his team will be key players in the league come 2017.

With billionaire Marcelo Claure's money, the entrepreneurial expertise of Simon Fuller and the football nous of Beckham himself, "Miami MLS" is already off to a winning start.

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After three weeks of play across the grounds of Major League Soccer, we are beginning to get a taste of what the biggest stories are going to be in 2014. 

In the Eastern Conference, a few new names are helping a pair of clubs gain confidence and potentially earn a spot atop the standings in the long run.

Out west, a team without a key player battled to a road victory, while a young star continued to fly under the radar. 

Continue reading for a look at the eight biggest takeaways from Week 3 in MLS. 

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While the third week of play in Major League Soccer did not produce as much excitement as the EPL or El Clasico, it did have some clear-cut winners and losers. 

A few games on Saturday and Sunday were affected by weather, while some saw designated players shine once again. 

Other matches saw some terrific individual performances, but there were some brutal outings on the pitch too.

Continue reading for a complete look at the winners and the losers from Week 3 in MLS. 

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The first weekend of the young Major League Soccer season that saw a full slate of nine games provided us with plenty of quality performances by individuals. 

In some of those games, defense took priority as only four teams scored two or more goals in Week 3.

We had plenty of candidates to choose from on defense, but the offensive spots in our traditional 4-4-2 were harder to fill with so few goals coming from the men up front. 

Continue reading to which 11 players found their way into the MLS Team of the Week. 

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When Michael Bradley decided to return to Major League Soccer this winter, many fans decried the move, worried about how it would affect the United States men’s national team’s chances in the World Cup.

After all, Bradley was playing for a storied European side, AS Roma, and while he wasn’t starting week in and week out, he did play in almost every game for the Italian club.

A move back to MLS, fans reasoned, would kill his sharpness and, as the U.S.’s best player, doom the U.S. to a poor finish in Brazil.

And this week, as three MLS teams crashed out of the CONCACAF Champions League to three Liga MX sides, fans had largely the same reaction.

On the other side of the argument are those who have watched the U.S. squad struggle in its last three matches in Europe and claim the poor results were because the team’s top MLS players were not there.

But this summer in Brazil, barring injuries to its key MLS-based players, the league’s players will have an opportunity to prove that they can (or can’t) play with the best players in the world. This will be especially true of the USMNT as six MLS-based Americans (Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Graham Zusi) will be likely starters for the U.S. in the World Cup.

Considering the U.S.’s group-stage opponents in Ghana, Portugal and Germany, it would be unfair to judge MLS based entirely on wins and losses for the USMNT. But that being said, it will be more than fair to judge the league based on the individual performances of its MLS-based players.

If the Ghanaians, Portuguese and Germans destroy Gonzalez and Belser in the center of the U.S. back line—as many are predicting they will—it will prove that the league has not made much progress. If, on the other hand, Gonzalez and Besler can put forth solid 90-minute efforts against some of the best attacking talent in the world in Brazil—even if the U.S. ultimately loses the game—it will prove that the league is growing into a competitor on the world stage.

The same will be true for Bradley, Donovan, Dempsey and Zusi. If the U.S. midfield is overrun, it will only confirm European beliefs that MLS is little better than a retirement league. On the other hand, if they can control the middle of the field for spells against those sides and, particularly, if they can break down Germany’s defense with any sort of regularity, it will prove that MLS does have some comparable attacking talent.

Over the past year, Besler, Gonzalez and Zusi all had offers to go to Europe, but all chose to re-sign with MLS and stay at home. Some believe they made the choice to stay home because they couldn’t hack it in Europe and took the easy way out. Others believe it is proof that those players see the league as a competitive alternative (in terms of both quality of play and pay) to mid-size European leagues.

For the more experienced players like Donovan, Dempsey and Bradley, some argue that they came home to MLS because they “failed” in Europe. Of course, to argue that point of view one has to ignore Donovan’s successful loan spells at Everton, Dempsey’s years of success at Fulham and Bradley’s good years at Roma, Chievo, Borussia Monchengladbach and Heerenveen, but, nevertheless, some still choose to try and make the argument.

No one claims that MLS is on the same par with the English Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A or La Liga, but solid performances from the USMNT’s MLS contingent can help convince the rest of the world that MLS is on par with leagues like the English Championship, the Eredivisie, the Primiera Liga, the Russian Premier League or the Jupiler League.

And while many Europeans still cling to the idea that MLS is a retirement home for players past their sell-by dates, the league has slowly gained more respect at home. The 2014 World Cup is a chance for MLS players to now prove it to the rest of the world.

Follow me on Twitter @JohnDHalloran

Follow me on Facebook www.facebook.com/AmericanTouchline

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The state of the New England Revolution will be the story to watch in MLS Week 3, but what additional storylines will complete your weekend preview?

In the coming slides, a majority of the nine matches scheduled for this week will be covered in great detail. Each match selected will be dissected from a unique angle to intensify your viewing pleasure.

So, what exactly warrants your attention in Week 3?

Read on to find out.

Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, credit all statistics to Squawka. All data collected is licensed from Opta Sports.

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The 2014 Major League Soccer season is still young, but that will not stop us from predicting who will be the best players at the end of the season. 

Based off of the first two weeks of play, and performances in recent years, we chose the 11 best candidates for an MLS best 11. 

Continue reading below for a look at the selections for the team. 

Goalkeeper: Nick Rimando

When Nick Rimando delivered a stellar nine-save showing against LA in Week 1, he added to his career highlight reel that is chock-full of dramatic saves, especially penalty stops. 

The third-choice United States keeper has already solidified his spot on the plane to Brazil with 16 saves over two weeks of play. 

If Rimando continues his strong play in net, he will once again be heading into the playoffs with Real Salt Lake. 

Defenders: Kofi Sarkodie, Matt Besler, Michael Parkhurst, Corey Ashe

After two weeks of play, it is hard not to pick the entire Houston back four, but we all know that their play will fade off eventually.

While the Dynamo defense will take some lumps throughout the season, it will still feature two full-backs who don't receive enough respect. 

Kofi Sarkodie and Corey Ashe not only play their positions well on defense, but they are contributors to the attack on occasion as well.

When Sarkodie is not busy making goal-line clearances, he is denying opposing wingers of scoring opportunities on the wing. 

It is realistic to say that both players could receive call-ups to the United States men's national team in the next year if their play continues.

Matt Besler and Michael Parkhurst are already contributors to the national team, and both of them should have productive MLS campaigns in 2014.

We know what to expect out of Besler, who was named captain of Sporting Kansas City before the season, but Parkhurst at a new position is somewhat of an unknown. 

Parkhurst has made the shift to centre-back at the request of Columbus manager Gregg Berhalter, and he hasn't skipped a beat so far at his new spot on the pitch. 

Defensive Midfield: Michael Bradley, Osvaldo Alonso

There are few players better at the defensive midfield position than Michael Bradley and Osvaldo Alonso. 

Bradley is the best American player out there at the moment, while Alonso has provided quality play in front of the back four in Seattle for quite some time. 

Both players have high standards of play and are able to link up with the attack well and defend when called upon. 

It would not be a shocker if the pair line up alongside each other in the MLS All-Star Game in Portland on August 6 against Bayern Munich, or further down the road for the United States. 

Attacking Midfield: Federico Higuain, Mauro Rosales, Gaston Fernandez

Picking only three creative attacking midfielders from the vast pool of MLS players is a tough decision, but we came up with three out-of-the-box options. 

Federico Higuain has provided nothing but class for the Crew since his arrival in Ohio two years ago, and he is likely to keep that up in 2014. 

Mauro Rosales has been given a new lease on his MLS career at Chivas USA, and he has turned a lackluster attack from 2013 into one that is actually functional and capable of scaring a few defenses in 2014. 

Gaston Fernandez is a new addition to the Portland midfield, and he is quite the intriguing prospect given the success of another Argentinian who arrived in the Rose City in 2013, Diego Valeri. 

The 30-year-old veteran of the South American game has scored two second-half equalizers in two games for the Timbers already, and one has to think the best is yet to come from Fernandez.

Forward: Chris Wondolowski

There are close to 10 viable candidates for this position, but Chris Wondolowski is the one player who stands out the most right now. 

Wondo had a dream season in 2012 with 27 league goals, and with a broken foot in 2013, he netted eight goals for the United States and 11 for San Jose. 

With a healthy Wondolowski out on the pitch for San Jose and a potential World Cup roster spot on the line, expect one of the most experienced players in the league to thrive once again in 2014.

Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.

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Tuesday night at the Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, the LA Galaxy drew out the perfect blueprint on how to lose in Mexico during the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. 

The Galaxy's defense opened wide for the Tijuana attack to take advantage of and, within 26 minutes, Bruce Arena's side were down by three goals.

Give credit to the Galaxy for actually putting up a fight in the second half and making the Xolos sweat it out at home, but in all honesty, they disappointed south of the border. 

While the Galaxy were being broken down by Club Tijuana, the other two Major League Soccer clubs left in the competition were put on notice. 

Sporting Kansas City and the San Jose Earthquakes must not be carved apart in the back so early against Cruz Azul and Toluca. If either team comes out flat like the Galaxy did, their time in the competition will expire.

On Tuesday night, it wasn't just the players with the least amount of experience that struggled, although I am calling you out Gyasi Zardes, the veterans in the LA starting XI looked flustered as well.

The perfect example of this came on the second Xolos goal in the ninth minute as keeper Jaime Penedo, who has been one of the best players at his position since joining the Galaxy last season, made a Carlo Cudicini-esque mistake and let Jaime Ayovi fire away at an open goal.

Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane also didn't show up until the second half, when a two-goal comeback fell just short of the necessary goal of three, a total which would have put LA through on away goals. 

One experienced player who did step up and potentially inspire the remaining MLS clubs left in the competition was A.J. DeLaGarza. 

DeLaGarza was the one defender who actually defended well for the entire 90 minutes. If the back four of Sporting and San Jose can use DeLaGarza's solid performance as an inspiration, they stand a chance. 

Both teams have attacks that are made well for MLS, but when they face superior Mexican sides, the chances sometimes come few and far between.

To call both sides an underdog is an accurate statement since both teams scored just one goal during the home leg and San Jose conceded an away goal to Toluca.

Both teams have their backs against the wall, but they must not park the bus early on to prevent a surge like Tijuana had on Tuesday. 

Peter Vermes and Mark Watson must have their teams prepared to have the killer instinct because chances on goal may not come as rapidly as they did for LA in the second half. 

Mexico City and Toluca are two very hostile environments, actually any Mexican stadium presents that with an American opponent in town, but a win is possible if they use LA's performance as an example of what not to do with adversity staring them straight in the face.

Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report, you can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

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