Major League Soccer finally returned to the pitch this weekend with eight games that brought us a bit of a surprise with 26 goals and three games seeing five scores. 

While seeing goals fly in from all over the place was a nice spectacle, the biggest talking points came from the close matches played in Seattle, LA and Portland.

Here is a look at 10 things we learned from the opening weekend of play in MLS. 

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The first week of the Major League Soccer season saw plenty of players step up and surprise us with their talents. 

Some of the players in the best 11 from Week 1 came out of nowhere to star for their respective clubs, while a few players turned in games that were extensions of their 2013 form. 

We opted for a 3-4-1-2 formation this week because of the stellar center-back play across the league all weekend. 

While there were a few standout showings from full-backs, none of them compared to the strong defensive play of the three center-backs in our lineup.

Continue reading to find out who was named to the inaugural B/R MLS team of the week. 

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When it comes to managing a soccer team, you know it's always better to rent than lay down a payment on a new house.

This past offseason saw a lot of turnover in Major League Soccer, with eight new coaches taking over ahead of the 2014 season.

While that limits the potential pool for the sack race, you can bet that plenty of coaches will be sitting on the hot seat from the opening week and beyond. These three appear the most under threat to not finish the season with their current clubs.

Ryan Nelsen, Toronto FC

It doesn't matter how poorly Michael Bradley, Jermain Defoe, Julio Cesar and Gilberto play this season; Ryan Nelsen will be first to go if things don't start off well a Toronto FC. Sacking the coach is much easier than sacking the players.

The fact that he is still the manager is a little surprising. You can draw a parallel to Jason Kidd and the Brooklyn Nets. The team hired a rookie coach to lead a bunch of aging veterans with a win-now mantra. While the Nets have leveled off, the results were comical early in the season.

Unfortunately for Nelsen, he doesn't have an 82-game season to make things right.

He already has a season under his belt, but he remains a coaching neophyte, going right from Queens Park Rangers to TFC.

To his credit, Nelsen already has the respect and faith of Bradley, per Kurtis Larson of the Toronto Sun:

“Even when you look back at Ryan’s career as a player, he was a leader, he was a competitor, he was somebody who even on the field, other guys looked to him,” Bradley said. “When now you talk about the transition into being a coach, I think he’s done a great job with that and I think there’s no doubt who now is the person that’s going to be bringing us forward.”

Melding all these high-profile acquisitions won't be easy, though, and you have to believe that Nelsen won't have a long leash in the event Toronto FC struggles out of the gate.

No pressure, man.

Ben Olsen, D.C. United

The hot seat and Ben Olsen are old friends by now.

This is a conversation that he's been having as far back as May 2013. D.C. United may have made the Eastern Conference final in 2012, but soccer is often a win-now business where you're only as good as your last performance. Finishing last in 2013 means Olsen doesn't have a lot of room for error in 2014.

The fact that United have had a poor offseason doesn't help. With both Maurice Edu and Marco Pappa sitting there in the allocation pool, the club traded its top allocation ranking for Jeff Parke. Parke is a solid defender, but the fact that D.C. United would rather have him than either Edu or Pappa sends the image that ownership is cheap and lacks ambition.

It also signed Eddie Johnson to a designated player contract, per Steven Goff of The Washington Post:

That's the kind of move that could go either way. Johnson played well for the Seattle Sounders, but at 29 years of age, shouldering him with the goal-scoring burden may lead to trouble.

All in all, this D.C. United team looks old and slow on paper, and Olsen may lose whatever equity he's built with Erick Thohir.

Sigi Schmid, Seattle Sounders

Clint Dempsey undoubtedly brought a lot of attention to the Seattle Sounders and made the club a lot better on paper. It also made Sigi Schmid's job a lot harder, too.

When an MLS club splashes a lot of money to bring a player like Dempsey in, results are expected.

It would seem crazy that Schmid would be considered expendable by the Sounders. He's the only coach the club has ever known since arriving in the league.

However, the fact that Seattle has yet to win an MLS Cup may catch up with Schmid. Not to mention the club's early season struggles last year and subsequent fourth-place finish in the Western Conference.

Speaking to Joshua Mayers of the Seattle Times, the 60-year-old said, "You can never stagnate. The moment you stagnate is the moment you go backwards."

Mayers went on to write:

Simply put, that is something the Sounders can’t afford after another season without a trophy or MLS Cup appearance. More accurately, that is something Schmid can’t afford if he is going to keep his job.

Add that pressure to the fragility of what some might label a rebuilding year, as more than a dozen new players are on the roster, and this looks to be a defining chapter for the future of the franchise.

Schmid is in the last year of his contract, with an option in place for 2015. You could see it where Seattle starts poorly, and Schmid worries that the club isn't moving forward. Rather than seeing out the duration of the contract knowing full well he won't be back, the manager comes to a mutual consensus with Adrian Hanauer that stepping away midseason is the better move.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

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The 2014 MLS season is scheduled to get underway on Saturday with the Seattle Sounders taking on defending league champions Sporting Kansas City at 3 p.m. ET at CenturyLink Field.

The soccer entertainment won't be limited to that excellent matchup either. In all, there are seven games slated for an action-packed opening day.

The Portland Timbers will host the Philadelphia Union in the day's last game at 10:30 p.m. ET. 

Looking further ahead, circle the calendar for the weekend of April 5-6. That is when fans will get the season's first stab at the rivalries.

Most of that action will come on April 5 with Portland vs. Seattle, Columbus vs. Toronto, Houston vs. FC Dallas and an MLS Cup 2013 rematch with Sporting KC taking on Real Salt Lake. 

On April 6, Chivas USA will take on the Los Angeles Galaxy. 

There are some rule changes for the upcoming league year. MLS Press Box has the new rules and information on the salary cap. 

The most notable one alters the playoffs. There will still be five teams from each conference that qualify for the postseason, and the format will be the same as last year. 

The change comes with the tiebreaker. Like it is for most of the soccer universe, when a two-leg match is tied on aggregate, the first tiebreaker will be away goals.

As MLS Press Box reported, this was done to “be consistent with CONCACAF and FIFA practice.” 

Although this is far more consistent with the rest of the world, the change is far from a universal hit. 

ESPN's Jeff Carlisle helps highlight a good reason for reservation over this change:  

Another notable change comes with tiebreakers. This one is for the standings at the end of the league year. Most wins remains the first tiebreaker, but instead of goals scored, goal differential will be the second tiebreaker.  

The other notable change comes with an increased salary cap. This season it will be $3.1 million, which is up from the $2.95 million of last season.

Let's have a look at the TV schedule, and you can view the complete 2014 schedule at the official MLS website. 

2014 MLS TV Schedule

All information via Pro Soccer Talk

* Indicates tentatively schedules. All times ET

Sat., March 8, Seattle Sounders FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, NBCSN, 3 p.m.*

Sat., March 15, New York  Red Bulls vs. Colorado Rapids, NBCSN, 4 p.m.*

Sat., March 22, Real Salt Lake vs. LA Galaxy, NBCSN, 4 p.m.*

Sat., March 29, D.C. United vs. Chicago Fire, NBCSN, 4 p.m.*

Sat., April 5, Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC, NBCSN, 3 p.m.*

Sat., April 12, D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls, NBCSN, 2 p.m.*

Sat., April 19, Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution, NBCSN, 4 p.m.*

Sun., May 4, Sporting Kansas City vs. Columbus Crew, NBCSN, 4 p.m.

Sun., May 11, Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy, NBCSN, 2:30 p.m.*

Fri., June 27, Portland Timbers vs. Sporting Kansas City, NBCSN, 11 p.m. 

Sat., June 28, San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy, NBCSN, TBD

Fri., July 4, Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls, NBCSN, 8:30 p.m.

Fri., July 4, LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers, NBCSN, 11 p.m. 

Fri., July 11, San Jose Earthquakes vs. D.C. United, NBCSN, 11 p.m. 

Fri., July 18, Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids, NBCSN, 11 p.m.

Wed., July 23, San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire, NBCSN, 11 p.m.

Fri., Aug. 1, Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union, NBCSN, 8 p.m.

Sat., Aug. 2, Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy, NBC, 2:30 p.m.*

Sat., Aug. 2, MLS Breakaway, NBCSN, TBD

Sat., Aug. 2, San Jose Earthquakes vs. Seattle Sounders FC, NBCSN, 10:30 p.m.

Fri., Aug. 8, LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes, NBCSN, 10:30 p.m.

Fri., Aug. 15, Houston Dynamo vs. Philadelphia Union, NBCSN, 9 p.m.

Sat., Aug. 16, Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders FC, NBCSN, 2:30 p.m.*

Fri., Aug. 22, FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake, NBCSN, 9 p.m. 

Fri., Aug. 29, Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo, NBCSN, 8 p.m.

Sun., Aug. 31, D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls, NBCSN, 2:30 p.m.*

Fri., Sept. 5, LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids, NBCSN, 10:30 p.m. 

Fri., Sept. 12, Seattle Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake, NBCSN, 10:30 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 13, Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls, NBCSN, 3 p.m.*

Fri., Sept. 19, Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids, NBCSN, 10 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 20, New York Red Bulls vs. Seattle Sounders FC, NBC, 2:30 p.m.*

Sat., Sept. 20, MLS Breakaway, NBCSN, TBD

Sat., Sept. 20, Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, NBCSN, 5 p.m.

Fri., Sept. 26, Sporting Kansas City vs. New England Revolution, NBCSN, 8 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 27, D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union, NBCSN, 3 p.m.*

Fri., Oct. 3, D.C. United vs. Sporting Kansas City, NBCSN, 8 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 4, New York Red Bulls vs. Houston Dynamo, NBCSN, 6 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 10, Seattle Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, NBCSN, 10 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 17, Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake, NBCSN, 10 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 18, Colorado Rapids vs. FC Dallas, NBCSN, 3 p.m.*

Fri., Oct. 24, Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo, NBCSN, 8 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 25, Seattle Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy, NBC, 2:30 p.m.*

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The pressures of repeating will be Sporting Kansas City's story to watch in 2014, but what additional storylines will complete the team's season preview?

In the final part of our 19-part series, we will take an in-depth look at the most intriguing plots surrounding the defending champions this season. The number and player to watch, as well as the match that should immediately be circled on your calendar, will be delved into with great detail.

Read on for your comprehensive guide to 2014.

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 begins on Saturday and with it comes a new list of storylines to follow.

The offseason was quite the busy one with stars like Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe entering the league, while a couple of United States internationals brought their talents back to the States in search of a World Cup roster spot. 

Along with the on-pitch headlines that those players will make are some major off-pitch storylines that will be worth watching throughout the season. 

With so much going on on and off the pitch in 2014, here is a look at the 20 storylines you need to watch in MLS this season. 

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Growing beyond the Jason Kreis era will be Real Salt Lake's story to watch in 2014, but what additional storylines will complete the team's season preview?

In part 18 of our 19-part series, we will take an in-depth look at the most intriguing plots surrounding the Claret and Cobalt this season. The number and player to watch, as well as the match that should immediately be circled on your calendar, will be delved into with great detail.

Read on for your comprehensive guide to 2014.

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

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Thierry Henry's future with the New York Red Bulls will be the club's story to watch in 2014 but what additional storylines will complete the team's season preview?

In part 17 of our 19-part series, we will take an in-depth look at the most intriguing plots surrounding the Red Bulls this season. The number and player to watch, as well as the match that should immediately be circled on your calendar will be delved into with great detail.

Read on for your comprehensive guide to 2014.

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

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Meeting expectations will be the Portland Timbers' story to watch in 2014, but what additional storylines will complete the team's season preview?

In part 16 of our 19-part series, we will take an in-depth look at the most intriguing plots surrounding the Timbers this season. The number and player to watch, as well as the match that should immediately be circled on your calendar, will be delved into with great detail.

Read on for your comprehensive guide to 2014.

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

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Omar Gonzalez's involvement in the summer transfer window will be the Los Angeles Galaxy's story to watch in 2014, but what additional storylines will complete the team's season preview?

In part 15 of our 19-part series, we will take an in-depth look at the most intriguing plots surrounding the Galaxy this season. The number and player to watch, as well as the match that should immediately be circled on your calendar, will be delved into with great detail.

Read on for your comprehensive guide to 2014.

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

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