MLS

Los Angeles FC beat the Philadelphia Union to claim its first MLS Cup championship.

Philadelphia sports fans came up empty the last time two teams from the City of Brotherly Love competed for a title at the same time.

Carlos Vela scored in the third minute and Raúl Ruidíaz’s converted a penalty kick in the 73rd minute in the Major League Soccer All-Star team’s 2-1 victory over Mexico’s Liga MX on Wednesday night.

In just a decade, they’ve gone from small-time start-up to the toast of the town. And after Tuesday (April 19) night’s win over an MLS team, it’s safe to say the Detroit City Football Club has really arrived.

Anyone who follows Detroit City FC knows just how historic of a game the club played against MLS team Columbus Crew.

While the City of Detroit never landed a Major League Soccer franchise, we at least can now say we’ve beaten an MLS team with the Detroit City Football Club pulling off a thrilling 2-1 upset win Tuesday (April 19) night over the Columbus Crew.

In a big-four sports town like Detroit, soccer has to fight for a share of the spotlight. But Tuesday (April 19) night, you may want to check out Detroit City FC against the Columbus Crew.

Talles Magno scored in the 88th minute to send New York City FC into the MLS Cup final with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union.

Felipe Mora and Santiago Moreno scored and the Portland Timbers advanced to the MLS Cup final with a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference final on Saturday.

The Philadelphia Union will be without 11 players on Sunday when the team plays NYCFC in the MLS Eastern Conference finals because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Larrys Mabiala scored in the 90th minute and the Portland Timbers beat the Colorado Rapids 1-0 on Thursday to advance to the Western Conference final.

New England goalkeeper Matt Turner made two penalty kick saves and FC Dallas’ Ricardo Pepi scored off the underside of the crossbar to seal the MLS team’s victory over a team of Liga MX stars in the MLS All-Star Game.

Forward Jozy Altidore and goalkeeper Brad Guzan are on a preliminary 59-man United States roster with a mostly junior varsity appearance for next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Columbus Crew's Jonathan Mensah, center, carries the trophy on stage after the Crew defeated the Seattle Sounders 3-0 in the MLS Cup championship game Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)COLUMBUS, Ohio – No matter the absences from the lineup or the opponent, Caleb Porter implored the Columbus Crew to impose themselves. Porter's players responded, putting aside the recent history of the defending champion Seattle Sounders and capping the most unpredictable of MLS seasons with one of the league's original franchises raising a championship trophy. Columbus claimed its first title since 2008 and denied Seattle a chance at being just the fourth back-to-back champions in league history. Seattle needed a frantic comeback in the final 15 minutes of its Western Conference final against Minnesota United just to reach MLS Cup.

Seattle Sounders forward Will Bruin (17) shoots to score against Minnesota United during the second half of an MLS playoff Western Conference final soccer match, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)SEATTLE – Gustav Svensson scored off a corner kick in the final moments of second-half stoppage time, and the Seattle Sounders beat Minnesota United 3-2 on Monday night to advance to the MLS Cup final. Seattle scored three times in the final 15 minutes of regulation and stoppage time to stun Minnesota and claim the Western Conference championship for the fourth time in the past five seasons. Will Bruin scored in the 75th minute to pull Seattle within 2-1 and set the stage for the wild final moments when the Sounders scored twice off corner kicks. But Svensson came through by rising above on the final corner kick and giving the Sounders the victory.

Seattle Sounders defender Shane O'Neill (27) heads in a goal against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, in Seattle. As in his one previous MLS goal before Tuesday night. The Sounders will face either Minnesota United or Sporting Kansas City in the West final next Monday. But O’Neill found himself unmarked in front of the Dallas goal in the 49th minute and flicked Nicolas Lodeiro’s corner kick past Dallas goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer. It was the first Seattle goal by someone other than Lodeiro, Raul Ruidiaz and Jordan Morris in the past five matches.

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)The path to the MLS Cup will go through Philadelphia after the Union wrapped up the Supporters’ Shield and top seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs on the final day of the MLS regular season on Sunday. The snowy victory for Kansas City was part of a wild final day in the Western Conference, with late goals in Los Angeles and Houston shuffling the playoff bracket. LAFC's reward is a trip to defending MLS Cup champion Seattle in a rematch of last year's Western Conference final won by the Sounders on the road. Only Philadelphia and Toronto had a chance to lay claim to the regular-season title entering the final day of the season. The Eastern Conference had a logjam at the bottom of the standings, and the final day ended with both expansion teams claiming playoff spots.

FILE - In this Wednesday, July 22, 2020 file photo, A Coca-Cola display is viewed at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex after an MLS soccer match between Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City in Kissimmee, Fla. A growing number of U.S. companies are pledging to give workers time off to vote in the presidential election this November. Coca-Cola, Twitter, Cisco and Uber are giving employees the day off. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

LOS ANGELES Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela is likely to be sidelined for at least a few weeks by a left knee injury. Bradley gave no timetable for Vela's return, but such injuries typically require a minimum of three weeks of rest and rehabilitation. Vela came up limping on a noncontact play during the second half of LAFC's 2-0 loss to the LA Galaxy on Saturday. The 31-year-old Vela had the most prolific season in MLS history last year with LAFC, setting the league record with 34 goals. Vela then scored in each of LAFC's first two matches this season before the pause because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Orlando players block a free kick by Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri (8), during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. Dario Zuparics first goal of the season gave Portland a 2-1 victory against Orlando in the MLS is Back finale Tuesday night. The goal set off a raucous celebration on the sideline and sent Orlando into panic mode. The Timbers, who spent 39 days in the MLS bubble and remained on West Coast time, hugged, danced and doused each other with water after the final whistle. Portlands experience the Timbers won the MLS title in 2015 and were runners-up two years ago showed in the finale. But considering Portland has managed just three clean sheets in its last 23 matches, it was no surprise to see a defensive breakdown just a few minutes later.

In Tuesdays MLS is Back Tournament Final matchup between the Portland Timbers and Orlando City SC assistant referee Kathryn Nesbitt made history as the first female official to work the final of a MLS competition. Nesbitt becomes the first woman to officiate an MLS final, after serving as the reserve assistant referee for the 2018 MLS Cup Final. She has also worked as an assistant referee and AVAR throughout the MLS is Back Tournament, with this assignment taking her game tally for the competition into double figures. Not only is she a soccer referee but she also has a PhD. She has been a soccer referee since 2002.

Los Angeles FC forward Diego Rossi (9) scores on a penalty kick against the Seattle Sounders during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Kissimmee, Fla., Monday, July 27, 2020. Even without reigning league MVP Carlos Vela, LAFC pressured and flustered the Sounders early and never let up. LAFC outshot Seattle 25-11. At times, the Sounders couldnt play the ball out of their own defensive end due to the pressure of LAFC. Rossi drew Xavier Arreagas foul in the penalty area and beat Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the 14th minute for the early advantage.

(AP Photo/John Raoux)KISSIMMEE, Fla. Nearly 200 players took the field for an 8-minute, 46-second moment of silence to protest racial injustice before Major League Soccers return to action Wednesday night. Players wore black T-shirts, black gloves and black facemasks emblazoned with Black Lives Matter. The shirts had varying slogans that included Black And Proud, Silence Is Violence and Black All The Time. The group was formerly called the Black Players Coalition of MLS but changed its name this week to Black Players for Change. MLS players had weeks to decide what to do prior to the MLS is Back tournament at ESPNs Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World.

The Major League Soccer Players Association voted to approve economic concessions for this season, including across-the-board salary cuts, while also agreeing to play in a proposed summer tournament in Orlando, Florida. The proposal, made public by the union Sunday night, will now be sent to back to the league for approval by team owners. In addition to salary cuts, the union's proposal includes reduced team and individual bonuses, as well as concessions to the existing and future terms of the collective bargaining agreement. MLS first announced last month it was exploring possible changes to player compensation because of the financial hit the league and teams were facing with the extended suspension in play. MLS and the players union agreed to terms of a new contract in early February, but it had not been ratified when the season was put on hold.