Major League Soccer

The Portland Timbers adde...

DC United vs. Houston Dynamo

CenturyLink Field has provided one of the best atmospheres in MLS since the Seattle Sounders came into the league in 2009. That ambiance has also featured when the US national team have played in Seattle, the most recent example being in 2013 when they played Panama in a World Cup qualifier.

Things started bright for New York City FC -- David Villa had chance after chance as the home side appeared ready to dominate Real Salt Lake at any moment. They couldn't break through until the second half, with 19-year-old Jack Harrison scoring his first-ever professional goal.

The Chicago Fire turned heads across Major League Soccer late Monday, completing a trade with the New York Red Bulls to acquire their captain and midfield anchor Dax McCarty for a whopping $400,000 in general allocation money.

The college game's relative lack of punch on the national stage tends to pull a veil of opacity around even its best players. When it comes to MLS SuperDraft time, the league's scouting departments are pulling overtime to get the best players scouting reports covered from head to toe.

NYCFC fans can take a deep, celebratory breath of relief. Though there wasn't too much of a question about it, fan favorites Tommy McNamara and RJ Allen indeed re-signed with the club on Jan. 6. Both featured heavily in the team's run-up to the 2016 MLS Cup playoffs, and played 55 regular-season games combined last year.

PHILADELPHIA UNION vs...

Reports out of Argentina have the New York Red Bulls looking at left back Leonel Vangioni, who's currently struggling for playing time after a summer transfer to AC Milan, following more than four years with River Plate.

Whether it's an unheralded newcomer turning into an impact player or an emerging pro finding his groove, every MLS season features at least one or two players who rise from relative obscurity to make a serious mark in the league.