Portland:
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri staying fresh with new diet and recovery routine | OregonLive.com
Diego Valeri loves Italian food. Growing up in Argentina, he regularly ate big, hearty dinners of pizza and pasta with his family - a nod to their Italian heritage. Even after arriving in Portland in 2013, Valeri quickly adopted Piazza Italia as his go-to restaurant.
Major League Soccer:
Cascadia Cup: 2017 schedule, standings and all-time winners list | MLSsoccer.com
The Seattle Sounders finished their Cascadia Cup series on top of the pack, but they're not yet guaranteed to take back the regional title. Following a 3-0 home win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday in the penultimate game of the 2017 series, the Sounders' slate is done and they sit atop the standings by a point.
Chicago Fire bounce back from last-place finish to qualify for postseason | MLSsoccer.com
By booking their ticket to the postseason, the Fire engineered the biggest MLS turnaround of 2017, going from last place in 2016, on just 31 points in 34 games, to this year's playoffs, although their seeding is still to be determined with three games left on their MLS regular-season slate. At this point, through 31 games, Chicago have 51 points.
Sounders' Ozzie Alonso, Roman Torres pick up knocks in win over Whitecaps | MLSsoccer.com
The Rave Green saw two of their most important players pick up injuries that put their availability for the final games of the regular season in doubt, as holding midfielder Osvaldo Alonso and center back Roman Torres were both substituted out in the second half at CenturyLink Field.
San Jose Earthquakes unprepared for the Chicago Fire hurting playoff hopes | MLSsoccer.com
The location changed, but the scoreline for the San Jose Earthquakes remained infuriatingly and painfully similar Wednesday night. Four days after collapsing in a 4-0 loss at D.C. United – a road defeat that followed the same contours of earlier away blowouts to Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake and the Houston Dynamo – the Quakes returned home to their bastion of Avaya Stadium, to face the Chicago Fire. But this time, even their fortress could not save San Jose as the Fire rolled up a 4-1 victory.
Tactical tweaks unleash breakout attacking display for "irritated" Sounders | MLSsoccer.com
The Seattle Sounders’ recent offensive drought is a thing of the past. Going into their derby match against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday, the Sounders had managed just three goals in their last five matches and had been shut out in two straight – an offensive rut that had been widely noted as a caveat of their recent 13-match unbeaten run.
SoccerAmerica - Atlanta United, best MLS expansion team ever? Not so fast 09/27/2017
Atlanta United is on course to set an attendance record in its first MLS season and is playing some of the best soccer ever seen in the league. But how does it rank among expansion teams?
Tyler Adams one of few bright spots for New York Red Bulls in draw with DC | MLSsoccer.com
The New York Red Bulls were forced to settle for a disappointing 3-3 draw with rivals D.C. United at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night, and one of the lone bright spots for the home team was Adams. The 18-year-old Adams -- expected to be among the Top 10 players on 24 Under 24 revealed at 2 p.m. ET on ExtraTime Live driven by Continental -- scored his first two MLS goals in the match, including an incredible half-volley in the 19th minute that opened the scoring.
United States:
Americans Abroad Wednesday Rewind: Omar Gonzalez, Cameron Carter-Vickers and more | SBI Soccer
While one surging American prospect saw his match postponed due to weather, two American centerbacks stepped up to help preserve clean sheets.
World:
Tottenham news: Pochettino backs world-class Harry Kane to get even better | Goal.com
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has a warning for his rivals in the Premier League and across Europe – Harry Kane is going to get better. After another goalless August, Kane has been on fire this month with 11 goals for club and country.
Ballon d'Or: Neymar backs PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe in battle for prestigious prize | Goal.com
Neymar believes Paris Saint-Germain prodigy Kylian Mbappe ought to be a contender for the Ballon d'Or. The Brazil star left Barcelona to join PSG in a world-record €222 million deal - a switch reportedly fuelled by Neymar's desire to escape Lionel Messi's shadow in his pursuit of football's ultimate individual honour.
Bayern Munich part company with coach Carlo Ancelotti after PSG defeat - ESPN FC
Carlo Ancelotti has left his role as coach at Bayern Munich, the club confirmed on Thursday afternoon. The news follows Bayern's 3-0 humbling at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday -- their biggest Champions League group-stage defeat in 21 years.