Around the Forest: Orlando City dumps Jason Kreis

Portland

PTFC World Cup Daily | David Guzmán makes history, gets Timbers' first minutes | Portland Timbers
David Guzmán and Andy Polo making their countries' World Cup squads was a first, the first time the Portland Timbers would be represented at a men’s FIFA World Cup. On Sunday, that first reached another level. Guzmán was part of Costa Rica’s starting XI for los Ticos’ Russia 2018 debut, making him the first Timbers players to accrue minutes in the world’s biggest sporting competition.

Major League Soccer

MLS unveils Atlanta-inspired jersey for 2018 All-Star Game pres. by Target | MLSsoccer.com
Major League Soccer on Monday unveiled the adidas jersey that MLS’s best will wear on Aug. 1 when they take on Italian giants Juventus in the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (7:30 pm ET | ESPN, Univision – Full TV and streaming info).

Croizet hits "best goal of my career" in Sporting KC's US Open Cup win | MLSsoccer.com
The phrase “world-class” was used to describe Yohan Croizet’s match-winning strike, a full volley game-winner in the 89th minute of 3-2 victory over FC Dallas in the Round of 16 on Saturday was a thing of beauty, leaving both the fans and his teammates in a frenzy.

Club Leon parts ways with Landon Donovan | Goal.com
Club Leon has announced it has parted ways with American soccer legend Landon Donovan, potentially spelling an end to his career. Donovan, 36, came out of retirement for a second time in January to join the Liga MX outfit but featured sparingly for the club in the Clausura, making five appearances for a total of just 98 minutes.

Five candidates to succeed Jason Kreis at Orlando City SC | MLSsoccer.com
There are plenty of fine unemployed managers at this time (and surely more who can be had after the World Cup ends). Our honorable mentions — a blend of MLS assistants Marc Dos Santos at LAFC and Kerry Zavagnin at Sporting Kansas City with experienced foreign managers Matias Almeyda, Leonardo and Gertjan Verbeek — would actually make for a decent list.

Stejskal: Orlando split with Kreis is understandable, but also a big risk | MLSsoccer.com
The Lions parted ways with Kreis on Friday, dismissing the veteran head coach a little less than two years after he took over for Adrian Heath midway through 2016. Despite a couple of intoxicating highs, things never really clicked for Kreis in Florida. A red-hot start to the 2017 season (6W-1L-0D) and a six-game winning streak earlier this year turned out to be more mirage than reality, with the Lions fading miserably last summer and following up this year’s winning streak with their ongoing six-game losing skid.

World Cup

"LET IRANIAN WOMEN ENTER THEIR STADIUMS" by Where Is Football - Where Is Football
Football’s most important victories do not come with three points. They stem not from intricate patterns of play, or saves that seem to defy natural laws, or free kicks that swerve and dip to find the net. Rather, football's greatest victories occur off the pitch.

Meet Mexico’s Hirving Lozano aka ‘Chucky,’ the newest breakout star of the 2018 World Cup - SBNation.com
He was played in down the left hand side, and for a moment at least, it appeared he would shoot. Then 22-year-old Hirving Lozano pulled the ball back, across a backtracking Mesut Ozil, and set it up for his right foot. He fired past Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, just touching his glove, and the ball went into the net.

Rafa Márquez makes his fifth World Cup appearance for Mexico in thrilling 1-0 win over Germany - FMF State Of Mind
They say time waits for no man and while it doesn’t ever fully stop, it for some people it seems to move slower than others. Rafa Márquez is one such man for whom time seems more abstract than concrete.

World Cup 2018 odds: Mexico upset of Germany is biggest money-maker thus far - SBNation.com
The 2018 World Cup is off to a crazy start, with four unexpected results — including an Iran win over Morocco, Iceland’s draw against Argentina, and Portugal playing to a draw against Spain — the craziest of which happened on Sunday. Mexico’s goal at the 35 minute mark held up in a wild 1-0 victory over Germany.

Why are USMNT players fighting with Landon Donovan over his support for Mexico? - Stars and Stripes FC
As the 2018 World Cup gets underway, it seems like there are an ever expanding number of ways that American fans can experience the tournament. They can look on in embarrassment or anger at the fact that the USMNT didn’t qualify for the tournament while paging through Bruce Arena’s new book. Another option is picking a different team to root for

How to really watch the World Cup - Vox
Every soccer game is a story that opens up onto an infinite number of other stories. The World Cup is the ultimate concatenation of these stories, the greatest work of literature the sport has to offer

Best reactions, memes and commentary about Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Spain - Managing Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo seems determined to leave his mark in this 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Portuguese star saved his team from defeat by scoring a brilliant free-kick goal late in regulation, securing a point for a Portugal team which relied to much on the attacker.

World

Jerome Boateng's World Cup clouded after Bayern Munich talk up exit
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann used his presence in Russia with France as a marketing ploy to drive up viewing figures for his silly, self-demeaning "The Decision" carry-on while Real Madrid secretly snared Spain coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the tournament with wanton disregard for the inevitable fall-out.

Real Madrid set to meet Gareth Bale's representatives over future - sources
A meeting between Gareth Bale's representatives and Real Madrid chiefs which could decide his long term future is to take place soon, sources have told ESPN FC. Wales international Bale used a post-match interview after his match-winning display in the 2018 Champions League final victory over Liverpool to reveal he was considering his future.