Latest news with #MLSGoalkeeperoftheYear
Reuters
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Longtime Sporting KC G Tim Melia announces retirement
April 3 - Goalkeeper Tim Melia announced his retirement from professional soccer on Thursday. Melia, 38, spent 10 seasons with Sporting Kansas City. The MLS club will formally recognize Melia with a ceremony at halftime of Saturday's match against St. Louis City. Melia is Sporting KC's all-time leader in regular-season wins (107), saves (746) and clean sheets (69). He helped the club win the U.S. Open Cup in 2015 and 2017 and was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2017 and Comeback Player of the Year in 2015.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Charlotte FC extends Dean Smith through 2027 MLS season
CHARLOTTE (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — Charlotte FC's head coach will be in the Queen City a little longer. On Thursday, the club announced head coach Dean Smith signed a new contract through the 2027 MLS season. Advertisement 'I've thoroughly enjoyed being the head coach of Charlotte FC and I'm honored to sign a new contract with the Club,' Smith said. 'Everyone at the Club is aligned in our vision to be a leader in Major League Soccer. To our supporters, you have made our family feel welcome in this city and for that, we're grateful to each one of you. We will work together with the aim of consistently challenging for major trophies every season.' Smith was hired as the team's head coach in December 2023. In his first season with the club, he led the Crown to its record points total (41) and first-ever playoff win. A huge part of his successful first season was defense (MLS's second-best defensive record) and goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina who earned MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors. 'Dean has been an exceptional leader for Charlotte FC and we are excited for him to sign a new contract,' Owner David Tepper said. 'The Club's success over the past year is a reflection of his dedication and commitment to excellence both on and off the pitch. We look forward to what the future holds with Dean leading the way.' Advertisement So far in his 2nd season, Charlotte FC is off to its best start in club history and has not been beaten at home. The team will look to keep that streak alive against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Axios
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Axios
5 fun facts to get you pumped for Charlotte FC's 2025 season
Charlotte FC's fourth season is underway. Why it matters: Charlotte FC provided a spark of hope to a struggling sports town last year when they hosted and won the city's first home playoff match in nearly a decade. Now it's time to see if they can keep the magic going. Catch up quick: Charlotte FC opened the season with a 2-all draw at Seattle Sounders last weekend, meaning they're starting the season with a point and they're hoping to claim three points this weekend. Driving the news: Charlotte FC's home opener is Saturday, March 1, vs. rival Atlanta United at 2pm. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend. Here are five things to know this season: Welcome, Zaha! In a massive move in January, Charlotte signed former Premier League star Wilfried Zaha. Now fans are anxiously awaiting his debut. Patrick Agyemang is a rising star Patrick Agyemang went from playing Division III college soccer to scoring goals for the U.S. men's national team. He was also Charlotte FC's leading scorer last season (10 goals). Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith tells Axios he has higher expectations for the young player this season (15-20 goals). Charlotte's got the goalkeeper of the year Charlotte FC's goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina was vital to the club's historic 2024 season and one of the best goalkeepers in the league. His performance earned him MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, making him the club's first player to earn an individual MLS year-end award. Go deeper: Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Wine as an incentive for clean sheets A "clean sheet" is soccer speak for a "shutout," meaning the team didn't give up any goals. Smith promised Charlotte FC's defenders a bottle of wine for every clean sheet during his first season and he says that incentive is sticking around this season. "It cost me a lot of money last season that's for sure," Smith said with a chuckle. Dean Smith jokes aren't going anywhere Yes, there are still jokes and questions about the other Dean Smith, the longtime North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball head coach. That Smith remains an icon to many North Carolinians and college basketball fans. Charlotte FC's Dean Smith hopes to be mentioned in the same breath as the former because of his achievements with Charlotte FC. Getting the team to the playoffs was a good start. Go deeper: 30+ places to watch Charlotte FC 7 things to know about Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MLS Preview: St. Louis City SC
St. Louis City SC's debut season in 2023 was the culmination of many, many years of 'close but no cigar,' 'better luck next time,' and 'you were THIS close' messages from the MLS brass. In 2007 the city was floated as a possible relocation place for Real Salt Lake in that owner's negotiations/threats to build a new stadium. An unsuccessful bid ensued in 2009, the MLS favoring other cities over St. Louis despite approved construction plans for a huge soccer complex. In 2014 there was ANOTHER bid tied to a dual-use stadium for the future club and the NFL Rams franchise. The Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2015, and everyone went back to the drawing board. Finally, after two years of negotiation, the club was officially granted a franchise in late 2019, with their inaugural season scheduled for 2022. Well, along came COVID, which slowed but did not halt the stadium construction. It did, however, push their season starter to 2023. And it was worth the wait. St. Louis City SC didn't just hit the ground running, they barely touched ground before taking flight. Under sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel and coach Bradley Carnell they played a furious, pressing style of dynamic, risk-reward soccer. It was brilliant and exciting. They broke four MLS records for an expansion team, and tied one other (see the Other Facts section for details) in 2023, cruising into the postseason having won the Western Conference. Unfortunately, they were crushed in the first round of the playoffs. City SC are the only female-majority owned team in the MLS. Carolyn Kindle, president of Enterprise Holders, and Jo Ann Taylor, also an Enterprise Holders executive (both are heirs to the Enterprise Rent-a-Car fortune) have the controlling stake. Jim Kavanaugh, CEO of World Wide Technology, is a minority partner. With two seasons under their belt, there's a short list to pick from. Indiana Vassilev (United States) – Midfielder Current record holder for most appearances (75). Roman Bürki (Switzerland) [DP] – Goalkeeper 2023 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year winner. Current team captain. João Klauss (Brazil) – Forward [DP] The club's first Designated Player. Scored the winning goal in their debut match against Austin FC. Top goal scorer for the club (15). Play home games at Energizer Park, capacity 22,423. They have vibrant and rowdy supporters, including: St. Louligans (the oldest supporter group, founded in 2010) St. Louis CITY Punks No Nap City Ultras (composed of parents and mostly young children) STL Santos (for Spanish speakers) Fleur de Noise (a drum corps providing percussion support to chants) Below are the records the team set in 2023 First expansion team to win all five opening games (inclusive of winning four opening games). Most wins by an expansion team (17). First expansion team to win their division in their debut season. Tied – Most goal scorers for an expansion team in their debut season (16) Though not recognized as a formal derby, given their regional proximity there's a rivalry between Sporting Kansas City. After the record-breaking 2023 campaign, 2024 was going to be an uphill battle. They once again started with five undefeated games; the rub was that four of them were draws. After that, the hill turned out to be a cliff, and the squad just couldn't scale it. Coach Carnell was fired on July 1. The team's record was a limp 8W – 13D – 13L for 37 points Finished in.12th place in the Western Conference; 24th overall A mighty, mighty collapse, to say the least St. Louis had a very busy mid-season transfer window during which they cleaned house, so this offseason has been relatively quiet. They have a new coach, Swede Olof Mellberg from IF Brommapojkarna, but only two new faces hit the roster, highlighted below: Timo Baumgartl (Germany) – Defender The 28-year old center back is the product of the Stuttgart academy, but hasn't seen much starting time since 2019 when he transferred to PSV. Conrad Wallem (Norway) – Midfielder He's on loan from Slavia Prague with an option to buy, so that means he should be eager to impress. He's apparently comfortable on the wing in an attack or defensive alignment. Host the Colorado Rapids on Feb. 22nd Sporting Kansas City Seattle Sounders San Jose Earthquakes Real Salt Lake Portland Timbers Minnesota United FC LAFC LA Galaxy Houston Dynamo FC Dallas Colorado Rapids Austin FC
Reuters
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Crew extend G Patrick Schulte's contract through 2027
February 18 - The Columbus Crew signed goalkeeper Patrick Schulte on Monday to a contract extension through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028. Schulte, 23, was a finalist in 2024 for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year after he started all 27 of his regular-season matches and recorded a career-best 10 shutouts and a 1.07 goals-against average. "I am excited and blessed to have this opportunity to continue my journey here with the Crew," said Schulte, who has played for the organization since 2022 and appeared in MLS matches since 2023. "Being in Columbus has given me the opportunity to grow and develop since Day 1, and I know that continuing here will push me to be better every day. I'm grateful for the support I've received from the front office, the coaches, my teammates and all of the support staff. The journey ahead is something I'm looking forward to and I'm excited to start this new chapter on Saturday as we begin our hunt to bring more memories to Columbus." Schulte was named Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament and selected to the Best XI at the CONCACAF Champions Cup. He started all four matches for the United States men's national team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, recording one shutout as the Americans reached the knockout round. "Patrick's winning mentality and commitment to the team has been evident since he first joined our club in 2022," Crew general manager Issa Tall said in a press release. "This contract extension is a testament to the hard work and dedication he puts forth every day and reflects our belief in his growth and the key role he plays for the team. We are excited to see Patrick continue to reach new heights as a member of the Crew." The Crew selected Schulte 12th overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft out of St. Louis University. A native of St. Charles, Mo., Schulte started 31 matches in 2023 and recorded seven shutouts with a 1.39 GAA. In eight playoff games over the past two seasons, he has allowed 12 goals and notched two shutouts.
