MLS names 53-player shortlist for 2017 MVP award

By Matt ReedOct 13, 2017, 6:00 PM EDT

Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

As the MLS Cup playoffs are nearly arrived, it’s almost awards season for those around the league.

Recently, MLS released a list of 53 players eligible for capturing this year’s Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. The award is voted on by a combination of media members covering MLS, technical staff around the league and players.

[ MORE: Bruce Arena steps down as USMNT manager ]

Players like Nemanja Nikolic, David Villa and Diego Valeri are among those considered favorites to take home the award after having stellar seasons for their respective clubs and tallying lots of goals in the process.

Meanwhile, newcomers Atlanta United boast three spectacular names on the list in Miguel Almiron, Josef Martinez and Hector Villalba, who have all scored at least nine goals this season.

Check out the entire list of nominees below.

Club	Player	Pos
ATL	ALMIRON, Miguel	M
ATL	MARTINEZ, Josef	F
ATL	VILLALBA, Hector “Tito”	F
CHI	NIKOLIC, Nemanja	F
CHI	SCHWEINSTEIGER, Bastian	M
COL	BADJI, Dominique	F
COL	HAIRSTON, Marlon	M
COL	HOWARD, Tim	GK
CLB	HIGUAIN, Federico	M
CLB	KAMARA, Ola	F
CLB	MERAM, Justin	M
DC	ACOSTA, Lucho	M
DC	HAMID, Bill	GK
DAL	BARRIOS, Michael	M
DAL	URRUTI, Maxi	F
HOU	CABEZAS, Juan David	M
HOU	ELIS, Alberth	F
HOU	TORRES, Erick	F
MIN	IBSON	M
MIN	RAMIREZ, Christian	F
MIN	SHUTTLEWORTH, Bobby	GK
MTL	PIATTI, Ignacio	M
NE	DELAMEA, Antonio	D
NE	NGUYEN, Lee	M
NYC	RING, Alex	M
NYC	VILLA, David	F
NY	KLJESTAN, Sacha	M
NY	WRIGHT-PHILLIPS, Bradley	F
ORL	BENDIK, Joe	GK
ORL	KAKA	M
ORL	SPECTOR, Jonathan	D
PHI	BLAKE, Andre	GK
PHI	MEDUNJANIN, Haris	M
PHI	SAPONG, C.J.	F
POR	VALERI, Diego	M
RSL	BECKERMAN, Kyle	M
RSL	PLATA, Joao	F
RSL	RUSNAK, Albert	M
SJ	JUNGWIRTH, Florian	D
SJ	URENA, Marco	F
SJ	WONDOLOWSKI, Chris	F
SEA	DEMPSEY, Clint	F
SEA	FREI, Stefan	GK
SEA	LODEIRO, Nicolas	M
SKC	BESLER, Matt	D
SKC	MELIA, Tim	GK
SKC	OPARA, Ike	D
TOR	BRADLEY, Michael	M
TOR	GIOVINCO, Sebastian	M
TOR	VAZQUEZ, Victor	M
VAN	MONTERO, Fredy	F
VAN	REYNA, Yordy	M/F
VAN	WASTON, Kendall	D

Who’s your favorite to take home the award this year? Villa? Valeri? Another? Let us know below in the comments section.

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World Cup yellow card rules 2022: Do cards carry over after group stage?

By Amelia AcostaNov 29, 2022, 5:24 AM EST

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, we’ve already seen games majorly impacted by yellow cards and red cards – most notably the Wales group stage meeting with Iran where goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey came off the line and took out Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi. Hennessey was sent off with a red card and Wales, down to ten men, saw Iran score two stunning stoppage time goals for the unexpected win. It was the first red card of the tournament and one that unquestionably changed the course of the game.

Less impactfully but still of note, four U.S. players received yellow cards in the Americans’ opening match against Wales – (Kellyn Acosta, Tim Ream, Weston McKennie, Sergiño Dest). While yellow cards are a omnipresent part of soccer, players run the risk of acquiring two cautions and being unavailable when their team needs them most. Here’s the breakdown on how yellow cards turn into player suspensions and what happens to cards in between rounds of the tournament.

How many yellow cards equal a player suspension?

If players receive two yellow cards at the 2022 World Cup, it will result in a one-game suspension. If the player receives both cautions in the same game, they will be sent off and serve the suspension in the subsequent match. But players can also receive a suspension after accumulating two yellow cards across separate matches. So once a player has a yellow card to their name, they’ll likely be thinking carefully about how they approach situations to ensure they’re not out of commission at a key moment in the tournament.

Do yellow cards carry over from the group stage?

At the 2022 World Cup, yellow cards do carry over from the group stage into the Round of 16. If a player receives one yellow card in the group stage and another in the Round of 16, they are ineligible for their team’s quarterfinal matchup. However, there is a “clean slate” from the quarterfinals into the semifinals where all previous cautions are wiped, so no players in the semifinals will be at risk of missing the final matches due to accumulated yellow cards from earlier in the tournament.

Per FIFA, if a suspension can’t be served during the World Cup, it will be carried over to the team’s next official national match.

What do yellow cards mean at the World Cup?

Yellow cards are essentially cautions (also called “bookings”) given to players by match officials for a variety of infractions – these can include poor sportsmanship, delay of game, intentional injury to another player, not maintaining mandated distance from the ball on penalty kicks, impermissible language or other situations as determined by the referee on the pitch and the Video Assistant Referee. If a player receives multiple yellow cards, either in the same game or across multiple games, they receive an “indirect red,” which results in a one-match suspension.

Yellow cards can be a big problem for a team when it comes to missing key players, but they can also impact a squad’s chance of making it through the tournament. The final tiebreaker to determine which teams advance out of the group stages is the team conduct score, or “fair play” tiebreaker based on the number of yellow and red cards a team has accumulated. In a situation where teams are equal on all other tiebreakers, the side with the higher team conduct score will advance to the round of 16.

World Cup 2022 schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

When: November 20, 2022 to December 18, 2022
Group stage game kick-off times: 5am, 8am, 10am, 11am, 2pm (all ET)
Location: Qatar
TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Follow along with ProSoccerTalk for the latest news, scores, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 World Cup, and be sure to subscribe to NBC Sports on YouTube!

World Cup 2022 schedule – how to watch, groups, calendar, match schedule, brackets, dates

By Joe Prince-WrightNov 29, 2022, 4:55 AM EST

The World Cup 2022 schedule is locked in and the start to the tournament in Qatar has been sensational as action throughout November and December will capture the imagination of the world.

[ LIVE: Watch World Cup en Espanol en Peacock ]

Saudi Arabia, Japan and Morocco have already pulled off huge upset wins over Argentina, Germany and Belgium respectively as the tournament has got off to a flying start.

From the USMNT drawing against England the day after Thanksgiving to Lionel Messi saving Argentina against Mexico in the group stages, Spain squaring off with Germany and upsets galore, there are plenty of intriguing games in the opening round.

[ MORE: World Cup rosters for all 32 teams ]

Then we have the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final to look forward to. Bring. It. On.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

Below is the schedule in full, details on how to watch the games and everything else you need..

[ MORE: World Cup odds ]

World Cup 2022 schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

When: November 20, 2022 to December 18, 2022
Group stage game kick-off times: 5am, 8am, 10am, 11am, 2pm (all ET)
Location: Qatar
TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Follow along with ProSoccerTalk for the latest news, scores, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 World Cup, and be sure to subscribe to NBC Sports on YouTube!

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

Group A schedule (all kick off times ET)

Recap/highlights: Qatar 0-2 Ecuador – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Senegal 0-2 Netherlands – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Qatar 1-3 Senegal – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Tuesday, November 29: Netherlands vs Qatar (preview) – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 10am
Tuesday, November 29: Ecuador vs Senegal (preview)– Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am

Group B schedule

Recap/highlights: England 6-2 Iran – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: USA 1-1 Wales – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: England 0-0 USA – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Wales 0-2 Iran – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Tuesday, November 29: Wales vs England (preview) – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm
Tuesday November 29: Iran vs USA (preview) – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

Group C schedule

Recap/highlights: Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Mexico 0-0 Poland – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Argentina 2-0 Mexico – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Poland 2-0 Saudi Arabia – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Wednesday, November 30: Poland vs Argentina (preview) – Stadium 974, Doha – 2pm
Wednesday, November 30: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (preview) – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm

Group D schedule

Recap/highlights: France 4-1 Australia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Denmark 0-0 Tunisia – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: France 2-1 Denmark – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Tunisia 0-1 Australia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Wednesday, November 30: Tunisia vs France (preview) – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am
Wednesday, November 30: Australia vs Denmark (preview) – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 10am

Group E schedule

Recap/highlights: Spain 7-0 Costa Rica – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Germany 1-2 Japan – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Spain 1-1 Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Japan 0-1 Costa Rica – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Thursday, December 1: Japan vs Spain – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm
Thursday, December 1: Costa Rica vs Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

Group F schedule

Recap/highlights: Belgium 1-0 Canada – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Morocco 0-0 Croatia – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Belgium 0-2 Morocco – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor
Recap/highlights: Croatia 4-1 Canada – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Thursday, December 1: Croatia vs Belgium (preview) – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am
Thursday, December 1: Canada vs Morocco (preview) – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 10am

Group G schedule

Recap/highlights: Brazil 2-0 Serbia – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
Recap/highlights: Switzerland 1-0 Cameroon – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Recap/highlights: Brazil 1-0 Switzerland – Stadium 974, Doha – 11am
Recap/highlights: Cameroon 3-3 Serbia – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
Friday, December 2: Cameroon vs Brazil – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm
Friday, December 2: Serbia vs Switzerland – Stadium 974, Doha – 2pm

Group H schedule

Recap/highlights: Portugal 3-2 Ghana – Stadium 974, Doha
Recap/highlights: Uruguay 0-0 South Korea – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Recap/highlights: Portugal 2-0 Uruguay – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm
Recap/highlights: South Korea 2-3 Ghana – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan
Friday, December 2: South Korea vs Portugal – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am
Friday, December 2: Ghana vs Uruguay – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 10am

Round of 16 schedule

Match 49 – Saturday, December 3: Winner Group A vs Runners up Group B – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am

Match 50 – Saturday, December 3: Winners Group C vs Runners up Group D – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm

Match 52 – Sunday, December 4: Winners Group D vs Runners up Group C – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha – 10am

Match 51 – Sunday, December 4: Winners Group B vs Runners up Group A – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

Match 53 – Monday, December 5: Winners Group E vs Runners up Group F – Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah – 10am

Match 54 – Monday, December 5: Winners Group G vs Runners up Group H – Stadium 974, Doha – 2pm

Match 55 – Tuesday, December 6: Winners Group F vs Runners up Group E – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am

Match 56 – Tuesday, December 6: Winners Group H vs Runners up Group G – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm

Quarterfinal schedule

Match 58 – Friday, December 9: Winners Match 53 vs Winners Match 54 – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan – 10am

Match 57 – Friday, December 9: Winners Match 49 vs Winners Match 50 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 10am

Match 60 – Saturday, December 10: Winners Match 55 vs Winners Match 56 – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha – 10am

Match 59 – Saturday, December 10: Winners Match 51 vs Winners Match 52 – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

Semifinal schedule

Match 61 – Tuesday, December 13: Winners Match 57 vs Winners Match 58 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 2pm

Match 62 – Wednesday, December 14: Winners Match 59 vs Winners Match 60 – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

Third-place play-off

Match 63 – Saturday, December 17: Losers Match 61 vs Losers Match 62 – Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm

Final

Match 64 – Sunday, December 18: Winners Match 61 vs Winners Match 62 – Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail – 10am

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Ecuador vs Senegal: How to watch live, stream link, team news

By Joe Prince-WrightNov 29, 2022, 4:51 AM EST

This should be a beauty of a game in Group A as both Ecuador and Senegal still have a chance of winning the group.

STREAM LIVE ECUADOR v SENEGAL

Ecuador is on four points after their impressive draw against the Netherlands and La Tri, led by the three goals of Enner Valencia, have been one of the stories of the tournament. The South American minnows have impressed mightily and a win here could see them get a more favorable path in the knockout rounds. A point is enough to guarantee them a spot in the last 16, however their captain and talisman Valencia was carried off against the Netherlands. It seems like he may be fit for the Group A finale though, which would be a huge boost.

[ MORE: Group A – Table, rankings, results, schedule ]

As for Senegal, they beat Qatar easily last time out and after their spirited display against the Netherlands, they are growing into this tournament sans Sadio Mane. Aliou Cisse knows his side need to win to guarantee their route into the last 16 and the African champions are certainly capable of matching Ecuador. If they can stay solid at the back, they have plenty of talented attackers who can punish and mistake from Ecuador.

[ LIVE: World Cup 2022 schedule, how to watch, scores, hub ]

Here is everything you need for Ecuador vs Senegal.

How to watch Ecuador vs Senegal live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 10am ET – Tuesday, November 29
Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
TV channels en Español: Telemundo
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Key storylines, players to watch closely

Enner Valencia has obviously been the main man for Ecuador with his three goals so far but Gonzalo Plata and Michael Estrada have been excellent alongside him in attack. Brighton duo Moises Caicedo and Pervis Estupinan have been superb too, while Angelo Preciado has been electric down the right flank.

Senegal’s defense has looked a bit shaky, even with Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly back there. In midfield Idrissa Gana Gueye and Nampalys Mendy were much better against Qatar and Ismaila Sarr continues to do his best to fill the huge void left by Sadio Mane.

Ecuador quick facts

Current FIFA world ranking: 44
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 3
How they qualified: Qualified automatically from CONMEBOL (4th place)
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Key players: Enner Valencia, Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupinan

Senegal quick facts

Current FIFA world ranking: 18
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 2
How they qualified: Beat Egypt in CAF playoff
Coach: Aliou Cisse
Key players: Idrissa Gana Gueye, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly

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How can USA qualify for the World Cup last 16?

By Joe Prince-WrightNov 29, 2022, 4:50 AM EST

“How can the USMNT qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup and make it out of the group stage?”

[ LIVE: Watch World Cup en Espanol en Peacock ]

That is the question you will hear time and time again ahead of their Group B finale against Iran on Tuesday, November 29 at 2pm ET.

This is intense.

[ MORE: Group B schedule, rankings, table ]

As the information below tells you, the USMNT scenarios is now very simple for Gregg Berhalter’s young side.

[ LIVE: World Cup 2022 schedule, how to watch, scores, hub ]

After their draws against Wales and England to kick off Group B play, it all goes down to the final 90 minutes against Iran to see whether or not they can reach the last 16 of the World Cup in Qatar.

Group B table heading into final group stage game

1. England – 4 points (+4 GD)
2. Iran – 3 points (-2)
3. USA – 2 points (0 GD)
4. Wales – 1 point (-2 GD)

Group B remaining schedule

Tuesday, November 29: Wales vs England – Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan – 2pm
Tuesday November 29: Iran vs USA – Al Thumama Stadium, Al Khor – 2pm

How the USA can qualify for the last 16

Win against Iran

How the USA will not qualify for the last 16

Draw against Iran
Lose against Iran

Follow @JPW_NBCSports

How many yellow cards equal a player suspension?

Do yellow cards carry over from the group stage?

What do yellow cards mean at the World Cup?

World Cup 2022 schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

Latest World Cup news

World Cup 2022 schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

Group A schedule (all kick off times ET)

Group B schedule

Group C schedule

Group D schedule

Group E schedule

Group F schedule

Group G schedule

Group H schedule

Round of 16 schedule

Quarterfinal schedule

Semifinal schedule

Third-place play-off

Final

Latest World Cup news

How to watch Ecuador vs Senegal live, stream link and start time

Key storylines, players to watch closely

Ecuador quick facts

Senegal quick facts

Latest USMNT news

Group B table heading into final group stage game

Group B remaining schedule

How the USA can qualify for the last 16

How the USA will not qualify for the last 16