Major League Soccer

ARSENAL fans loved it as Gabriel Martinelli cracked a Ted Lasso joke to American goalkeeper Matt Turner.As part of an MLS promotion, the US international goalkeeper has been teaching Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah about his home league ahead of the Gunners’ summer tour.
Gabriel Martinelli made a Ted Lasso jokeCredit: Twitter
American Matt Turner took the quip in his strideCredit: Twitter
Arsenal will take on an MLS All-Star team in Washington DC on July 19.
And Martinelli, 21, hopes that there will be a special guest.
Turner introduced the forward duo to Audi Field, where the All-Star game will take place.
The 28-year-old said: “You’re looking at Audi Field, and lucky for us we’ll have the chance to play there in the MLS All-Star game on Apple TV.”
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Nketiah, 23, then said: “The stars are really aligning for us, innit.”
And Martinelli added: “Does it mean Ted Lasso will be there?”
To which Turner replied: “I know a few people, I’ll see what I can do.”
Hit TV series Ted Lasso is currently in its third season and is an Apple TV original, the same platform that broadcasts all MLS matches.
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Eddie Nketiah also appeared in the advertCredit: TWITTER
Hit Apple TV show Ted Lasso is currently in its third seasonCredit: AP
It sees fictional American coach Lasso move to Premier League strugglers AFC Richmond, joined by his ever-wise assistant Coach Beard.
Despite the interaction being staged, Arsenal fans loved Martinelli’s quip.
One wrote: “Does it mean Ted lasso will be there lmao 😭😂😂 I love gabi man”
A second tweeted: “Great ad 😃”
While a third commented: “The Ted Lasso comment freaking love it 😂😂😂”
And another added: “They should make Ted Lasso a coach for MLS team.”
The actual coach of the MLS team will be England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.
Wazza, 37, has been in charge of DC United since July last year – but has only won three of his 18 matches in charge,
Wayne Rooney will manage MLS All-Stars against ArsenalCredit: Alamy More

WAYNE ROONEY has shared a loved-up selfie with wife Coleen after she jetted out to the US to visit him.The pair have been living separately after Rooney took charge of MLS outfit DC United last July.
Coleen flew out to Washington DC to visit husband Wayne RooneyCredit: Instagram / @waynerooney
The pair have lived separately since Rooney took charge of DC United last July
Coleen is living in the UK with their four childrenCredit: Instagram
But they have been re-united in Washington DC this week and are enjoying each other’s company after months apart.
Wazza, 37, shared a smiley selfie with Coleen, who wore huge sunglasses.
He captioned the post: “Great week with @coleen_rooney 😁”
Coleen decided to stay behind in the UK with their four children when Rooney took the DC United job.
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She previously joined the former England star in the US capital when he played for DC, but revealed she “cried every weekend” due to homesickness.
Coleen also complained about the lack of activities on offer in the city, highlighting the lack of soft plays for her kids, who she mostly took to the park.
However the 36-year-old did not want to stand in her husband’s way and gave him her blessing to take the job.
It was a bold move from Coleen after Rooney got into trouble on a few occasions in his previous spell stateside.
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Rooney was arrested in December 2018 for being drunk at Dulles airport.
In February 2019 he had a boozy night out with a barmaid while on a training camp in Florida.
He was also pictured outside a Hooters bar, famed for their sexy waitresses in revealing clothes.
Coleen has a wealth of experience dealing with her husband’s discrepancies and that may be why Annie Kilner reached out to her for support after hubby Kyle Walker was accused of flashing in a bar last week.
A source said: “Annie reached out to Coleen for a shoulder to cry on. They’re friends.
“Coleen feels sorry for Annie because people like them seem to get laughed at for having hope in their relationships.
“Coleen knows what it is like to be at the centre of a storm. She also knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of Becky’s tongue.” More

JAMIE VARDY’S American club have reportedly FOLDED after pulling out of the 2023 season.Rochester New York competed in the inaugural MLS Next Pro in 2022, finishing fourth in their comeback after a four-year hiatus.
Jamie Vardy’s American team failed to land new investment before the 2023 seasonCredit: Reuters
Vardy invested in Rochester New York in 2021 ahead of their returnCredit: Instagram
But talks for new investment ahead of the 2023 campaign collapsed.
And that forced the US club to confirm they had to withdraw from the third-tier competition – plunging the whole club’s future into serious doubt.
That is despite Premier League and FA Cup winner Vardy taking on a minority stake in the club in 2021.
Rochester New York said: “This decision involved a great deal of input from many stakeholders including MLS Next Pro and was not one we arrived at lightly.
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“Our full intention for 2023 was to reward RNYFC supporters with another exciting season of professional soccer in Rochester.
“Our fans turned out in great numbers in 2022, cheered loudly, and were as impassioned as the players themselves.
“Most recently, we were in advanced discussions with an ownership group to acquire a majority interest in RNYFC.
“However, the purchasing group decided not to proceed earlier this week as we were moving to close.
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“This left us with no time and no choice but to decline fielding a team in 2023.”
It means there will be no independent clubs in the MLS Next Pro 2023 – with all 27 members reserve sides for the MLS teams.
It remains unclear whether this will prompt the club – previously called Rochester Rhinos – to go under permanently.
The Athletic state they have ceased operations.
Co-owners David and Wendy Dworkin plus Vardy may opt to rebrand and relaunch the club in time for the 2024 season.
Speaking in 2021 when he invested, Leicester legend Vardy said: “I like to keep myself busy, don’t I? It’s really exciting.
“It’s going to be a lot different to what I’ve been used to for the last 10 years. But I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it.
“I think it kind of resonates with me because of what they’ve achieved in the past — the only lower-league club to win the US Open Cup, the only team to have ever done it who’s outside MLS.
“It’s all about bringing that back and trying to replicate it — but we also want to bring it back even better than it was before.” More

FREDDY ADU was once the most famous wonderkid in the world but he is now on the search for a new club.The American drew comparisons to Pele at just 14 years old after he was signed by DC United in the MLS Draft.
Freddy Adu was once the great American hope after making his pro debut aged 14Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Adu won 17 USA capsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
He once had a trial at Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
Adu has been without a club since leaving Osterlen FF in 2021Credit: Instagram @freddyadu
But the midfielder is determined to get back into the gameCredit: Instagram @freddyadu
Fast forward 20 years and Adu, 33, is desperate to get back into the game after leaving Swedish side Osterlen FF in 2021.
Adu is aiming to get as fit as he can ahead of upcoming trials this summer, where he hopes to win a contract.
Speaking to NJ.Bet, Adu revealed his plan saying: “I know that I must get fit and haven’t played for a while so I would have to go in and do trials, which will need me to be super fit.
“I’m at the point where I’m prepared to do that and so it will be this summer, and hopefully it goes according to plan, that there are some doors that open and I can have the opportunity to get back to playing.
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“I don’t know what opportunities will come, but I must be ready for any opportunity that comes. I’m not going to say I’m too good for anyone.
“I just want to get back to playing the game that I love and miss. I miss the atmosphere, I miss the locker room, I miss training every day in the morning, being around the guys – I miss it all.”
In 2004 Adu became the youngest player to appear in a professional sport, making his debut for DC United aged just 14.
Two weeks later he scored his first professional goal against New Jersey MetroStars, who later became the New York Red Bulls.
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That prompted Nike to snap Adu up on a $1million (£730,000) sponsorship deal, while ESPN said he was a better sporting prospect than LeBron James.
Even Brazilian legend Pele compared the prodigy to Mozart for displaying such an incredible ability at such a young age.
Reflecting on that period, Adu said: “I got so lucky. My family was poor and could not afford for me to play for a club team, but I got lucky because I was given a scholarship by the Potomac Cougars who saw me play.
“The coach saw me play and thought I was really talented and wanted me on the team, so he gave me a scholarship to play for the team. Every single parent on that team paid a little extra out of their own pocket for me to be able to play on that team. Unbelievable.
“I didn’t even know about that until I was a few years into my professional career is. I’m so beyond grateful for doing that, because they didn’t have to do that.
“They all saw something in me and thought that I could go far in the game, so they did that. Not everyone does that, but I’m so grateful for it.”
However, Adu’s career soon became a disappointment – with the pressure of being America’s great hope too much and expectation becoming a burden, though he did win 17 caps for the USMNT.
After a failed trial at Manchester United, spells in Portugal with Benfica and Monte Carlo with Monaco, Adu ended up back in his homeland trying to pick up the pieces of a life that should have been. More