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yanyan-chen · 6 years

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COLLEGE AUーDING ZEREN pt.1

•have you seen this boy dance??

•because WOW

•did i fall for him the second he started dancing???? yes

•ok on with the story

•zeren has been dancing for as long as he could remember,,

•boy was probably dancing in his mother’s womb lol

•whenever he heard music, his body couldn’t help but move along to the beats no matter where he was. like he’d tap his feet,, or bop his head,, or do little arm movements,,,sometimes he forgets about his surroundings,,,,like once,,, he was at a cafe w his friends right

•and he started grooving to the song,,,and as the song went on, his movements got wider,,,and then his elbow hit quanzhe’s drink

•let’s just say that zeren spent almost the entire day trying to remove the stain from the poor kid’s shirt

•only to have to spend $30 buying a new shirt

•and have quanzhe swear that he’ll never sit next to zeren again

•anyways,,

•he’s been in various dance competitions and either won first or second place, never anything less

•dancing was something that meant a lot to him. whenever he was stressed or overwhelmed, he would dance to relax his mind

•so when he got to college, he obviously chose to be a dance major

•he even became one of the leaders of the university’s dance team and always performed at festivals

•dance team also consisted of zhengting, jieqiong, and chengxiao

•so speaking of the dance team

•they were holding auditions soon to recruit two more members to fill in for the members that just graduated

•guess who decided to try out!!!

•if you guessed that it was you

•ding ding ding zeren you’re correct

•dancing was also something that you loved ever since you were a kid

•you loved how dancing allowed you to freely express yourself through all sorts of movements and there were no restrictions on what you had to do

•contrary to your life

•your parents expected you to become a doctor or just anything in the medical field. nothing else was allowed. they always disregarded your dreams and forced you to live the way they wanted you to. they’re always comparing you to their friends’ children too. like “so-and-so got accepted to one of the top universities. why aren’t you putting in more effort to be like him?” “so-and-so got all 100s on her report card, why aren’t you putting in more effort to be like her?”

•”why aren’t you putting in more effort to” was a phrase that you constantly heard throughout your life. they were never satisfied with your accomplishments. whenever you get high 90s on anything, they ask why didn’t you get 100s. they always say you don’t put in enough effort or you’re doing things half-heartedly when you really work as hard, if not harder, than the highest achievers. even when you get academic awards, they say “that’s how it should be”

•all you want is for them to acknowledge your achievements even if it’s just ONCE

•so when you got to college, you decided to go to one that was far from your home

•it also so happened to be the one your best friend, chengcheng, was going to, so you were more than content. you chose to be a pharmaceutical sciences major to satisfy your parents’ wish, but chose to try out for the dance team so you had something you were interested in in college. you wanted to join in your first year of college, but it was full ///:

•but not anymore !!

•so! onto auditions

•it was set to be in the afternoon exactly a week after the first semester began, and chengcheng went with you for support, but also because another good friend of his would be there

•you sat in one of the seats as you waited for your turn, and everyone was really talented so you were lowkey Shook™ and wanted to run away bc there’s no way that you can win against them?? but chengcheng wouldn’t let you

•when it was finally your turn, you were like !!!! the whole time you walked onto the stage. it’s not like you lacked confidence or anything, you were just nervous........cause y’kno......one of the judges was none other than THE ding zeren

•you’ve always watched him dance at festivals and you admired him a lot. not only did he have good as hECK looks, but he was such a skilled dancer

•but hey, you weren’t the only one admiring him. bc at one of the festivals, he was walking around w the dance team when he noticed you at your group’s stand selling snacks and his heart skipped a beat bc ?? you’re so beautiful ??? who are you ??? and before he could go to you, zzt pulled him away saying that they needed to prepare to perform soon. so today, he was determined to find out who you are and talk to you. but then he looked at your application form and was surprised bc ?? a pharmaceutical major?? joining the dance team???? everyone that auditioned so far were dance majors or fine arts majors. so as cute as you were, he was ready to complain to ting about how they’re gonna waste their time by watching your performance bc he really wasn’t expecting you to know how to dance, but no he froze the second you started moving. you were so graceful ??? and you controlled all of your movements so well. you hit every beat of the song and you gained more confidence as you danced

•soon, it was over and zeren over here was like :O

•so were all the other dance team members tbh

•cause, as yixing would’ve said, you had the balance

•they all unanimously agreed to recruit you

•after a couple more people performed, the dance members got together to choose the last person to join. then, zhengting came up on the stage. “thank you to all of you for showing your interest in joining our dance team!! you all are very talented, but sadly, we can only choose two members” he proceeded to give a little speech about how they shouldn’t give up even if they aren’t selected and that they should try again next time. when he finally announced the names, you were on the edge of your seat with your hand tightly holding chengcheng’s. “the first member we are accepting is.......zhou yanchen!” the auditorium erupted in applauds, and it took a few minutes for it to die down. “and the last member is....” you could only vaguely hear your name bc chengcheng immediately started screaming and jumped out of his seat. “I TOLD YOU THAT YOU’D MAKE IT I’M SO PROUD OF YOU” he’s such a precious kid i love him. lots of people were applauding for you too. you were still in shock when chengcheng shook you and nodded his head towards the stage, indicating you were supposed to be going up. you quickly stood up and nearly tripped as you made your way to the stage. you and yanchen bowed to the audience and judges before thanking them. the whole time, zeren couldn’t take his eyes off of you. he was awestruck by your talent and on top of that, you were gorgeous bro

•after auditions, chengcheng ran up onto the stage where you still stood, talking to yanchen. you saw him running up and expected him to go to you,, but nope he turned the opposite way and went up to zeren

•was he the friend that chengcheng was talking about??? THE ding zeren is friends with your idiot chengcheng?????? you were frozen as you stood there, staring at chengcheng and zeren speaking

•you only snapped out of it when zhengting came and started to tell you and yanchen more details about practice

•fast forward to a week later

•spring was coming !!! meaning that the spring festival was coming soon!! fun activities !!! cool performances !!!! gOoD fOoD !!!!!!!!

•so it’s been a decent amount of time since you were accepted, so you became fairly close with all of the members, especially yanchen and chengxiao. you and zeren only had small talk every now and then about the choreography, when practices were, or something stupid that chengcheng did recently

•anw back to the festival! the committee in charge of getting the festival ready decided bring back the romance concept. cause y’kno like flowers, love blossoms during the spring. i’m so poetic

•for the acts, you guys decided to send three groups to perform a medley of couple dances

•the pairings were chengxiao and zhengting, jieqiong and yanchen, and............you and zeren

•you were surprised when zhengting announced the pairings.........bc omg you were gonna dance with ding zeren..........to a couple song !!!!!!!!

•zhengting said the names were randomly chosen but he’s a liar he lowkey thought you two would look cute together but he totally wasn’t planning on telling anyone that. zeren was hoping you’d be his partner too tbh so the boy was thrilled to hear his name being called with yours. he’d been wanting to get to know you more but he never knew what to say or was too shy. but he managed to muster up the courage to ask if you were free that weekend to come up with a choreography

•you were super excited bro

•but had to come off chill so you were like oh,,,, yeah sure

•but on the inside you were screaming with joy

•when the weekend came, zeren knocked on your door. taking a deep breath, you checked your reflection in the mirror quickly before opening the door. you smiled and greeted him as he greeted you back, flashing a grin that exposed his dimples. your heart almost jumped out of your chest because wow he’s so adorable and good-looking??? he was dressed in sweatpants and a normal t-shirt.......but still....how can someone look so good???? you probably looked like a bum

•that’s not what zeren thought though. he thought you looked pretty with your hair tied up, a couple of loose strands framing your face. his gaze went down to your lips and noticed the shade of lipstick you applied was slightly lighter than what you usually had on before they quickly went back up to your eyes. neither of you realized you were just staring at each other until your roommate coughed, making you both flustered before zeren spoke up

•”oh, uh, ready to go?”

•“yeah! let’s go”

•so you both headed over to the practice room. it was kind of an awkward walk bc neither of you knew what to say nor have you been alone together. but halfway there, zeren decided to ask you something he’s been curious about

•“so...how come you’re not a dance major?”

•”ah...my parents didn’t want me to choose that. they wanted me to have a medical profession. it’s fine though, as long as they’re happy.”

•he noticed the hint of sadness in your voice as you said the last sentence, so he chose not to question you further. upon arriving at the practice room, you guys jumped right into it. first, you needed to choose a song. you and zeren looked through a list of songs prepared by ting and didn’t take long to settle with say you won’t let go by james arthur. as you listened to the song, your bodies flowed with the melody. but since this is a love song...........you had to be fairly intimate......and the thing is....... you were both flustered messes. you were either tripping over your own feet or you stepped onto each other’s feet. but overall, you guys were doing well, like you got most of what you needed down. so, you decided to call it a day and head back to your dorm rooms. as you were going back, you debated whether you should ask zeren to join you for dinner since it was already 7pm, but before you opened your mouth, zeren invited you to go to a restaurant with him. the restaurant that he took you to was relatively small and close to campus. as soon as you walked in, you were greeted by a warm aroma of freshly cooked noodles. an elderly woman, whom you assumed was the owner, cheerfully welcomed you in and led you to a table. she took your orders and before she left, she commented that this was the first time zeren came in with a girl and not his rowdy friends, causing zeren to groan and usher her to go away. she only smiled innocently before disappearing into the kitchen. shortly after, she came out with two bowls of noodles

•and it was love at first sight because they looked SO GOOD and after you finished drooling over the food, you tasted it and the taste was even better than its appearance like omg where has this restaurant been all my life. and as you ate your food, zeren started to ask you questions like “when did you start to dance?” and “why do you like to dance?” and once you gave your answers, he’d share his own answers before you asked him some questions

•and this went back and forth until both your bowls were empty. you could feel yourself opening up more with each question and the same thing goes for zeren. zeren hasn’t been able to feel this comfortable around someone that he wasn’t close to before. he really enjoyed being in your company and wished he had talked to you sooner afterwards, he walked you to your dorm before going to his own

•during the next couple of days, you and zeren spent more time together in the practice room (and quickly finished the choreo) and inevitably grew closer. as that happened, you started to notice that you’d see him around campus more often. one morning, you walked by his lecture room and saw him standing outside. you asked him why he didn’t go in and he answered that his teacher was late so he just waited outside. this continued every morning though like you’d see him just standing there on his phone or looking through a notebook, and when you walked by he’d always greet you with a smile and ask if you slept well or make some kind of small talk

•and you’d be lying if you said that wasn’t your favorite way to start your mornings

•he gave you coffee once saying that they messed up his order so he got another coffee for free but for some reason the “messed up” coffee was exactly how you liked your coffee so you were like ???

•other times, you’d pass by him on campus and he’d always wave enthusiastically with both hands no matter how far he was from you and honestly that’s just the cutest thing ever. or he would end the conversation with whoever he was talking to and then run over to you and ask where you were going next and he’d walk with you to your next class

•one morning, you walked by zeren’s class and didn’t see him. you thought that he must’ve just overslept, so you continued to your class. but afterwards, you still didn’t see him at the usual spots that he’d be hanging around, so you decided to call him, but he didn’t pick up. when you saw one of his friends walk by, you asked if he’s seen zeren but he said he hasn’t seen him since yesterday afternoon. worried, you decided to head over to his dorm to see if he was there. as you were walking to his dorm, it started to rain. you cursed under your breath as you began to run to the dormitory, but you still ended up getting soaked. upon arriving, you walked down the hallway, unsure which room was his. probably should’ve thought of that before coming but anw. as you continued down the hall, chengcheng came out of one of the rooms and saw you. “HEY, IT’S Y/N! wait, are you okay? you might catch a cold like that”

•”i’m fine! don’t worry. have you seen zeren? i haven’t seen him all morning and he wasn’t picking up my calls so i wanted to check if he was okay”

•”have you checked the library? he was having trouble sleeping last night so he went there”

•”oh, i’ll go there now. thanks” and you turned to leave but then started sneezing continuously. chengcheng took off his hoodie and threw it over your head

•”put that on. you’re already getting sick” and you thanked him again before pulling it over your head and going to the library. chengcheng just watched you leave and sighed. “they obviously like each other but they’re too dumb to realize it”

•when you got to the library, you went all around it but couldn’t find him. as you were leaving, you bumped into zhengting. you asked if he’s seen zeren, and he replied that zeren just woke up and is heading over to his class now. you were relieved to hear that he was okay, but now you were concerned about yourself because you were shivering and constantly sneezing. zhengting offered to take you to the infirmary or get some medicine for you bc he’s an angel but you declined and said that you should head to class now. anyways after all your classes were over, you went over to the practice room to rehearse. zeren came slightly later than the planned time, and you noticed that he wasn’t his usual upbeat self. like he greeted you half-heartedly and there was just a negative aura surrounding him. and you would’ve tried to cheer him up but you honestly had no stamina left like you really should’ve taken some medicine before coming

•and because of your lack of stamina, you began getting frustrated because you were constantly half a beat off. you could tell zeren was feeling frustrated too but he was trying to hold it in. but as soon as you stepped on his foot for the third time that day, he couldn’t control it anymore. “what’s wrong with you? why aren’t you putting any effort into this? is it because it’s not your major so you don’t care?” you would’ve been fine if he had only said the last sentence. but no his first sentences hit you hard, because memories of all the times that your parents said that to you came rushing back. you immediately grabbed your things and rushed out of the practice room, leaving zeren there alone. his frustration dissipated when he saw the upset expression on your face as you left. he let out a sigh as he went to the back of the room and sat down, leaning against the wall. not too long after you left, chengcheng came running in looking for you

•”where’s y/n??”

•“oh...she just left. why?”

•“i have some medicine for her cold. she was running all over the place looking for you even though it was pouring outside”

•and that’s when it hit him. you got sick while you were worrying about him, and yet you were trying your best to practice

•and he even yelled at you. feeling guilty, he grabbed the medicine from chengcheng and ran out of the practice room

•chengcheng just froze there and stared at his hand

•like bro what just happened

•zeren ran out of the performing arts building but then stopped. where could you have gone?? he contemplated calling you but he doubted you’d pick up. then, he remembered about the place you’d always go to when something upset you

•the rooftop

•the boy nearly flew up the stairs at the speed that he was running at. when he opened the door, he found you sitting with your back against the wall, one earbud in your ear, and your eyes closed. he took in a deep breath as he slowly approached you. you were slightly startled when you felt something nudge you, but relaxed when you saw it was zeren. “uh...hey. here’s your medicine”

•“oh, thanks”

•you were quiet as he explained, slowly starting to feel bad for storming out on him after how badly his day was going. you forgave him, saying that you understood why he acted that way after all that he went through before explaining exactly why you were upset by what he said. he listened attentively as you talked about your parents and all the expectations they had for you, and how they always dismissed it when you met those expectations, and how they were never supportive of you. he apologized again before pulling you into a hug, mumbling how he never meant to hurt you like that, or at all for that matter. you were surprised at first, but quickly returned the hug. zeren decided that there was no way that you could practice in this condition, so he took you back to your dorm. he came back not too long after leaving and brought you a bowl of noodle soup. you expected him to leave afterwards because you were more than thankful that he was that thoughtful, but no he invited himself in saying “my mom said that you should never leave a sick person alone so here i am. let’s watch a movie”

•and that’s how your roommate walked in to a sleeping you and zeren wrapped in a blanket and snuggling on the couch with hercules still playing and an empty bowl on the table

•she def took pictures for future references, and you were both embarrassed messes when she woke you up

•a couple days before the festival, you were completely well again and the three groups practiced together. everything went smoothly and you were all satisfied with how it went. on d-day, you were slightly nervous because this was the first time that you would be performing in front of such a hUGE crowd. but everyone in the dance team especially zeren reassured you that you would do great. after watching a couple of the performances, it was finally your group’s turn. the performance went so much better than you expected. like as soon as you stepped onto the stage, your nervousness melted away. the crowd loved the performance too like they were cheering louder than they did for the other ones

•so yeah!! spring fest performance was a big success, and zeren decided to ask you to go to disney to celebrate with him

•and of course you agreed

•and yanchen overheard him inviting you and he was like wow we used to be best buddies how could u leave me out

•unofficial date at disney!

part two

#ding zeren scenario #ding zeren au #ding zeren imagine #zeren scenario #zeren au #zeren imagine #idol producer scenario #idol producer au #nex7 #yuehua nex7 #idol producer #nex7 au #nex7 scenario

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shushthisaintmytumbla · 3 years

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6/8/2021 Life Update!!!

Omg I cannot believe it has been 8 freaking months since the last time i wrote here. SO MUCH has changed its insane. JK not really, but the good news is covid is basically over!!!!!!! I got a vaccine back in March and so did my fam so I have been livvinnnn way more than the last time we spoke. I almost teared up reading back on the last life update to see strong I was at that time and how much I’ve been able to hold onto those values of self worth and confidence to this day. As much as 2020 SUCKED... so much personal growth came from it that I truly don't know if I would've had if it weren't for life slowing down, working from home, and being able to really focus on myself.

I guess to reflect on some of the past 8 months... that boy i mentioned i was talking to but wasn't sure about hmm idk how to explain it but I definitely never felt a spark.. we hung quite a few times, but everything felt very structured and I don't know if it was because of the state of the world or if I just wasn't really into it. But I must say im really grateful to have met him and I still talk to him every now and then to this day. I think he's a really sweet human and someone I want in my life as a friend. He moved to NYC so who knows maybe ill see him over there ;)

Since were on the boy update, I’ve recently went on a couple dates with 2 different guys both super sweet but idk im not seeking something and its definitely difficult to try to date while still living in OP. I hate keeping secrets, but I HATE the idea of telling my parents about a date lol

Work has pretty much remained the same buuuut about a month after my last post i really stuck to my gun about wanting something new and exciting and I got a job as an assistant to an influencer. It has been a really fun experience getting to learn more about the business side of things and I can definitely see my career shifting in that direction if I want out of the music biz. My boss boss recently just left the company so things are starting to pick up more with work which could affect this influencer role. Im just gonna let my real job play out and see where things go. We were told a return to office date in Sept. which I am very very scared about. I DO NOT want to go back to an office. As much as I love socializing, I LOVE the flexibility and freedom of WFH. It is definitely a HUGE reason why I have been able to stay so fit the past year and a half. I’m really scared about going back to a 9-5 office life and lose this motivation I have rn for fitness.

As far as the future, I am SO confused on where I am headed which is really scary but I guess exciting too. I have not given up my hopes of moving to NYC. It is literally all I think about most days. I know my parents would be super bummed for me to move away, but at this point i have no desire to be back in LA. I would have no one I really care to live with here since everyone else kind of is moving out with others or have different plans. I really just think I need change after a year of so much stillness. I crave a new city, making new friends, and making a new version of myself or I guess just building off of this new found appreciation I have for my self. Moving across the country sounds very scary to me, but I know I need to do it. Im dead set on the idea. I just need to find a job and a place to live there lol. I do have some leads on roommates (Molly and then maybe this girl I met from Molly in Prague). The issue with it is i don't think they'd move till Feb 2022, which seems like FOREVER AWAY.

Living at home makes me feel like my life is on pause. I don't feel like I can grow or become my own person while under my parents roof. Also, since the last time we’ve chatted here, a lot of family dynamic has changed. Im not gonna spill the tea here bc its really deep and personal and thats a lot for saying on a platform where im fine writing EVEERYTHING. Its just something i can't come to terms with opening up about to anyone, but lets just say I need distance and to create my own future.

As far as life, I have been able to travel a lot more in the past few months. In the beginning of May I spent 2 weeks in Hawaii with Mckay, her friend Mara, Cassidy, and Mara’s friend Daron. It was SO fun. The most fun I’ve had in a while. It was my first time on a plane in so long and it felt soooo good to be away. I also have travelled to Phoenix/Scottsdale AZ a couple times with Fiona and that was so fun. I am weirdly obsessed with AZ now I could also see myself living there if it weren't so damn hot and if i knew some more people. Traveling again fills me with so much joy. I have some other fun trips coming up like Glacier National park with my family, another trip to AZ (lol told you im obsessed) for my birthday weekend, and I even purchased CONCERT TICKETS for Kygo in sept. wow I can't wait for my first concert back. oh wait i also have Harry in AUGUST fuck ya life is getting good again.

I’m really not sure what the new few months holds for me with work, friends, relationships, where I will end up, etc. which really scares me and I don't know why. I usually like having things figured out and a game plan and I legit have none. If you ask me now my hope is to get out by late aug/sept. I have some plans through then, so after that I really want to dig into my escape to NYC. Covid kinda fucked up life threw me around and is now spitting me back into a place where i don't know where to go or when to make the next move. I feel at a weird place with my friendships. Obviously I love my friends, but everyone is kinda starting to do their own thing, focus on themselves, and go on their own necessary path, and that is why I am so motivated to make my own. I have been manifesting a move to New York for almost a year now lol so CASE the next time we meet here you better have a fricken plan to get your butt to New York. Do it for yourself. Do it and don't look back. Change will be good and necessary. YOU GOT THIS.

Talk soon x

Casey

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Wiebe: Your complete guide to MLS Week 25

August 17, 20181:37PM EDT

“Where’s the Armchair Analyst? You’re not Matt Doyle.”

I’m not, and I won’t pretend to be. Frankly, I don’t know how Doyle does this every single week. There’s a lot of pressure, and it is kinda exhausting. Scroll to the bottom for your favorite MLS analyst’s whereabouts.

In the meantime, let’s dig into Week 25.

Saturday Slate

Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy (ESPN)

4 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

Sounders going for franchise record 6 in a row vs Sigi and Zlatan will be epic.

— Eric Tietz (@eric_tietz) August 16, 2018

No doubt, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic could sit this one out. Check the quote here. Even if he rides the pine, there are goals in this game, on average 3.6 every time the Galaxy take the field, most in MLS. Given the current state of the Western Conference the three points at stake are huge for both teams.

The Seattle side is obvious. They’ve won five straight games but, thanks to the fact they won all of four times in league play before their current run, still sit outside the playoff field looking in. The Sounders have never won six straight in MLS, and this looks like a golden opportunity with a potentially Zlatan-less LA team coming to CenturyLink.

The Galaxy side comes from the mouth of, who else, Zlatan, who said it best after LA dropped four points in four days by blowing a couple 2-1 leads at home to settle for a pair of home draws with Minnesota and Colorado, both below them in the table.

“Everybody talk about the playoffs,” he said. “The way we play now, we don’t even deserve playoffs.”

Thanks to Bobby Warshaw’s beautiful mind, I’m thinking about this game this way:

If you were to seed the top eight teams in the Western Conference and put on a single-elimination tournament starting this weekend, who would you bet on and in what order? Here’s where I stand.

Seattle Sounders

LAFC

Portland Timbers

Sporting KC

FC Dallas

LA Galaxy

Vancouver Whitecaps

Real Salt Lake

That’s another way of saying I think it’ll be six straight for the Sounders, and every team above the playoff line ought to be concerned about what another late-summer hot streak (in which it doesn’t seem like they’re actually playing all that well… yet) means for the stretch run and beyond.

Philadelphia Union vs. New York City FC

7 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

If you’re going to watch one game on Saturday night, make it this one. Both teams want the ball, and both teams know what to do with it once they get it. Get ready for 90 minutes of pretty soccer.

The Union have won two in a row just once all season. With NYCFC in town, they’ve got a chance to do that while putting some much-needed distance between themselves and the rest of the playoff chasers in the East. Bobby loves watching Philly, but aesthetics must also come with results. Time to get one against an elite team.

NYCFC, meanwhile, have given up seven goals in their last three games. The only win in that stretch came against 10-man, Jozy-less Toronto FC. Needless to say, Dome Torrent isn’t particularly happy with how his team is playing, and he isn’t afraid to say it. Thankfully for them, David Villa is back is help lead the push for the Supporters’ Shield and a CCL berth.

This is a Decision Day preview, and a damn good one.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. New York Red Bulls

7 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

Let’s chat about the player both teams wanted, but neither may be able to keep.

That’d be Tim Parker, who went from SuperDraft pick to rising star in Vancouver and now missing piece to, depending on what happens this offseason, missing man in New York. In case you didn’t know, Parker is currently in the final year of his contract. He could sign a pre-contract with a club outside MLS at any time.

But he hasn’t, which means the Red Bulls have some hope that they’ll be able to keep the Parker-Aaron Long partnership together long-term. If RBNY can get the Long Island native re-upped, that’d give the club a pair of 25-year-old centerbacks and arguably the league’s best central defensive pairing for years to come. If they can’t, it’s back to the drawing board.

Anyway, Parker returns to BC Place at the head of the Supporters’ Shield race. The ‘Caps, meanwhile, just took a beating from TFC midweek in the second and decisive leg of the Canadian Championship final. The Red Bulls are chasing something bigger than the playoffs. Vancouver are just trying to get back there for the second straight season.

Some questions ahead of this game…

Will the dominant version of Alphonso Davies show up after returning from injury?

If Davies isn’t dominant, how will Vancouver generate scoring opportunities? New York aren’t likely to shoot themselves in the foot the way Portland did.

How will Chris Armas configure the Red Bulls press, considering the ‘Caps figure to go direct?

Will Armas rotate the squad given the midweek Heineken Rivalry Week matchup at Yankee Stadium?

Montreal Impact vs. Chicago Fire

7:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

The Impact are holding on by a thread in the Eastern Conference, while the Fire are in a full-on, seven-game-losing-streak nosedive. Playoff teams win games like this. Do either of these teams belong in the playoffs? That’s very much TBD.

Because Doyle started it and Nacho Piatti can never get enough love, here are my top five wingers in MLS in 2018:

Carlos Vela

Ignacio Piatti

Alphonso Davies

Yamil Asad

Romell Quioto

Yes, we may disagree about the definition of winger. Your list goes in the comment section below.

FC Dallas vs. Minnesota United

8 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

Any game (hopefully) featuring Darwin Quintero is worth your time.

Sporting Kansas City vs. Portland Timbers

8:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

Can Krisztian Nemeth thrive as a No. 9 for Kansas City? Guess we’re about to find out.

Either way, the Timbers didn’t deal well with D.C.’s attack on Wednesday, which featured a No. 9 who preferred to drop a little deeper, a bunch of slashers with vision for the final pass in support and two athletic, energetic central midfielders. That sounds a lot like Sporting KC.

This one could shuffle the hierarchy out West.

Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake

9 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

Every home game from here on our is a must-win for the Dynamo. Fortunately, Real Salt Lake are verified patsies away from Rio Tinto Stadium (1-9-2), which they proved midweek against LAFC.

If the Dynamo win, their playoff hopes live on. If they lose their fifth straight, there’s always the U.S. Open Cup final.

On the flip side, RSL have lost to Minnesota and LAFC and drawn Colorado, San Jose and Montreal in their last six games. The lone win in that stretch was against Chicago, losers of seven straight, thanks to Damir Kreilach.

Those early-July wins against Sporting KC and FC Dallas are looking pretty fluky right about now, and Vancouver and Seattle are breathing down their necks for the final playoff spot. This would be a good time to pick up a result of any kind. The schedule only gets harder from here.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Toronto FC

10 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

I’m guessing you saw those Jozy Altidore transfer rumors.

For my money, he’s Toronto’s best player, and they’ll be an MLS Cup contender for as long as he’s in The Six. Not having him this weekend makes that red card against NYCFC a potentially six-point blow that the Reds simply can’t afford.

Given each team’s respective place in the table, this is a must-win for Toronto. They’re still the most talented team in the league, top to bottom. As we’ve found out, talent can only get you so far. They’re better than the teams competing for the five and six spots in the East, but the defending champs better hurry up and stack points or it’s going to be too late.

Soccer Sunday

Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew SC

4 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

Is this where I go ahead and #Baerantee Joesf Martinez ties the single-season goal record this weekend? Because that’s what’s going to happen.

You should watch this game for three reasons…

Josef accomplishing the inevitable, and maybe even breaking the record … in August (!!!).

To see whether 2018 Orlando City Justin Meram or 2014-2017 Columbus Crew SC Justin Meram shows up. This is an opportunity to prove he’s back where he belongs on a big stage.

Both these teams have distinct identities and play attractive, attacking soccer. What more could you want from a Sunday afternoon?

D.C. United vs. New England (FS1)

7:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

Don’t tune in for soccer broadcasting history. Tune in because Lisa Byington (play-by-play), Danielle Slaton (analyst) and Katie Witham (sideline) are knowledgeable, engaging and good at what they do. You can listen to ExtraTime Radio’s interview with Witham for more on Sunday’s all-female FS1 broadcast and the art of sideline reporting below.

There may not be a better game to call this weekend than this one, a six-pointer in every sense of the cliche.

A D.C. United win would pull them within two points of New England with three games in hand on the Revs. Depending on what Montreal (vs. CHI) and Philly (vs. NYC) pull in from Week 25, Señor Wayne and the boys could find themselves within three points of the final playoff spot come Monday with a minimum of two games in hand on the rest of the field with nine more home games remaining. Prettttttttayyyyyy good.

The Revs desperately need all three points to stave off the collapse that’s currently staring them in the face. Three facts for you…

For the first time since Week 3, New England find themselves below the playoff line

The Revs are 1-4-4 since beating the Red Bulls on June 2

Six of their next eight games, are away from home, where they’ve won once all season

Those aren’t tidings of comfort and joy for Brad Friedel. Then again, New England didn’t play midweek, and ought to be able to unleash their press (and perhaps new center back Michael Mancienne) against some tired D.C. legs.

It probably won’t matter because Wayne Rooney, Lucho Acosta and the rest of D.C.’s suddenly swashbuckling squad are on a heater right now. Belief is contagious, and everything seems to be working for the Black-and-Red right now. Tell me why they can’t make the playoffs…

If you said, “Because Rooney, sans preseason, can’t possibly play at this level for the next two months in swampy D.C.,” you might have a point.

DC better have a NASCAR style pit team for Rooney if they want to utilize him as efficiently as possible during their crowded schedule of games. They need him playing as many minutes as possible.

— Jay W. Riddle (@jay_riddle) August 16, 2018

My retort would be that, other than two trips to New York, Ben Olsen and Rooney will be able to manage his load from the comforts of home. Play games, rest and repeat for the better part of two months, just as he would during a multi-front European campaign. The more wins D.C. pile up, the more Rooney can rest.

“I think I’ve been in this situation many times,” Rooney told reporters this week. “It’s probably more normal for me to do that. You calm down a little bit with your training but you make sure you’re ready for matchday, and that’s what I’ve done the last couple days.”

Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC

10 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

I ran the numbers and there’s a 12 billion percent chance Christian Ramirez scores more for LAFC the rest of the way than Angelo Rodriguez does for MNUFC.

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) August 16, 2018

Math has never been Doyle’s strong suit, but I’m going to go ahead and #Baerantee he’s right here — and not just because Christian Ramirez bagged two in his first start in black and gold.

Ramirez has better attacking players around him in SoCal, figures to hold onto the starting job as long as he’s scoring regardless of the status of Adama Diomande’s hamstring — and LAFC have a Charmin-soft schedule compared to Minnesota’s prolonged (and probably season-dooming) road trip. I bet he keeps scoring.

Colorado aren’t pushovers anymore, though, so who knows?

One More Thing to Ponder

Live look at Matt Doyle in Cabo…

Have a good weekend everybody!

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Wiebe: Your complete guide to MLS Week 25 was originally published on 365 Football

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