Major Link Soccer - The Best of the Web

Hello one and all!  I'm Dizzo and you may remember me from my extensively long look at the recent drafts. I had plenty of write-ups on candidates although I missed many of the Sounders selections. It just goes to show I have a long way to go before I get an invite from the Sounders front office to do scouting.  

However, I must be doing something right! The crew at Sounder-at-Heart contacted me recently to do some more blog posts. So, I'm going to be doing a bi-weekly link post with some of the best soccer stories around the web. I'll be looking for stuff that will impact the Sounders in one way or another...so expect a lot of stories from around the MLS especially on our rivals to the North and South.

Hopefully, I'll have an opportunity to chime in every now and again with original stuff as well. I look forward to contributing to SAH and making this the best community for Sounders supporters!

Now, with the stories after the jump:

JPA becomes the Galaxy's 3rd DP - Juan Pablo Angel has finally reached terms with the Galaxy and will join the Supporter Shield winning team for next season as a designated player. Not a bad replacement for Edson Buddle who is already scoring for his new team in the German 2nd division. The Galaxy will be the team to beat this season...as long as their DPs don't throw out a hip... 

Die! SuperLiga Die! - Columbus Crew technical director Brian Bliss recently tweeted that the SuperLiga will not be returning this season. It seems like there's little demand for more meaningless games in an increasingly crowded schedule. Anyone know where the memorial service will be held? I want to dance on the grave...

CJ Brown Joins RSL - As the new assistant coach replacing Robin Fraser. Brown was a defending legend in the league combining toughness, size and skill. He's well regarded around the league and a deep well of experience in MLS. Sounds like a great move by a RSL front office that has been firing on all cylinders the last couple of years.

The return of Omar - Omar Cummings is returning to MLS champions Colorado Rapids after his loan deal to Aston Villa fell through. Apparently, the Jamaican National Team, for which Cummings plays, was not ranked high enough in the FIFA rankings to ensure a work permit in England. Good news for Colorado, bad news for Cummings and the Sounders defense....

Portland signs new veterans - The Timbers are actually looking like a real MLS team as they continue to round out there roster with well-respected veterans. The big announcement was the addition of former FC Dallas striker Kenny Cooper to the Timbers front line. Veteran goalkeeper Adin Brown should provide an able back-up to Troy Perkins. Jake Gleeson, an U-20 goalkeeper with the New Zealand national team, and the starting goalkeeper for the Timbers U-23 PDL team, might end up as the 3rd string keeper for the Timbers.

Movement on a stadium for DCU - The original soccer city of the MLS is still in a desperate search for a stadium. They're still a long way off, but there's some hopeful signs that movement might be forthcoming. MLS commish Don Garber is applying the pressure while owner William Chang has vowed to get personally involved in the stadium search.  Two sites have, Buzzard Point and Capitol City Market, are being floated by city officials. Both are in the city and have good metro access. Buzzard Point might be on the smallish side for a soccer specific stadium while Capitol City Market would require the movement of a lot of small business owners. 

Barca to do US Tour - It sounds like Barcelona will be taking on the best of the MLS in the all-star game at the new Kansas City stadium. Barca has already scheduled summer friendlies with other international sides outside of D.C., in Miami and in Arlington Texas. Could we dare to dream of a friendly with Barcelona this summer? Perhaps a friendly with Arsenal could be in the works? I'd love to see the Sounders play either of these two storied sides.

A blast from the NASL past - Does all the Cosmos hype make you long for the good ole days of NASL? Well, there's a collector out there with a deep collection of old games and is looking to swap tapes. It's individual efforts like these that have kept soccer going in the U.S. so send him a line if you have an old NASL Sounders tape collecting dust in the attic.