Major Link Soccer: NYCFC in the Mix, Moneyball to Europe, and Altidore to Toronto?

Seattle

In case you missed it the Seattle Sounders acquired former MLS Goalkeeper of the year Troy Perkins on Tuesday. Perkins an Ohio native who has also been capped by the USMNT, and played overseas in the Norwegian first division.

The domestic violence case against Hope Solo has been dropped. The dismissal has been in the works since early December when Solo's attorney Todd Maybrown tried to depose the alleged victims with no success.

The Seattle Sounders won two trophies last year and they were one goal shy of making the MLS Cup. With no picks in the first round and two picks in each of the second (27 & 40) and fourth rounds (75 & 80), look for the Sounders to make solid picks for the future.

MLS

Mix Diskerud has finally signed for MLS and joined New York City FC. NYCFC used their top pick in the allocation order to acquire Diskerud. The opportunity to live and play soccer in America is a dream come true for the Norwegian native.

Now that NYFC has used the number 1 spot in the allocation order, the Montreal Impact have a lot of suitors all of a sudden. Sascha Kjlestan likely being the prize for the team that can negotiate the top spot from Montreal.

TSN is reporting that Toronto has made a deal with Sunderland to swap Jermain Defoe for Jozy Altidore. Toronto isn't stopping there; another report has Italian midfielder Sebastian Giovinco is on the verge of signing.

The 2015 MLS SuperDraft will be streaming live starting at 12:30pm (ET) tomorrow!

One player at the MLS combine who saw his stock in the draft rise is Otis Earle. The speedy winger converted to leftback during his time in college. It also doesn't hurt that dad played a little ball in his time too.

Coaching stability in the MLS is an on going process. Teams like Seattle, LA, and Kansas City can rely on the consistency of their coaching staff. Other teams in the MLS are not so lucky.

Every MLS team has an academy team that plays in US Soccer Development Academy League. The Philadelphia Union has gone one step beyond by creating their own high school for their academy players.

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) annual convention kicks off today in Philadelphia. Every year this convention is combined with the MLS SuperDraft and pulls in thousands of soccer fans, coaches, referees, and business leaders. Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Pele are all scheduled to speak..

US Soccer

The month long USMNT camp that kicked off on Monday will not be a walk in the park for those involved. Instead, "Camp Cupcake" (a nickname given to the annual January camp) is all about getting players onto the same level playing field.

It will be a Happy Valentine's day for two former players and one coach. World Cup veterans Brian McBride and Kristine Lilly will join former coach Bob Bradley as the 2014 class of theNational Soccer Hall of Fame. All three will be inducted February 14th in San Francisco.

The US Women's U20 national team will start 2015 in the sunshine of Florida. Coached by former Seattle Sounders women's coach Michelle French, the U20 team will gather in Sanford, Florida from January 24th - 31st. They will play Frauen-Bundesliga side Bayern Munich on Jan 27th.

Professional Futsal is coming to a court near you in 2016. Played on basketball courts the world over, Futsal is a fast paced five-a-side style of soccer. The game uses a weighted ball to reduce bounce, out of bounds lines, and encourages individuals to use style and skill. Having a league in America could go a long way in producing the technically gifted player that is missing on the USMNT. Brazilian Futsal Superstar Falcao shows us how its done.

World Soccer

Inter Milan has been going through some changes. New owner, new coach, and new players. The new owner is also part owner of DC United, and is a big supporter of soccer's version of moneyball. Could an idea born in an American sport change the world of soccer?

Raising Harry Kane is a book currently being written in England. The Tottenham forward is on a hot streak. The 21-year-old Englishman is having the kind of season most young players dream about. Having grown up in the shadows of White Hart Lane, Kane could be the player that takes the Spurs' back into the Champions League.

In soccer, people love comparisons, "that new kid plays like Rooney," "that goal was just like the one by Messi", etc.. After winning his 3rd Ballon d'Or, Cristiano Ronaldo is getting the comparison treatment. The hard part is that they had to go back 60 years to find someone to compare him too.

The AFC Asian Cup continued play Tuesday with Australia and South Korea each earning victories. The winning teams play each other in their final first round game having already advance to the quarterfinal round of the tournament.

Professional soccer offers a lot of opportunity to see the world. German goalkeeper Lutz Pfannenstiel pushed that opportunity to the limit by playing on six different continents for 25 different teams. And yes, he has stories to tell.