Major Link Soccer: All set for all-Cascadia semifinal

MLS Cup Playoffs

The Seattle Sounders learned their Western Conference Semifinal schedule and opponent last night, after a pretty crazy contest between Sporting Kansas City and the Portland Timbers ended with the opposing keepers trading kicks from the penalty spot. Ultimately, Adam Kwarasey made his shot and his save and sent the Timbers on to face the Vancouver Whitecaps, while the Sounders take on FC Dallas.

Here's a highlight from the spot kicks:

sports can be cruel pic.twitter.com/KCrgydb3TO

— Haunted Housé (@whoisjoserivera) October 30, 2015

Before that, Impact de Montreal made themselves look like the team to beat in the East, dismantling Toronto FC in their first ever playoff match. Goals from Patrice Bernier, Didier Drogba and Ignacio Piatti sealed the deal, and it wasn't ever close to turning around.

Seattle

Sunday, Nov. 1, 6:30 PM: The home leg of the clash with FC Dallas. Tickets are available here.

There is a petition to request that the Sounders reinstate Ross Fletcher as the play-by-play announcer, working on a goal of 750 signatures. Although, if you heard Adrian Hanauer talk about the subject at Yachtcon XV, it sounds as though the decision is quite final.

Major League Soccer

Jermaine Jones flipped out a bit at referee Mark Geiger in extra time as his team was being eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday, and as a result you can bet he will face some extra games of suspension beyond his red card. He also is in danger of missing World Cup Qualifiers with the USMNT.

Atlanta United FC now has a physical presence in the form of merchandise, with the grand opening of an Atlanta Falcons/ AUFC team shop in the Mall of Georgia.

Fabio Capello is rumored to be in talks with NYCFC to replace Jason Kreis, who apparently had a pretty short leash by expansion team coach standards. Capello is available after being fired as the coach of the Russian national team this summer, and NYCFC apparently isn't the only MLS club interested.

Change is coming for the Galaxy after a rather lackluster attempt at playoff-ing this season. Here's some analysis of LA after that match. Gerrard, Keane and (especially) Ricketts won't be any younger or spryer next year, so we'll see what happens.

Columbus Crew legend Frankie Hejduk's father, George Hejduk, taught Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the "skyhook," kinda.

NASL

There are apparently enough NY Cosmos fans to "rally," which they did at Belmont to "urge the state to support" a plan to build a new Cosmos soccer stadium there.

A group is working on reviving another old NASL team, Chicago Sting, for 2017, and they might even play temporarily at massive Soldier Field.

World

A lone senator blocked a non-binding measure that would have sent a message to FIFA requesting equal pay for female soccer players on the international level.

In sad soccer news, a New York City teenager playing a high school soccer game died after a collision with another player caused internal bleeding that wasn't apparent at first.

Sheikh Salman al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation and candidate for FIFA presidency, claims he had nothing to do with punishing athletes who were involved in Bahrain's 2011 democracy protests.

And finally, in Turkey, where football is crazy, a soccer club locked the referees in the stadium after a match because they were upset at a no-call, and it took a phone call from President Erdogan to get them let out. Hey, at least Jermaine Jones didn't try that move on Geiger.