Major Link Soccer: MLS All-Star Game no. 20

Major League Soccer

There will be festivities and there will be fuss. Some will even seek to find significance in the event. Never mind that Spurs are in its preseason and that there's absolutely nothing at stake for the MLSers, who will collect their bonus and plaudits regardless of how they perform. A few will see it as some kind of referendum on the state of the league—but never on the state of the opponent. Is it time to make a change?

All-Star out! Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, and Michael Bradley have all been ruled out of the 2015 MLS All-Star game Wednesday. Injuries are the theme but for the LA Galaxy players, age may be playing a part in the decision.

Yesterday MLS Homegrown players took on Club America. America survived penalties to defeat Landon Donovan on his coaching debut. Donovan spent 15 years scoring goals against Mexico, and yet they still like and respect him.

He has stopped a war, scored in a Champions League Final, and played for some of the best teams in Europe. Wednesday Didier Drogba will bring his talents to the Montreal Impact and Major League Soccer.

The stadium at Sporting Park may be the nicest in MLS, but their grass field has been among the worst since it was shoddily installed in 2011. A new surface is being laid now.

Seattle

Both active service and veterans received complimentary tickets to Saturday's match with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Monday, by showing up to two participating Starbucks locations.

DeAndre Yedlin will be playing tonight for Tottenham but will he be playing for them this season? rumors and speculation have Yedlin going out on loan to improve his game, but Mauricio Pochettino says the door is still open.

In only two years with the Seattle Reign, Kim Little has been unofficially anointed as the Queen of Cascadia.

Family is a tie that binds and for Osvaldo Alonso the opportunity to see his family again is a dream come true. Alonso left Cuba in 2006 with the knowledge that seeing his family again was a long shot, now with the change in USA-Cuba relations the Cuban embassy's decision is the only thing standing in Alonso's way.

U.S. Soccer

Both the men's and women's US soccer teams came into this summer with the aim of winning tournaments - and both teams' coaches knew that failure to win those tournaments could result in a severe erosion of their mandates as leaders.

On November 13 U.S. Soccer returns to one of America's first hotbeds of soccer: St. Louis, Missouri. Much of St. Louis' continuing soccer strength came from the city's representation on the U.S. team that went to the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Five of the 11 players that appeared in the USA's historic 1-0 victory against England hailed from St. Louis.

The College soccer season will start in August, but before the season takes it's first kick 28 collegiate players will be put through their paces. Andy Herzog and the USMNT staff will be looking for new talent for the United States U23 men's national team.

World Soccer

Miguel Herrera is out as Mexico manager in a stunning development, just two days after guiding El Tri to its record seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup championship. Cell phone footage shows Herrera attacking TV Azteca reporter Christian Martinoli at the Philadelphia airport after Mexico's win.

Mario Balotelli's t-shirt "Why Me" sold a ton, but now is it time for a new shirt? Balotelli is at his third club in three years and still hasn't found a way to have an impact. Next month Mario will turn 25 and still has a bright future ahead of him, but the question is "will his talent shine to allow that future?".

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