Major Link Soccer: Orcas are the best

Seattle

If like me the Sounders' Cascadia Cup victory is the only thing keeping you from banging your head against a rock wall or other solid surface this morning, here's a few reminders that the Sounders appear to be back.

If you plan on heading to Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions League match against Vancouver Whitecaps, be prepared for worse-than-usual traffic as Chinese President Xi Jinping takes over four square blocks in the heart of downtown.

But if schadenfreude is more your speed, well we've got some of that as well. At Sounder at Heart, we aim to please.

GeekWire has another article about the Sounders' intense technology implementation, including their attempts to predict injuries.

Sammy Sounder and his aquatic brothers got a good rating from The Verge.

MLS

Leading up to their match with the Portland Timbers, the New York Red Bulls simulated their journey via The Oregon Trail. Which made one thing very clear: You ALWAYS pay the five dollars for the ferry.

The Chicago Fire, flailing in last place, have cleaned house (starting with the loveable Frank Yallop.) Presumably they're hoping for the kind of bounce back the Montréal Impact have found since their recent sacking, but bad news: The Fire don't have games in hand, and they don't have Didier Drogba.

The upcoming Minnesota United MLS team had the carpet yanked under them when funding for the planned downtown stadium was pulled. They've been looking for a new solution ever since, including a former bus depot in St Paul. But while the linked article claims it isn't a suburban location... well, I'll let the Walmart and Gamestop across the street speak for themselves. It's on a light rail line, but is more Stubhub Center/Sporting Park than any Cascadia stadium.

Luis Robles made his 100th MLS start, and it was a beauty.

Adam Eckersley is supposedly interested in coming to play in the United States.

What's in a D-I status? USSF recently changed their D-I designation in a way that likely puts it out of reach for the NASL, but the designation is somewhat meaningless anyway.

World

Europe has been embroiled in a conflict as to the best way of handling the influx of Syrian refugees, but there appears to be no debate with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo invited the son of a man (who gained international fame after being tripped up by a Hungarian camerawoman) onto the pitch during their most recent home game.

Bologna president Joe Tacopina has resigned from the position only 11 months after leaving AS Roma, in part due to a clash with club owner and Montréal Impact president Joey Saputo.