Major Link Soccer: MLS broke its attendance record

Seattle

Stefan Frei teams up with local chef Ethan Stowell for some insanely awesome cooking lessons.

MLS

Josef Martinez missed about half of the season, but he put on quite the show trying to win the Golden Boot. Despite his efforts, Nemanja Nikolic easily wrapped up the award.

After announcing that Atlanta will get the 2018 All-Star Game, MLS is tentatively putting the 2020 match in Los Angeles with LAFC. Format and opponent have yet to be determined.

MLS finally broke the 22,000 mark for average attendance this season. Unsurprisingly, Atlanta United and the Sounders carried the load.

No one likes to see a team leave a city, especially when they are an inaugural member of the league, which is why there has been a massive outpouring of support for keeping the Columbus Crew in Columbus. Even rival clubs are coming forward to support the yellow and black.

USA

FC Barcelona has been trying to expand their influence in the US, and while a women’s soccer team is likely going to be part of it, academies are coming first. After announcing one in Arizona, Barca announced a new academy in New York.

In a statement that surprised no one, USMNT midfielder Paul Arriola said that maybe the US was overconfident when they went to Trinidad.

While the USMNT might look like a dumpster fire to most of us right now, the USMNT U17 team is exciting for the best (and the worst) reasons.

The USL is moving their semi-final to Sacramento, the lower seed, after Swope Park Rangers were deemed to have an unsuitable field. Since the stadium is Papa Murphy’s Park, the soccer will be take-and-bake style and you will have to consume it at home.

In what is going to continue to get worse before it gets better, NASL is claiming the USSF tried to shut down the NY Cosmos. Remember: the NASL chairman is the owner of the Cosmos.

World

Finding a way to connect with people who need help the most is hard, but a few soccer players found a common bond with kids in a Zaatari refugee camp with the help of the beautiful game.

Megan Rapinoe has a few things to say about FIFA’s treatment of women’s football. You should read them.

On the heels of the latest edition of the FIFA Puksas Award, Bleacher Report has provided a definitive ranking of every finalist dating back to 2009. Since this is the internet, there will be no debate about the definitive nature of this list.