Major Link Soccer: MLS is going to Nashville

Seattle

Former Sounder Michael Gspurning is calling it a career and moving to sidelines as a coach. The former keeper retired from Union Berlin and signed on to become a goalkeeping coach for the second division German side.

By now you’ve heard that Seattle will be playing an away game in El Salvador when they play Santa Tecla, so here are some travel suggestions and tips. The city is located at the base of a volcano — think about hiking that.

MLS

The rumors of Maxi Urruti leaving FC Dallas just don’t stop, with another Colombian side and Serbian side Red Star Belgrade now rumored as destinations.

One thing that will make it hard for Anthony Precourt to move the Columbus Crew to Austin is the Modell Act, passed after the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens. If the law can withstand an inevitable legal challenge it will make it very hard to move.

MLS is throwing a party in Nashville and Don Garber as well as others are in attendance. So either: A) Nashville is being announced as the next expansion side, or B) Graceland was full for an Elvis-themed party.

One of the worst kept secrets (if it is one) in MLS is that Cyle Larin wants to leave Orlando City for Europe. He may get his wish as it appears Besiktas is in for the Canadian striker.

If MLS decides to review bids again, Charlotte’s bid for MLS may have a new benefit — a stadium. Specifically Mecklenburg County’s Memorial Stadium, which was approved for a $31.7m facelift.

Philadelphia needed a new broadcast deal after their contract with Comcast expired at the end of the 2017 season. Their new deal moves them from having most games on cable to now being entirely over the air, a deal split between two channels, which should significantly improve accessibility.

USA

Manchester City grabbed Sporting Kansas City’s Erik Palmer-Brown as a free signing, but they plan to immediately loan him out. PSV Eindhoven appear to be front runner for EPB’s services.

Alex Morgan won her third CONCACAF Player of the Year and her second consecutive. Sam Kerr likely had a better year, but with no national team games considered (she’s Australian) it made it easier for Morgan to repeat.

Northwest native and former University of Portland star, Michelle French, is returning to the Pilots’ program. French will take over as a head coach of a program that’s been without one since Garrett Smith was let go in November.

ESPN boss John Skipper is out. Skipper (great name for a sports industry CEO) resigned citing substance addictions and needing to focus on healing. George Bodenheimer, former President of ESPN, will serve as interim boss.

World

Police in the UK are treating an alleged racist attack on Raheem Sterling at Manchester City’s training ground as a hate crime. Sterling did go onto to score two goals after it.

Antoine Griezmann’s blackface costume at a theme party over the weekend was a bad call. There was near-universal questioning and criticism of his choice by everyone, but the individual decision is a symptomatic of a much bigger problem.