Major Link Soccer: Happiest Club on Earth

MLS

Atlanta United started these season off with a loss, but has pushed all the right buttons since then - they've posted two blowouts and shown they could be a Cup contender. The permanent signing of striker Josef Martinez will make that a reality for years to come.

For reasons that make little sense, RSL dismissed their coach after only three games. Plenty of names are being floated, but one name, or really one beard, specifically, may make some sense even without coaching experience - Nat Borchers.

It is not just you who thinks a lot of the lineup cards posted on team Twitter accounts are bad. Our friends over at the Brotherly Game decided to rate each team's lineup card. Spoiler alert, the Sounders are just average.

Sounders stopped the sinking ship that mattered the most, their MLS Power Rankings position. The boys jumped over the Red Bulls and back to fourth, but they've got some distance left to go.

USA

Clint Dempsey should start against Honduras for the USMNT, I think most people will accept that. The question was going to be with Wood, Altidore, or Morris next to him. Thanks to injuries to Morris and Wood, Arena has gotten to the point where even if Deuce was supposed to be his super sub, he's going to have to start this one at Avaya.

One option is that Bruce Arena calls Landon Donovan out of retirement; it wouldn't be the first time. Okay, that would be a bad idea, but what isn't is fellow USMNT retiree Stu Holden recreating Donovan's water fountain photo and it's just...well, just look. Words can't really describe it.

Remember how the NASL was going to continue rivaling MLS? ...It never happened. At least one NASL bigwig, new Cosmos owner Rocco Commisso, recognizes that his club is "not doing a great job."

While the NCAA may be failing in a lot of respects and trying to modernize is usually one of those, they may be getting something right with eSports. As the global competition of eSports grows, colleges are starting to offer scholarships to bring in eSport athletes.

World

If you follow English soccer you may have heard of a team called Portsmouth. They were once in the Premier League, but have crashed into the fourth division. The former head of the "Happiest Place on Earth" wants to buy them and make them the "Happiest Team on Earth" (TM pending, litigation assured).

Wayne Rooney has been named as a rumor to almost every club in the top half of the Premier League, to MLS, and to China in recent months, but he's being tied to his boyhood club, Everton, again in a rumor that may have legs.

Speaking of Manchester United, if you want to see them play this summer in person in Seattle, you can't. But the International Champions Cup schedule is out with MUFC and MCFC playing, as well as Barca and Real Madrid, throughout the US.

Ever disliked a player? Ever wanted a team of players you disliked? Yes, we have Portland for that in MLS, but globally speaking one is devoid. So ESPN built a roster of players we love to hate and yes it is managed by Jose Mourinho.

Of things you should hate, Rad Belgrade. Fans of the club had racist banners and made monkey chants at Brazilian center mid, Everton Luiz. Partizan Belgrade, Luiz's side, won the match 1-0, and now Rad is suspended from home games, so crossing the line does have a penalty.

Venezia is a side that has almost disappeared from Italian soccer but thanks to one American, Joe Tacopina, it is roaring back. If that name sounds familiar, it should, as Tacopina failed at buying Bologna. Then was part of a group that bought Roma, left the group, bought Bologna finally but then sold a year later to Montreal Impact owner, Joey Saputo and has now settled with Venezia.