Major Link Soccer: Alphonso Davies is now Canadian

Seattle

Key Arena is going to renovated by the Oak View Group and some NHL team investors are getting involved, so maybe Seattle will get a team after all?

We know hockey may get a shout from Key Arena developers, but what the Sonics?

Learn about Gustav Svensson’s time in Guangzhou and how things like walking through a mall worked. Or how his kid was picked up, a lot, by strangers.

The transfer window is roughly a month away, so what positions should the Sounders go after?

As we debate what the best formations for the Sounders are, perhaps a better question really is should we change how we look at formations? Is the notation a problem itself?

MLS

As MLS grows some teams will max out stadium capacity, or already have; so which teams are they and what needs to happen?

FC Dallas, with MLS direction, is disciplining the Houston Dynamo traveling supporters with “privilege restrictions.”

Plenty of teams claim turf is a problem and maybe that gives home teams an advantage because they get more time on it, but what about regular grass? More specifically, what about Bermuda grass for FC Dallas?

Remember how the Sounders were tied to Dario Benedetto at one point? The LA Galaxy may have already put in an offer for the Boca Juniors player who has scored 18 goals in 22 matches with the Argentine side.

Vancouver’s Alphonso Davies, at just 16, already has a list of accomplishments a mile long, and he can now add being a Canadian citizen to that list.

USA

The Washington Spirit have had issues before involving Pride nights (or lack of them) and with the club not holding an official one, the fans decided to hold one instead.

In soccer, players play across borders, and that creates interesting impacts on rivalries, like for Americans playing in Mexico’s Liga MX.

Critical seasons for some players are coming up, including potential USMNT midfielder Emerson Hyndman, currently with Bournemouth as he looks to take the next step in his young career.

After being considered “too young” to play at one point, Christian Pulisic is now pulling the strings for the USMNT and his hype keeps on growing. Yes, board that train.

You ready for the US to take on Trinidad & Tobago? No matter if you are or aren’t, check out the scouting on Joevin Jones’ national side.

The Red, White, and Blue are not just fighting T&T and Mexico in this set of qualifiers, but altitude (and smog).

Plenty of non-Americans have been involved in calling soccer in the US (my favorite being Arlo White), but Fox is likely to go away from that for the 2018 World Cup. The network is putting together an all-American broadcast crew, while the Confederations Cup this summer will feature a top group of Internationals.

As Lebron James tries to prove he might be the GOAT, one place he won’t be is the top of the highest paid athletes list, as Cristiano Ronaldo is blowing by him and racking up the dough.

Golden State is up three games to zero over the Cavaliers and would love to finish the playoffs without a single loss but that may cost them money - upwards of $22m if the series doesn’t go seven.

Los Angeles is admitting they are not going to get the 2024 Olympics and that Paris will, so they are stepping up to grab the 2028 summer games.

World

If you missed the Lazio teammates holding hands in a photo by a pool and the articles that followed, that’s probably good, but Howler took a look at the reaction that happened and how a story was created just to have a story. The articles weren’t even against the photo but just to praise that it might be what it might look like.

Tottenham has been known for not paying players and losing them for not paying enough in wages but almost every senior player received an extension last year, all but two. Including Toby Alderweireld who is still waiting on a new deal.

Winning the Champions League led to Ronaldo shaving his head, but crosstown rival Antoine Griezmann (who is definitely staying at Atletico Madrid right now until something changes) says he wouldn’t do it.