MLS
Comparing Sporting KC’s Start to the Poor Seattle Sounders Starts - The Blue Testament
We invented starting badly and saving our season.
The Union are in first place and playing good soccer. Does anyone care? - Philly.com
Though the team is playing well, last Wednesday’s win over FC Cincinnati drew the lowest attendance for a league game in team history.
Does MLS have a double standard problem with Zlatan and other stars? - ESPN
Zlatan Ibrahimovic allegedly threatened Nedum Onuoha, then entered the Real Salt Lake locker room without permission. Did MLS let him off too easy?
MLS teams mostly fly commercial to away games, but that could change soon – The Athletic ($)
Expect charter flights to be a major point of contention in the upcoming CBA negotiations.
Soccer in the Sound
Our Heroes of Defiance – Nick Hinds and Sam Rogers - Tacoma Defiance
Sounders Homegrowns discuss the rivalry with T2
USMNT
DeAndre Yedlin undergoes surgery - Stars and Stripes FC
Will he be able to play in the 2019 Gold Cup?
USWNT
USSF files answer denying USWNT gender discrimination claims - Stars and Stripes FC
USWNT responds: "We look forward to a trial."
U.S. Soccer still doesn’t get it as it prepares to fight against equal pay - Yahoo Sports
The federation’s persistence with this self-inflicted public relations nightmare is baffling.
NWSL
Yael Averbuch, leading NWSL Players’ Association, targets initial steps – The Athletic
The organization's executive director spoke about the need for the players' association and the league to grow together.
European soccer
Is it time for Ernesto Valverde to be fired? - Barca Blaugranes
He was on the verge of a treble a day ago now they're talking about firing him.
Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s Spectacular Victory Over Barcelona - The Liverpool Offside
One of the most amazing Anfield nights in recent memory has come to an end. We’ll try to make some sense of what happened.
International soccer
Concacaf president Montagliani says Canada abuse claims were treated seriously - The Guardian
The former president of Canada Soccer, who did not read the full report when it was delivered to the organization in 2008, says the women who have come forward with allegations of abuse are ‘courageous as hell’.