Great weekend for the Sounders as most of the teams chasing them lost, except Minnesota United who beat Real Salt Lake. The Sounders probably won because unlike Arsenal they are not scared of their opponents.

Seattle

GO TO A PARK!!! You can explore a Washington State Parks for free on September 28 | king5.com
You won’t need a Discover Pass to explore Washington State Parks on September 28 in honor of National Public Lands Day.

Learn more about the Sounders trainer! INTERVIEW: Seattle Sounders FC, Athletic Trainer, Sheila Tatsunami | NORTH AMERICAN POST - Your link to SEATTLE's JAPANESE COMMUNITY
This Japanese woman is praised as "the best" by many top soccer athletes. Introducing Sheila Tatsunami, the athletic trainer for Seattle Sounders FC.

Hegardt was part of the U-17s side that won the Generation Adidas Cup and will be part of this years U-19s side. Nothing Can Stop Him: Chris Hegardt battled through cancer to make it back on the pitch | Seattle Sounders FC

Reign midfielder Allie Long is on this episode. Turning Setbacks into Triumphs | Positive University Podcast | Jon Gordon
This interview is super powerful as Jon and Allie dive into her story of turning setbacks into triumphs, the importance of preparation, having the right mindset and so much more.

Joristan Mordan are awesome. Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan have risen as leaders for Sounders in 2019 – The Athletic ($)
The pair of U.S. national teamers have grown in stature in different ways as an up-and-down Sounders season has progressed.

MLS/USL

The minority owner buys out the majority owner in a move that can only improve soccer in Chicago. Andrew Hauptman Sells Stake In Chicago Fire Soccer Club - Hot Time In Old Town
Joe Mansueto is the new majority owner and chairman, while Hauptman has left the club entirely.

We knew they would move soon after the lease term changes in Bridgeview but now it is clear, the Fire are going to Soldier Field. Chicago Fire Look Like They’re Headed to Soldier Field for at Least Three Years – Socceresq
[UPDATE] The board has approved (5-0) the resolution authorizing the finalization and entry of a lease between the Chicago Fire and Chicago Parks to have Fire games played at Soldier Field.

Soldier Field has sold out for friendlies and for national team matches, they need to do it for the Fire. The question is, how will the Fire get the fans there? The Fire Will Have A High Bar To Clear At Soldier Field - Hot Time In Old Town
This past weekend’s sold out Liga MX friendly shows leaves the Fire with no excuses.

This should not be hard to understand, DO NOT THROW THINGS ON THE FIELD. Unruly fans cause Rising FC match to be abandoned for player safety
Phoenix Rising came away with a 4-1 win on Saturday despite the match being abandoned due to unruly fans and player safety.

They were already winning and continue their record breaking run. Rising earn 20th straight win in abandoned match
Saturday’s USL Championship match between Phoenix Rising and LA Galaxy II was abandoned with time remaining over concerns about player safety.

This definitely was a goal even if the refs didn’t call it one. Two own goals against Portland would have been too much happiness for the rest of the league I guess. Goal or no goal? Controversial goal-line clearance in Portland | MLSsoccer.com
D.C. United took a lead over the Portland Timbers on an own goal, but should the Black-and-Red have been awarded a second own goal before halftime?

Match recaps aren’t normally linked but when they are about Fredy Montero scoring a game winner, then they are! Also Houston losing is not bad for Seattle even if they are very unlikely to make the playoffs. Vancouver Whitecaps 2, Houston Dynamo 1 | 2019 MLS Match Recap | MLSsoccer.com
Fredy Montero scored a game-winning goal in second-half stoppage time, sending the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo at BC Place.

Teams were exempt from FC Cincinnati’s draft if LAFC took a player from them and that seemed to just reset the field then. Instead, MLS will let Inter Miami and Nashville select from anyone that didn’t lose a player from the FCC draft. What happens when Austin enters the league the year after is still unknown. Inter Miami gets up to five players in MLS Expansion Draft | Miami Herald
Expansion draft will apparently follow same rules as last year's, which means Sounders will be eligible to lose a player.

NWSL

Do not give her space or she will find the back of the net. USWNT legend O’Reilly scores stunner on night to honor her career – ProSoccerTalk
The 34-year-old New Jersey native scored a sweet goal late in North Carolina's 6-1 demolition of Orlando Pride on Saturday night.

The same incident as below, the Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake, handed out a lifetime ban for any event at either of their stadiums. Utah Royals FC Statement on Fan Behavior | Real Salt Lake

The incident was on September 6th and it is unclear how long the ban is for NWSL games. Fan banned from all NWSL games after investigation – ProSoccerTalk
A person who directed racist taunts at Thorns' goalkeeper Adrianna Franch has been banned from attending NWSL games.

USA

Youth sides are supposed to get some compensation now for successful players that went through them but it is very unclear what and how that’ll happen. U.S. youth clubs left in dark about FIFA's Women's World Cup benefits program

This is a pretty good sign for the women’s game going forward if they can draw that ad revenue. Women’s World Cup Drew Nearly $100 Million in TV Ads - WSJ
Advertisers shelled out almost $100 million on U.S. TV commercials in and around the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, exceeding expectations.

World

This is really just here because I find it funny Arsenal was scared and they admitted to it. Granit Xhaka admits Arsenal were too scared against Watford - BBC Sport
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka says the Gunners "were too scared" as they let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Watford.

Well Neymar did score a big goal for PSG, so probably will regain their support. That said, he did really make them mad. Neymar: Can Brazil forward regain PSG fans' support after hostility against Strasbourg? - BBC Sport
Neymar was booed in his first Paris St-Germain appearance of the season and has angered the club's ultras, so where does he go from here?

Pep congratulated Norwich for not bunkering and instead taking the game to Man City and winning. Norwich City: 'Man City upset typical of Canaries' bold approach' - BBC Sport
Norwich City's unlikely victory over champions Manchester City is a major Premier League shock but it was a performance true to their style under Daniel Farke.

Jurgen Klopp over Zidane? What would Liverpool ask for their best player, who is the best CB in the world, and a top manager? A literal, never-ending, deposit of cash? Monday's gossip column: Van Dijk, De Gea, Eriksen, Pogba, Kante, Matic - BBC Sport
Real Madrid and Barcelona plotting move for Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk, Christian Eriksen wants Real move, David de Gea's bumper new contract, plus more.

If Famalicao can continue this run, it would break the stranglehold on the Primeira Liga. Benefica and Porto have won every championship since Sporting Lisbon won the 2001-2002 season. At that, those three teams are the only teams to finish as the top two since that season. Famalicao: The minnows with an English left-back who are leading the way in Portugal - BBC Sport
Famalicao have made the perfect start to the season on their return to the Primeira Liga for the first time in 25 years.

He coached in the USA once and last coached in 2003. Many of his stops were just a year, but he did have repeats. Rudi Gutendorf: World record-holding manager dies aged 93 - BBC Sport
Manager Rudi Gutendorf, who holds a Guinness World Record for coaching 55 teams in 32 countries across five continents, dies aged 93.

Cristiano Ronaldo can draw line under superstar era with international record | Barney Ronay | Football | The Guardian
Cristiano Ronaldo has Ali Daei’s unheralded milestone in his sights, which would be a suitable crowning of a unique type of individual brilliance.

Enjoying the game makes you better at...hmmm... Let’s rephrase this; BREAKING NEWS Enjoying your job makes your perform better. Yeah, that is kind of a no duh. Tyrone Mings: ‘My best development came from enjoying my football’ | Football | The Guardian
Tyrone Mings has set up two academies in which enjoyment is to the fore because he found that was key to his progress and ‘always wanted to give something back’ to the game.

Once in a while you get a great upset but yes, the group stages can be very predictable and boring. Champions League is back – but don’t expect a real match until February | Jonathan Wilson | Football | The Guardian
The group stages of the Champions League have become predictable and merely reinforce financial inequalities between the biggest clubs and the also-rans.

A little misleading here in that the first match is against a rival and is a reserve match since Bendtner has not played since April. That said, they are still closing the grounds for that match. Nicklas Bendtner to make debut behind closed doors for fear of overcrowding | Football | The Guardian
FC Copenhagen will play Bendtner’s first game for the club behind closed doors because their training ground ‘would have blown up’.

The teams play in leagues that are in different countries, share a stadium, and very little else. How football helped bring the divided city of Derry together | The Independent
Londonderry is unique in the football world. It is the only city that has two football teams that play in the highest divisions of different nations.

What’s on Today?

11:45 AM - Torino v. Lecce - Serie A - ESPN+

12:00 PM - Aston Villa v. West Ham United - English Premier League - NBCSN

4:00 PM - Columbia v. St. John’s - NCAA Men’s College Soccer - ESPN+