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Freedom Kicks for Tuesday 28 January 2014: Preseason Begins!

Today: D.C. United open camp, behind the scenes at the SuperDraft, Vegas!, Rio, Stu, and teeth.

Jared Wickerham

Happy Polar Tuesday, boys & girls. Hopefully this is the last cold snap of the winter (unlikely!), and looking forward this weekend's nearly 50-degree temperatures will get us through the cold hell of today. Here are your morning distractions:

D.C. United enters training camp eager to erase last season | The Washington Post
Appropriately, I think, we start today's links with coverage of D.C. United's preseason, and we start with Sr. Goff himself.

Ben Olsen acknowledges challenge is to build team chemistry for 2014 | MLSsoccer.com
And here's Pablo Maurer's take on the start of camp out in (one of apparently two different) Gambrills, Marylands.

Behind the scenes at the Philadelphia Union's SuperDraft | MLSsoccer.com
Andrew Wiebe from the league website was embedded with John Hackworth & Co. back on the 16th and put out this long-form piece detailing the U's day. A recurring character: Ben Olsen, who came by shopping the #1 pick several times and (here's the newsy bit) who expressed interest in getting back into the first round when Philly held the 10th selection with Patrick Mullins still on the board. Definitely worth a read.

Vegas, Baby! Early odds for MLS Cup | ProSoccerTalk
The early favorites at online betting house Bovada are the LA Galaxy, at 9/2, thus disproving the rational markets theory. The Timbers are a good bet a 7/1, and the Revs are interesting at 20/1. If you're interested in a real longshot, though, hit up the Black-and-Red at 50/1.

No Virginia, Rio Ferdinand is not coming to MLS | LAG Confidential
In which our friend Josie Becker performs the public service of pouring cold water on the Rio-to-LA speculation that's been making the rounds.

Stu Holden continues rehab and wins Instagram | Stars and Stripes FC
Stu!!! STUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!

AFC Wimbledon and the case of the lost dentures | SBNation.com
Far and away the most important sporting story you'll read today.

Welcome to today's open thread. Feel free to share and discuss anything from the world of soccer that catches your eye.