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This month, 100 years ago, cold and hungry British and German infrantry, huddled in fear across from each other, suddenly stopped shooting and climbed out of their trenches along the Western Front. What did they do in the name of peace and brotherhood during a rank-and-file-initiated, non-sanctioned Christmas Truce that terrified their generals?
For a couple hours, no man's land was full of joy.
Here are your Friday Freedom Kicks.
Top D.C. officials reach accord on soccer stadium funding - The Washington Post: DC's hotel workers' union is apparently worried that a labor peace provision could be dropped from the final stadium bill. That would be a mistake. Whatever hotel they're planning near the new stadium should pay decent wages and respect its workers' rights.
Everybody Except Akridge Makes Nice on Soccer Stadium Deal - Loose Lips: Akridge really wanted that Reeves Center.
MLS releases list of eligible players for Stage One of Re-Entry Draft | MLSsoccer.com: DC United goes 14th in the Re-Entry Draft rounds. Would you like to get DeRo back? He's available. Could we get him for cheap? A little DeRo-Pontius-Silva-Espindola-Rolfe-EJ-NDL assault force? Hmm?
MLS Cup watched by nearly two million viewers, capping off record-setting MLS postseason | MLSsoccer.com: That's great. Two million watched the MLS Cup. Some context though: about 16 million people watch Thursday night NFL games.
Can MLS be transparent? | US Soccer Players: This column blames the single entity structure as the driving force behind MLS's opaque inner workings.
As Landon Donovan, Thierry Henry depart, MLS must find its new stars | ProSoccerTalk: This is your obligatory story focused on Donovan/Henry for today's Freedom Kicks. Quota met.
New York Red Bulls loan goalkeeper Ryan Meara to NYCFC - Planet Futbol - SI.com: An intra-city intra-league loan! Intra-cra-zay!
Raul joins Cosmos eager to not only play, but also continue his love of coaching youth players - Goal.com: I think the NY Cosmos should become the Harlem Globetrotters of soccer.
World Cup Winner Ronaldo Takes Stake in Florida Soccer Team - Bloomberg: What's up with all this overseas interest in NASL all of a sudden?
Hope Solo asks that domestic abuse charges be dismissed - USA Today: Solo's sis and nephew aren't showing up for depositions.
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in suburban Dallas? - The Washington Post: It totally makes sense to put the US Soccer Hall of Fame next to an MLS stadium because you'd always have some fans around interested in the place. But Frisco? How about Buzzard Point instead?
As Ebola Cases Drop, Liberia's Soccer Fans Are Back In The Zone : Goats and Soda : NPR: Great photos complement this great story about the fact that it's finally safe enough again to go out and watch soccer matches at video clubs in Liberia.
Religion and soccer: Shooting for heaven | The Economist: Here's a quick little article about soccer federations' struggles with religious practices on the field.
Soccer takes flight in late-19th century Philadelphia - Philly.com: For you history buffs, the Philadelphia Inquirer is digging into its archives to explore American soccer in the 1800s.
BBC Sport - Fifa to vote on release of World Cup alleged corruption report: The Five Families are meeting in Marrakesh next week to vote on whether to publicly release a 430-page report on their own damn corruption.
Robbie Rogers Blasts FIFA Over Anti-Gay World Cup Sites - Huffington Post: Speaking of FIFA, Robbie Rogers wonders aloud: "It's insane to me that they would put a tournament somewhere where someone would be in danger." Amen. Perhaps the above-mentioned corruption report might shed some light on that insanity.
Your Friday Freedom Kicks treat: tear-jerkingly funny photos of Pele and Coutinho playing each other in FIFA 15. (Spoiler alert: Pele won, 1-0. And he's all better from his kidney problems.)
What are you hearing?