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If you haven't already, go read Ben's breakdown of how today's vote is supposed to work. Then, if you can, head over to the Wilson Building for the 10am council session.
D.C. Council to Give Final Approval to Soccer Stadium Deal | NBCWashington.com
If today's vote were shaping up to be a closer vote, tensions would be higher and I'd use this space to tear into NBC over a major inaccuracy - one that borders on perverse - in this report. Instead, I'll humor them. You're right NBC, the city has been trying for years to get a stadium for United, only for United to kick and scream and not cooperate. That's how things went. Right.
D.C. Council Chair Expects Final Vote On D.C. United Stadium To Go Smoothly | WAMU.org
Martin Austermuhle outlines the basics of what will go down at the Wilson Building today, with a couple of quotes from council chair Phil Mendelson on how he thinks things will go.
Borrow it: How D.C. will fund its share of the D.C. United stadium | Washington Business Journal
Michael Neibauer offers up a quick breakdown of how the city's costs will be funded assuming the council votes in favor of the three parts of the stadium plan.
A Home for Soccer, and Renewal, in Washington | New York Times
Nothing groundbreaking here from the Times beyond the general idea that the stadium made it into the Times.
D.C. United participates in Salvation Army gift packing | DCUnited.com
That is a whole lot of gifts.
Report: Orlando City Spurned in Transfer Bid for Dax McCarty | The Mane Land
If this rumor is true, Orlando threw around $250,000 in allocation money plus at least 2 draft picks at the Metros for Dax McCarty and were still turned down. Another MLS team would probably be able to get the Red Bulls to make that trade, but Orlando has perhaps too strongly tipped their hand on wanting McCarty in purple. No word if this was their best possible offer.
An Okugo-McCarty-Kaka midfield triangle would be a pretty great foundation, even if their Expansion Draft was kind of a mess. However, I think at this point we're either going to see OCSC track another guy down or start Lewis Neal.
Everything we know about Garth Lagerwey's departure | RSL Soapbox
Real Salt Lake has conceded that Garth Lagerwey is leaving, which will loom over the other good news RSL had yesterday (extensions for Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman, plus acquiring 100% of Joao Plata's playing rights). Lagerwey is moving to Seattle by all accounts, which is either a) the rich getting richer or b) too many cooks in the kitchen.
Mauro Rosales re-signs with the Whitecaps | Eight Six Forever
Rosales was briefly in the RED pool - more on that tomorrow morning - but withdrew and has now signed a new deal with Vancouver. The Whitecaps still need to find a striker and some depth defensively, but they should be good in 2015.
It's the Parkers! The Guardian's end of year MLS awards | The Guardian
Graham Parker is giving out his own awards, including the prestigious "Chivas USA of the Year" award.
Gareth Bale scores as Real Madrid cruise into Club World Cup final | The Guardian
This serves as a reminder that if United manages to be the MLS side that finally summits the mountain that is the CCL, this is what awaits at the top: Another, larger mountain. Still, it's worth noting that Cruz Azul had a penalty kick saved and hit the woodwork; with just a little slice of luck, they just might have had a chance at an upset.
Or actually, I imagine that a Cruz Azul would have been met with a more focused, intense Real Madrid response, which would mean a 5-1 rather than the 4-0 scoreline.
Club America are run by a TV company, so they fire title-winning managers for being boring | SB Nation
Antonio "Turco" Mohamed is the first title-winning coach for Club America in eight years, previously won Liga MX with Club Tijuana, and got his walking papers anyway after this weekend's championship victory. That's not someone you even consider firing, but then you and I may have different concerns than Televisa. Kevin McCauley explains this nonsense.
The worst films of 2014 | The Dissolve
I didn't see any of these (partially because I have pledged to do everything I can to not benefit Michael Bay), but there's enough Silky Johnson in me to enjoy someone else tearing into them.
OK, I'm posting this and rushing through a shower so I can get to the stadium hearing in time. Have fun in the comments.