A Concacafony of Links: DC United & Sundry Soccer Links for 23 January 2015

What's up.

Thomas Floyd: D.C. United has hands full in CONCACAF Champions League - Goal.com:  Ben Olsen and Chris Rolfe talk about DC's prospects in the Champions League matches ahead.  Also, there's a sidebar of commentary about not having Sporting KC or Houston in the Eastern conference anymore.

D.C. United opens training camp - The Washington Post:  Shorter DCU presser on opening day of training:  "We're not stars.  We're not going to get any stars.  But we win anyway."

US to face El Salvador in CONCACAF U-20 Championship playoff for spot in World Cup | MLSsoccer.com:  The winner of tomorrow's game (5 pm on Fox Soccer Plus) goes to the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand in May.

Michael Bradley: MLS players could strike, as CBA talks continue | ProSoccerTalk:  Bradley says that free agency is worth a strike.

MLS Must Adopt Free Agency to Reach Lofty Goals - ASN:  More on the free agency issue at the MLS collective bargaining table:  "While it will probably resist it to its last breath, having already successfully (and no doubt expensively) defended the single-entity structure in court, MLS would ultimately benefit from free agency. A short-term arms race and likely escalation of salaries could balloon operating costs very sharply in short order. But then that would probably only get the league to where it wants (and needs) to go more quickly."

Ken Griffey Jr. Becomes Orlando City’s 10,000th Season Ticket Member | Orlando City Soccer Club:  Not too shabby, Orlando.

Ukrainian footballer banned for using phone during game - USA Today:  "Dude, can you see me on tv right now?  Here, I'll wave.  See me?  Oh, wait, here comes another attack up the left side.  Hang on a sec.  Okay, I'm back.  So, do you wanna hang out later?  Play some FIFA on the XBox?"

Apathy toward Canadian soccer is why nothing is going to change - TSN:  Check it.  Canadians are just like Americans, only more polite.

Payne looks to shake up U.S. development | Top Drawer Soccer:  Kevin Payne talks about his plans for youth development as US Club Soccer's new CEO.

Floating Soccer Pitch - BFT:  Here you can watch a very heartwarming short film about a group of kids on a tiny island in Thailand who built a floating soccer field so they could train and play.  Keeping the ball in bounds did wonders for their footwork.

NFL 2015 Bad Lip Reading - Youtube:  I once got a rake, and I killed a snowman.

And your Friday Freedom Kicks treat this week is a novel written in Yelp reviews.

Say hi to your mother for me.