:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45682648/462565712.0.jpg)
The 2015 MLS season may not start for another three weeks, but the news keeps coming hot and heavy. If you've been living under a rock, you've missed some big things happening in the world of American soccer. Let's get right to it.
Battered and Bruised and Beer
It's exciting times in the world of DC United goalkeepers. Both Bill Hamid and Andrew Dykstra are expected to be ready to go by the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal in two weeks. They had rough summers with Dykstra overcoming an Achilles tear and Hamid rehabbing a shoulder injury.
Fox/Univision to air all FIFA events through 2026 World Cup
On Thursday, FIFA randomly released a press release about the World Cup television rights through 2026. If you haven't heard the news, FIFA extended the current contracts with Fox/Univision without opening the bidding process to other networks here in the United States. The news caught everyone off guard, and it didn't make folks like ESPN's Bob Ley very happy. Many think it's a "Sorry!" offer from FIFA to the networks for moving Qatar 2022 to the winter which is expected to delivery lower-than-normal ratings.
MLS, Union hire mediators in CBA discussions
This is great news if you have any interest in seeing the 2015 MLS season start on time. The owners have said they're not moving on their "ZERO free agency" stance. The players have said they're willing to strike without free agency. I still believe that the players will get a version of free agency that's more bastardized than the Re-Entry Drafts, but we'll have to wait and see. It is promising that both sides are looking for the mediators help now instead of the week before opening kick.
No Vegas road trips for MLS games... yet
Don Garber sent a letter to the mayor of Las Vegas letting her know that due to the uncertainty surrounding the stadium situation there, MLS would not consider Vegas for a MLS expansion team until at least 2018. So, uh, we all assume that Garber will announced that Sacramento and someone else (Miami or Minnesota, likely) will be teams 23 and 24. Does this mean that MORE expansion is on the way? (GIVE US 100 MLS TEAMS!)
Clueless Klinsmann doesn't tell Trapp where to play
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that my opinion of Jurgen Klinsmann as the head coach of the USMNT is not the highest. However, I'm just going to quote the article and get on my biggest points across on clueless Klinsmann.
Trapp said he never had a "direct conversation" with Klinsmann about his positioning or where he was going to be playing.
Minnesota United re-sign the NASL's real MVP
I'm not a very astute viewer of the NASL; however, I like to think that I know some trustworthy people that follow America's second division. Many of them believe that the league gave the 2014 MVP award to Miguel Ibarra based on the fact that he was called up to the USMNT and not his performance on the field. While Ibarra racked up 8 goals and 5 assists, his teammate Christian Ramirez led the league with 20 goals and equaled Ibarra's assist total. Well, the Loons announced that Ramirez signed a contract extension with the club through the 2017 season. Minnesota finished atop the NASL last season, and they managed to keep Ramirez and Ibarra at the club for at least 2015..