Hi there. Hey, it’s Steve Birnbaum’s birthday today, so wish him a Happy 26th as players report for preseason.
Ready, set, go: D.C. United to open training camp with familiar look (Washington Post): Good Monday campers!
Sources say D.C. United will sign Sebastien Le Toux (us): So, there’s this.
Washington Spirit reportedly shopping Diana Matheson (us): Stop. Dismantling. The. Spirit.
How They Rank: The best MLS academies (Top Drawer Soccer): Kind of surprised D.C. United was so high if I’m honest. How high? Click to see!
Jaime Moreno joins McLean Youth Soccer (MYS): Just after celebrating his birthday, this interesting news.
Wake Forest Continues Its Pipeline To MLS (Old Gold & Black): This takes a look at the Demon Deacons that were drafted and the one about to don Black-and-Red.
Soccer fans, take note: You should check out newcomer Dock FC in Ivy City (WaPo): Why yes, yes you should.
Llorente brace and Sigurdsson winner enough to claim stunning victory at Anfield (Wales Online): In sorta partner club news, Fernando Llorente scored a pair that were reclaimed by Roberto Firmino, then Gylfi Sigurdsson scored as Swansea City beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time, 3-2. Even more important, combined with losses by Hull City, Crystal Palace and Sunderland, Swans are out of the bottom 3 this week.
Palermo 0-1 Inter: Well that was ugly (Serpents of Madonnina): Palermo had two reds, Inter had one goal from Joao Mario, and that’s all they needed. Winners of eight straight across all competitions, Inter find themselves 5th in Serie A, a point ahead of Atalanta and two ahead of AC Milan, and a point behind Lazio.
Finally, the trailer for Colossal hit over the weekend. An Anne Hathaway-starred film that’s a darling of the autumn film circuit, it’s about a woman who has a weird sort of bond with a Godzilla-like monster attacking Korea. It looks like something Spike Jonze or Charlie Kaufman would make (but didn’t) and I can’t wait for the larger release in the spring.