Some Soccer News for Dec 13, 2016

It's Day 348 of 2016.


2016 MLS Expansion Draft Picks:

Minnesota United
1 TRADED: Chris Duvall - Red Bulls - $63k
2 Collen Warner - Houston - $177k
3 Mohammed Saied - Columbus - $120k
4 Jeff Attinella - Salt Lake - $95k
5 Femi Hollinger-Janzen - New England - $52k

Atlanta United:
1 TRADED: Danny Toia - Montreal - $68k
2 Zach Loyd - Dallas - $222k
3 TRADED: Clint Irwin - Toronto - $107k
4 Mikey Ambrose - Orlando - $52k
5 Alec Kann - KC - $63k

Minn United immediately traded its Chris Duvall and $GAM to Montreal Impact for 28 year old Costa Rican Johan Venegas.

• If the Venegas who shows up for Minn is the one who tore apart the USMNT last month in World Cup qualifying then I will be very happy.

I want to see Attinella and Saied make the Minnesota roster. The other 3 selection are not that important to me. Maybe Hollinger.

Atlanta trades Toia to Orlando for #8 pick in 2017 Superdraft.

• Atl has also shipped Clint Irwin BACK to Toronto for defender Mark Bloom and $GAM.

dN

.@MLS Expansion Draft has ended. No United players were selected by United or United.#DCU

— D.C. United (@dcunited) December 13, 2016

dN

I am not a fan of expansion teams trading away defense for offense.

dN

Minnesota United new stadium updates - images and video. From the club.

• The ground breaking event that the team held on Monday was really great. Those things usually feel hokey to me, but I could tell that it meant a lot to many other people and from them the joy seeped into my cold and dead heart. I talked to a lot of fantastic people, and if time had permitted would have talked to many many more. It was interesting to see fans, team executives, league officials and civic leaders mingling so freely. Yes it was very cold outside, but the spirits were high, and in reflection I am very glad to have been there. Looking forward to the next event to keep the heartbeat pumping.

dN

Its official - Curt Onalfo is new head coach of LA Galaxy.

• Have you ever had old falafel?

dN

Fox, Univision and TSN all had record viewership of MLS Cup Final. Always good news.

dN

A message from Clint Dempsey for Portland. [VIDEO]

dN

Seamus O'Brien, New York Cosmos chairman breaks his silence on the Cosmos future. By Dave Martinez of the Guardian.

dN

IIIEEEEEE - Fabian Johnson has a strained Achilles tendon and will be out at least until the Bundesliga returns from winter break on Fri Jan 20.

dN

Norwegian-American forward from Heart Of Midlotian Bjorn Johnsen named Scottish Premier League Player Of The Month.

dN

Cristiano Ronaldo named FIFA Player Of The Year.

dN

Liga MX is starting a professional women's league in Mexico! By Eric Gomez of ESPN.

• "...eventually, every franchise in the men's pyramid must have a women's team as a requirement for first division play."

dN

Toronto, I'm sorry. Sorry we couldn't give you the perfect ending. The ending that every single one of you deserved. Sports can be cruel. Not for the faint of heart. And Saturday night was the perfect example. We left our hearts and souls on the field. For each other. For you. For the city. And just like that it was over. Dreams shattered. Tears shed. But its not finished. It doesn't end like this. I landed in Toronto on a cold night almost three years ago. Ready to give you everything. And believe me when I say I have. And then some. I've made mistakes. Plenty of them. But always with one thing in mind. To give you the team you deserve and nights you'd never forget. If there's one thing I've learned along the way it's that it wouldn't be Toronto if it came too easy. The pain and heartbreak of the last two days have made one thing very clear. I've never been more proud to call TFC my club and Toronto my home. Together our time will come. #AllForOne

A photo posted by Michael Bradley (@michaelbr4dley) on Dec 13, 2016 at 11:04am PST

The Bird Is The Word