Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning:
1. SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED
It looks as though the Garth Lagerwey to Seattle Sounders deal is done, with SI.com’s Grant Wahl reporting that Lagerwey has signed his contract and the Sounders will unveil him as their new GM today.
2. NYCFC ADD DEFENDER
New York City FC have signed a new defender, adding Ecuadorian center back Andres Mendoza to their growing roster. “He really ticks all the boxes that our coaching staff looks for in defenders” said head coach Jason Kreis of the 25-year-old.
3. ORLANDO CITY DO THE SAME
Not to be outdone by their expansion rivals, Orlando City announced that they too have signed a new defender, with 28-year-old Brazilian center back Gustavo Silva Conceição joining the Lions ahead of their inaugural MLS season.
4. IMPACT COOL ON GILARDINO, RE-SIGN ROMERO
While reports from Italy insist that the Montreal Impact are nearing a deal for Alberto Gilardino, the Impact themselves deny that any such offer has been made. However, one player who will definitely be with the team next season is Andres Romero, after the Canadian side agreed a deal for the permanent transfer of their 2014 MVP.
5. MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT FOR SKC
Sporting Kansas City are gearing up for what they’re calling a “major player announcement” today. Could this be the return of Roger Espinoza? Watch it live here at noon ET.
6. HIGUAIN’S NEW DEAL
Having been voted the team’s MVP for the last two seasons, Columbus Crew SC have re-signed Federico Higuain to a Designated Player contract. The Argentine forward himself seems delighted with the news and, with 27 goals and 23 assists for Crew SC so far, head coach Gregg Berhalter labelled retaining the 30-year-old a top priority.
7. MACMATH ON THE MOVE?
Despite a recent report about a potential move by Rais Mbolhi, it looks as though Zac MacMath could be the Philadelphia Union goalkeeper set to leave, with the WashingtonPost’s Steven Goff indicating that the 23-year-old ‘keeper might be on his way to the Colorado Rapids.
8. RIDGEWELL READY TO GO
Liam Ridgewell could be set to cut short his offseason, with a report from the Oregonian suggesting that the Portland Timbers’ Designated Player is set to go on a short-term loan to English Championship side Wigan Athletic, returning to Portland just in time for their annual preseason tournament.
9. PHILLIPS DEAL STILL PROGRESSING
It’s been a while since we heard anything about potential Real Salt Lake signing Demar Philips, but a new report from Jamaica suggests that a deal for the 30-year-old Jamaican is still coming along nicely.
10. BESLER’S BROTHER SIGNS WITH MLS
With the SuperDraft only nine days away, MLS has signed a further eight college seniors, including Notre Dame captain Nick Besler, younger brother of US international and Sporting Kansas City Designated Player Matt Besler.
11. PLAYING TIME FOR EVERYONE
Now that the USA’s roster has been finalized for the CONCACAF Under-20 qualifying campaign, head coach Tab Ramos is a happy man and, having managed to secure almost every player he wanted for the tournament, Ramos intends to give all of them playing time in Jamaica.
12. FROM THE PITCH TO THE BOARDROOM
Darren Eales is the man tasked with leading Atlanta into MLS in two years time, but while Eales has had quite a prominent career in the soccer boardroom, he once was a player chasing the soccer dream.
13. MAYBE ONE DAY
When Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent suggested that the Real Madrid star and current FIFA World Player of the Year could move to MLS one day, many laughed off the idea as nonsense. Yet would such a move at some point in the future really be that far-fetched?
14. HERNANDEZ ON THE MARKET
Mexico's 26-year-old star striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez has struggled for playing time while on loan with Real Madrid this season and the latest reports from England suggest that the forward isn’t in Manchester United’s future plans either, with the EPL club looking to sell Hernandez in the summer.
15. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED PLAYOFFS?
Would the English Premier League benefit if it introduced MLS-style playoffs to decide its champion? One ESPN columnist makes the case.
MLSsoccer.com Musts
ExtraTime Radio: Arsenal scout on how Zelalem landed in London
Check out the full schedule for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championships
American Exports: Borussia Dortmund winger Joe Gyau expected to return to training in February
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