Blue Links: Sporting KC, St. Louis MLS Expansion, NWSL

All the Sporting Kansas City and other soccer stories you may need.

Kansas City

• Peter Vermes drops by The Program and he discusses Alejandro Moreno trashing his management of the game in the second half, among other topics including his post game comments to Mike Petke and his thoughts on the away goals rule. One thing that stood out is Vermes gets an email from federations requesting players for the international window and he said all the federations respected his request to not take players except Scotland. I wonder who else could have gotten the call? Daniel Salloi, Krisztian Nemeth, Diego Rubio or Felipe Gutierrez perhaps? (810 WHB)

• Sporting KC have a fabulous Behind the Shield for both legs of the RSL series. I have chills. (SKC)

• Ike Opara keeps winning Twitter. (Ike’s Twitter)

• Matt Besler joins The Border Patrol and Seth Sinovic drops by Fox Sports 910 Phoenix to discuss the victory over Real Salt Lake. (Sporting KC)
• PRO dishes out their assignments for the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. Sporting KC get Sabiga in leg one and Geiger in the second leg. (PRO)
• If you haven’t seen it, it’s just 36 seconds. Join Sporting KC as they celebrate Daniel Salloi’s goal. (SKC YouTube)

• Jaylin Lindsey helped the United States U-20s dominate the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Championship and advance to play Costa Rica today at 6:30 CT. They are in a group with Costa Rica and Honduras and the top two teams will qualify for the U-20 World Cup. They play Honduras on Monday the 19th. If they win the group they’ll play the other group winner (Mexico, Panama or El Salvador) two days later for the title. (SKC)
• Jaylin Lindsey took a “driver’s test” with Nate Bukaty on Drive Time. (SKC YouTube)

• Sporting Kansas City are the 9th most valuable franchise according to Forbes at $270 million. Atlanta are number one at $330 million and the Colorado Rapids are dead last at $155 million. (Forbes)

Around the World

• The Taylor family plans to pay $250 million in cash for a 20,000 seat downtown stadium in St. Louis for a potential expansion team. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• The NWSL takes a step towards their future with the establishment of the NWSL Players Union being officially acknowledged by the league. (The Equalizer)
• MLS veteran Chris Tierney from the New England Revolution announces his retirement. (MLS)
• Maxi Urruti could be on the move from FC Dallas. (MLS)
• Former Swope Park Rangers coach Marc Dos Santos has big plans for the Vancouver Whitecaps. (MLS)
• David Villa wants to play one more season but apparently New York City FC doesn’t want him. (Sport)
• The NPSL announces the first ever Founders Cup for 11 teams. (NPSL)
• Damir Kreilach was fined for simulation in the leg one game against SKC. Again, start suspending players and maybe it’ll stop... or at least slow down. (MLS)