Blue Links: Johnny Russell, Children’s Mercy Park, and Landon Donovan

Hello and happy Thursday. Here’s your news for the day.

Around the Club

• (Derby Telegraph) Johnny Russell defends MLS standard following move from Derby County to Sporting Kansas City.
• (Sporting KC) Sporting KC is hosting a watch party at No Other Pub for the match against Colorado on Saturday. Word is they might even have soccer on.
• (USL) Kharlton Belmar, off of two goals and two assists in the Swope Park Rangers opener, made USL team of the week and was named USL player of the week.
• (Just Not Sports) Graham Zusi appeared on the podcast Just Not Sports to talk about a variety of things, including his love for his hammock.
• (ESPN) Kansas City is the hardest place to play in MLS, based off an MLS players poll.
• (The Blue Testament) Our latest podcast is up. The crew discusses Sporting KC’s attacking rise but the worrisome state of the defense in this episode.
• (Teamworks) Sporting KC has become the first MLS team to adopt the athletic communication and collaboration software Teamworks. Whether this makes the dream work remains to be seen.

Around the League

• (ProSoccerUSA) The soccer news and analysis site is adding in-depth NWSL coverage. We would have that too IF OUR TEAM DIDN’T GET TAKEN AWAY. SOME SOCCER CAPITAL WE ARE.
• (Steven Goff) Looks like the 2018 MLS All-Star Game will be held in Atlanta.
• (ESPN) Why some MLS clubs aren’t replicating New York Red Bulls’ USL reserve model
• (Los Angeles Times) Landon Donovan found a new love for soccer in Mexico
• (Washington Post) He (Andrija Novakovich) has a Serbian accent, scores goals in the Netherlands and may help rebuild U.S. men’s soccer
• (ProSoccerUSA) How MLS compares to other leagues in playing domestic talent
• (Burgundy Wave) Does parity dilute the quality of play in MLS?