Seattle Sounders FC

EA Sports have announced that nine new stadiums will be featured in the upcoming FIFA 16 game, including the Seattle Sounders' CenturyLink Field and Marseille's newly revamped Stade Velodrome.

The new title will also welcome Norwich City, Watford and Bournemouth to the Premier League by including their home grounds in impressive detail.

However, the most interesting inclusion is that of English League Two side Portsmouth FC's Fratton Park, which was added to the game in honour of former FIFA Creative Director Simon Humber, who sadly died of cancer earlier this year.

Humber was a passionate Pompey fan, so as a tribute, FIFA 16 artists created a wreath of flowers beside one goal at the animated Fratton Park.

[EA Sports]

Three days after tearing up a referee's notebook during a U.S. Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey was suspended for three matches by MLS on Friday.

According to Don Ruiz of the News Tribune, MLS also fined the United States men's national team star an undisclosed amount.

ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle provided a statement from MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott on the matter:

As seen in this GIF, courtesy of NBC Sports Soccer's Andy Edwards, the 32-year-old star let his emotions get the best of him in the midst of a match that saw the Sounders get four players sent off:

The length of the suspension comes as somewhat of a surprise since there was discussion of the American captain potentially being suspended for up to three months, per Joe Prince-Wright of Pro Soccer Talk.

Also, according to Andy Glockner of the Cauldron, league rules suggest Dempsey should have been suspended for at least six contests:

Per ESPNFC.com's Alex Labidou, Dempsey got off easy considering the severity of his infraction:

Dempsey's conduct placed MLS in a difficult position since he is one of its biggest draws. While losing him for a significant amount of time would have adversely impacted MLS, the league also has a responsibility to enforce the rules.

While Dempsey's actions are rarely seen on the pitch, it can certainly be argued that MLS' decision to take it relatively easy on one of its star players will encourage misconduct in future games.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

The Seattle Sounders waived forward Kenny Cooper on Thursday, per the team's official website. However, the comments from general manager Garth Lagerwey signify that the league is benefiting more from the new CBA and has made little effort to gain transparency.

Cooper attracted interest from the Montreal Impact, according to the official MLS website, but Montreal has not completed a deal. The reasoning behind this could be down to the 30-year-old's hefty salary, per Duane Rollins of Canadian Soccer News:

The cap number seemingly influenced the Sounders' decision. Lagerwey told reporters "there has not been a market for [Cooper]," per Matt Pentz of The Seattle Times. 

Lagerwey also said that the lack of suitors was due to teams expecting an increase in cap space after the CBA negotiations last March. As a result, nobody wanted to take a risk in acquiring Cooper.

The former FC Dallas striker is a nine-year MLS veteran and is 30 years old. Under the new CBA regulations, he is eligible for free agency since he has at least eight years of experience in the league and is over 28. However, this is not the case according to what Lagerwey said to the press, via Pentz:

There is no free agency (now). My understanding is that there is some process that may resemble that at some point, but as part of the CBA, we’ve gotten no guidance as to what that process might look like. I honestly wish we could’ve kept him. But long term, we just couldn’t see a way forward with the numbers where he was and where our budget is.

MLS' lack of transparency is rearing its ugly head once again. Free agency hasn't been implemented and Cooper has to go through waivers in order to find another team. However, he most likely won't be picked up due to his high cap number.

What's worse is that there appears to be some new regulations. According to the MLS roster rules, if a player with a guaranteed contract is waived during the season, the team does not get cap relief.

However, Lagerwey says that the Sounders bought out Cooper, which indicates that his salary is off of Seattle's books. This isn't possible unless the league formulated new roster rules.

If MLS did create new regulations, it hasn't announced the changes. The league is 20 years old and just negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement in early March. There is no plausible reason to hide the rules.

This proves why the league won the negotiations in the first place. There is still no free agency according to Lagerwey, and MLS still has 2014 roster rules on its Press Box site. In this day and age, this should not be happening.

Peter Galindo covers MLS and U.S. soccer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @GalindoPW.

The Seattle Sounders have reportedly landed one of the top free agents in MLS. Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerwey will join the Sounders, per ESPN's Taylor Twellman (h/t MLSSoccer.com) for the 2015 season. If this comes to fruition, it will be a massive coup for Seattle.

Hearing at the start of the 2015 @MLS season, Garth Lagerwey will not be with @RealSaltLake....instead he will be with @SoundersFC.

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) December 16, 2014

The details of Lagerwey's deal with the Sounders, as well as his official title, are unknown at this point, per Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated. Straus claims that he'd replace Adrian Hanauer, who has been the club's sole GM since their inception.

In fact, it appears as if Hanauer wants Lagerwey because he's trying to find a new stadium for the Sounders, according to Twellman (h/t Jeremiah Oshan of Sounder at Heart).

Hanauer has done fantastic work in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is arguably the soccer hotbed of the United States. It also helps when the professional team never misses the playoffs and has won five major trophies.

However, Lagerwey has been equally, if not, more impressive as a general manager. Real Salt Lake has won an MLS Cup and the club is the only side from the U.S. to reach a CONCACAF Champions League final.

RSL is also a model of consistency with regard to playoff appearances. Salt Lake has qualified for the postseason in seven straight seasons. 

Considering how much turnover the club goes through every winter, it's an even bigger accomplishment for RSL to be competing with the Sounders and LA Galaxy. Salt Lake has lost Fabian Espindola, Jamison Olave and Will Johnson over the last couple of years, but Lagerwey's side has stayed competitive.

RSL collectively spent just over $4 million in guaranteed compensation for players, according to the September salaries from the MLS Players Union. Lagerwey's future team splashed over $11.5 million in the same category.

The Sounders' Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey skew the numbers, but Salt Lake doesn't have any big-name designated players. The highest-paid member of the squad is Alvaro Saborio at just over $453,000.

If Lagerwey signs with the Sounders, he'll have significantly greater resources available, but the pressure will be rapidly higher in Seattle, compared to Sandy, Utah.

However, Lagerwey is someone the Sounders desperately need. Hanauer did a great job in attracting quality players like Dempsey, and stalwart Osvaldo Alonso to DP contracts and acquiring veterans such as Chad Marshall, to help boost the team. On the other hand, Lagerwey would be a savvy spender in the market.

The Sounders will lose DeAndre Yedlin to Tottenham Hotspur, and the squad is smaller after the team declined options on eight players earlier this month. Lagerwey can come in, help the club find some diamonds in the rough and bring in homegrown talents to save cap space.

With all of the money that ownership spends, it's always tough to add depth when a minority of the squad occupies most of the cap. Lagerwey built a championship team with RSL who had some good options on the bench in most games, yet spent a fraction of Seattle's money.

Economy of spending is Lagerwey's best attribute. Even if he doesn't become a technical director or vice president, the RSL man is arguably the best general manager in MLS with a keen eye for talent.

This is exhibited by his acquisition of Saborio, someone Lagerwey scouted and signed while playing for FC Sion in Switzerland. The Costa Rican has scored 60 goals in 113 MLS regular-season matches since joining the club in 2010.

Lagerwey can execute similar deals with the same effect with the Sounders and make them an even bigger threat in MLS.

It has been three weeks since DeAndre Yedlin's first experience at the FIFA World Cup ended, but the entire process still hasn't sunk in with the burgeoning superstar of American soccer. 

“It’s definitely been a whirlwind. There’s not been a lot of time to sit down and pinch myself to make sure it’s real. It’s definitely been pretty wild, but it’s been fun. I’m having a great time with it," Yedlin told Bleacher Report. 

Yedlin, 21, catapulted himself onto the American sporting radar with three strong performances as a substitute against Portugal, Germany and Belgium.

In his first World Cup game, Yedlin started a move on the right wing that led to Clint Dempsey's 81st-minute goal. 

“Honestly, I just went out there and said, 'Relax and do your thing.' Jurgen [Klinsmann] definitely helped to calm me down a lot. If I make a mistake, I just try to recover on the ball as soon as possible, work hard, create and from that I felt really comfortable and relaxed.”

The Seattle Sounders right-back also made his defensive prowess known, especially on one play against Belgium when he sprinted back down the pitch to defend Eden Hazard. 

"[World-class players like Hazard] have their strengths, but they also have their weaknesses, and you just figure out how to exploit those weaknesses and that’s what I try to do. There are things you have to look at with those world-class players, but at the end of the day, they’re not superheroes. They’re still human.”

Since returning from Brazil, Yedlin has joined back up with the Sounders in their quest for the Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield and, eventually, a run in the MLS Cup playoffs. 

Thanks to his performances, and the ones turned in by his club teammate Dempsey, he has noticed more support from outside Seattle for his side. 

“I definitely see some tweets saying that I’m going to watch the Sounders game tonight because Clint and DeAndre are playing. Those are people that aren’t even Sounders fans. Those are people that happened to watch the World Cup, see us and become fans of us. I’m glad anything we did at the World Cup is helping grow soccer in America and helping get more people on the Sounders bandwagon and the MLS bandwagon.”

One thing about Seattle that stands out from the rest of the cities that contain MLS franchises is the club's attendance. The Sounders broke a league record in 2013 for an average crowd of 44,038 at CenturyLink Field, per Mike Prindiville of Pro Soccer Talk. 

At the club's friendly on Saturday against the English Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur, 55,349 people were in attendance to see the sides play to an exciting 3-3 draw. With a team like the Spurs coming to the Pacific Northwest, Yedlin believes it is a win-win situation for everyone involved. 

“As a player, you love to play in front of a big crowd. Obviously, it helps build [Tottenham's] brand. They’re a team that a lot of people know, but anytime you can get out and play in front of a group that you really never played against, it’s huge. It helps build their brand, it helps build our brand, it helps build the brand of MLS and the Premier League. I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Another game that will further build the MLS brand this summer occurs on Aug. 6, when Yedlin and the MLS All-Stars will take on Bayern Munich at Portland's Providence Park.

With Bayern Munich comes a heavy amount of German players who took on Yedlin and the United States in the final game of Group G play before going on to win the World Cup. 

“We obviously learned a lot because we played against those players before. You know a little bit about how they’re going to play. The playing style is a little bit different, but in terms of individually, we know a lot about the players now. We’re just going to play them like any other team, and that’s what I’m expecting.”

As for how he, Dempsey, Obafemi Martins and the other Sounders will be received in the stadium of their biggest rival, that remains to be seen. 

“I’m interested to see what the reaction will be like for me, Clint and Oba, but whatever it is, I’m just gonna go out there and play and do my best.”

There is no doubt that Portland rivals Seattle in its passion for the beautiful game, but the Timbers do not put up the same attendance numbers as their foes because of the limited number of seats in their stadium.

“The thing about Portland is, if they had a stadium like ours, they would probably fill it up, too. I hate to say it because I don’t like Portland, but they have a very passionate fan group. Seattle’s the best [fan group in MLS], but I’ll give them No. 2.

“They have a great fan group, and it’s a place you don’t like to go to play because you always get heckled by the fans. They give the team so much momentum, confidence and support.”

On top of all that going on, Yedlin and his Sounders teammates are drawing more attention because of Dempsey's appearance on the cover of FIFA 15.

“Clint is a great representative for the cover. He’s such a good guy, and he’s the face of U.S. Soccer. Everybody knows him; everybody knows his face. I’m super excited for him.

“[The game] not only helps the growth of American soccer, but it helps people learn about it. If you understand the game, you’re more interested in it.”

With the flurry after Brazil showing no signs of dying down, Yedlin may not get to pinch himself for a while, but when he does, he can certainly hold his head high knowing what the United States' showing at the World Cup did for the following of the game back home. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

The Seattle Sounders released a statement on July 6 regarding the future of their star right back DeAndre Yedlin.

In case you missed it, the 20-year-old was relentless during his three appearances during the World Cup in Brazil. He showcased his speed and dribbling talents against three of the top teams in the world, including 58 minutes in Team USA’s round-of-16 loss to Belgium.

Yedlin looks to have a bright future ahead of him after US coach Jurgen Klinnsman was questioned for giving the right back a roster spot. Now that the world knows about him, Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer released this statement on the club's website.

DeAndre has had a very good season in Seattle and obviously had a fantastic World Cup. This has drawn lots of interest for him from leagues around the world. For now, DeAndre is in Seattle and we need him to help us win our upcoming games against Portland. If something transpires with a foreign team, we will announce it.

Major League Soccer is on the rise but still nowhere near the talent of the Italian Serie A or the Premier League in England. ProSoccerTalk’s Kirsten Schlewitz reported on July 5 that Yedlin could have a preseason trial with Liverpool, while a report on July 6 indicated that a deal had been made to ship him to AS Roma.

A move to nearly any European league would be a step in the right direction for the Seattle native.

Playing in Seattle is not an issue for Yedlin, starting 11 of the team’s 17 games on the way to a 7.11 rating. However, as said before, soccer in the United States is not up to par with Europe. That is where he should be playing while gearing up for the 2018 World Cup.

Joe Prince-Wright of ProSoccerTalk offered a valid argument on July 7 regarding the US’s top talent playing in Europe.

Who knows. You only have to look at other U.S. international moving abroad, such as Brek Shea, Maurice Edu, Tim Ream and countless others, to see that joining a European club isn’t always the best option. That said, if Roma or Liverpool do come calling, it would be hard for Seattle to stand in Yedlin’s way.

It is a very good point, but if the opportunity is there then Yedlin should pounce on it. If this move to Rome is true, he will get a continued opportunity to play against some of the top talent in the world. It is something he proved he was capable of doing during his first World Cup.

Of course there will be bumps and bruises along the way but that is to be expected of a 20-year-old rising star. The good will far outweigh the bad.

Seattle’s GM claims Yedlin is not going anywhere in the near future. But when the time comes, both sides should be in agreement that the future of the young speedster is better suited in Europe.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

There were few raised eyebrows when Clint Dempsey decided to return to England for a loan spell with Fulham during the MLS off-season.

The US international had failed to make a significant impact for the Seattle Sounders since making a sensational $9 million switch from Tottenham Hotspur in August 2013, and with the World Cup looming, he had to do something to regain his form and show that he still has what it takes to lead the line for his country.

With just one goal in nine appearances for the Sounders, Dempsey didn’t make the impact many expected he would after impressing in England’s top flight since his move from the New England Revolution in January 2007.

Whether he was lacking match fitness, whether his head wasn’t right or whether he struggled to adapt to greater attention from opponents anxious to prove themselves against the national team’s captain, Dempsey did not look like a player worth the significant investment made in him.

But since returning from a seven-game loan spell back at Craven Cottage, in which he failed to score, Dempsey has been on fire.

The 31-year-old leads the MLS scoring charts with an impressive eight goals in seven games as Seattle top the Western Conference by two points from Real Salt Lake after nine games.

Dempsey has been instrumental in the team’s rise to the top, his partnership with fellow Designated Player Obafemi Martins proving too hot to handle for opposing defences in the early part of the campaign.

The Texan has scored goals throughout his career, but not with the prolific abandon he has done in recent weeks. He hasn’t scored too many spectacular efforts either, or shown an ability to take on opponents with mazy dribbles, blistering pace or unexpected tricks or flicks.

But with over 100 caps for the USA, and 36 goals, Dempsey has been putting his vast experience to good use, relying as much on his positional sense and instinct as he is on his composure and calm in front of goal.

Dempsey, who spent most of his childhood living in a trailer park and attributes much of his motivation to the devastating death of his then 16-year-old sister Jennifer to a brain aneurysm in 1995, has also tallied three assists to his eight goals, while Martins’ four goals and four assists illustrate the threat posed by two of the MLS’s big hitters.

Ives Galarcep of Goal.com sums up Dempsey’s early impact succinctly when he says: "Clint Dempsey has buried concerns about his European success translating to MLS dominance as he has found a rich vein of form and has helped Seattle to an outstanding start to the season."

Wearing his favoured No. 2 shirt, which he also wore at Furman University and Tottenham, Dempsey has been a revelation for the Sounders and his form is also something which has delighted national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

Speaking to MLSsoccer.com towards the end of April, Klinsmann admitted: "[I'm] very happy that Clint has picked up the rhythm and found his confidence and is part of almost every goal that Seattle scores. That’s really a good sign, it’s great for us going into the final weeks before we hit the preparation for the World Cup knowing that he’s building his confidence more and more and more.

"And it’s due to his hard work that he put in for January, February, being at Fulham. It was not a successful time, but he built a foundation for the months afterward so he seems to now be at the right time, at the right spot."

Dempsey has been the most fouled player in the MLS since his arrival last August, and with that kind of attention comes understandable frustration from time to time. And that frustration led to a two-game suspension for striking Toronto FC’s Mark Bloom in Round Two, which ruled him out of games against the Montreal Impact and the Columbus Crew.

As such, his season didn’t really get going until April 5, when he hit a stunning hat-trick in a sensational 4-4 draw at Pacific North-West rivals Portland Timbers.

That performance began a remarkable run which saw Dempsey net twice in a 3-2 win at FC Dallas, contribute two assists in a 2-1 win at Chivas USA and another brace in a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids.

Speaking about the run, Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid told Q13 Fox Sports: "I think it’s the best one I’ve seen, for sure. In terms of a stretch of games right now and being dominant and imposing his will on the game, I haven’t seen anyone doing what Clint has done this last few games."

For his part, Dempsey has felt good about the form which has seen him become a mainstay in the MLS’s Team of the Week and earned him a couple of Player of the Week gongs. Speaking to the club’s official website Soundersfc.com, Dempsey revealed: "You always feel good when you’re contributing, scoring goals or getting assists. I’m in a good rhythm at the moment and it’s about continuing that form."

The dust has settled. Clint Dempsey is plying his trade for the Seattle Sounders.

Unfortunately, his two games in the Emerald City have not given a fair sample as to how head coach Sigi Schmid might deploy him when Seattle have a full side.

In Dempsey’s first match, the team’s other Designated Player Obafemi Martins was forced out of action early due to injury. In Deuce’s second match, a 3-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo, both Martins and strike partner Eddie Johnson were missing because of Martins’ fitness and EJ’s disciplinary suspension.

A lack of a fully loaded Sounders side has seen Dempsey float about the field at his will, picking and choosing the times he wishes to drop deep and create from midfield.

Even though Seattle have not had a full complement of players, Schmid should continue to allow Dempsey to play with this type of freedom of movement.

Sure, Dempsey can play as an outside winger. He has done it before at both the club level and for the USMNT in the past. He is effective at it, too, crossing with precision and lively enough to skip past defenders on the flank.

He is also able to play as a true striker, stationed firmly on the opposition’s last man with the single intention of harassing the center-backs and scoring goals.

Those positions are too limiting for a player of Dempsey’s status, though. The Sounders are paying him too much money, and he has too much talent to be bogged down by one singular role.

One has to imagine that a big factor in Dempsey’s decision to return to Major League Soccer was because he wanted to evolve his game a step further. Instead of being a smaller piece of a puzzle in the English Premier League, playing in MLS offered Dempsey the option to be the most talented player on his club.

With that comes the responsibility of shouldering the burden of both playmaking and scoring, two skills Dempsey possesses in spades. Playing with this sort of pressure will not only offer the Sounders more options in attack but it also helps Dempsey prepare for the World Cup in Brazil where he will certainly be counted on to both score and assist.

Once Dempsey's tactical role is firmly established, his performance in MLS can be fairly judged.