At times, there is just so much soccer we can’t keep up! Check out the Digital Crawl archives if you missed any stories. If you like a quick news round up, we do it on every episode of the For the Glory KC podcast.

Andre Luiz to SKC Updates

With the news of Mo Salah not coming to Sporting Kansas City earlier today, fans are in need of good news. Another deal seems destined to get done. A couple days ago, Sport24 reported the deal is for $18.9 million plus an additional $4 million in potential add-ons. They also indicated if Sporting KC were to sell Luiz, there is a variable sell on percentage based on how much the outgoing fee is.

His salary is rumored to be $1.5 million, and he’ll be signing a five-year contract.

The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio and Tom Bogert say the deal isn’t done, but it’s close. And they are reporting similar numbers. Today in the KC Star, Daniel Sperry also confirmed the deal “is not finalized yet.”

But more signs point to things moving in the right direction. A Greek nail salon, Princess Nails by Voula, wished Luiz good luck and referred to him as “Mr. 22 Million” in an Instagram reel.

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Apple TV commentator and just general MLS personality, Taylor Twellman, has known to be connected to Sporting KC ownership. He advised the Luiz transfer fee climbed so high because of “another club in Europe” bidding against them. That club is believed to be Wolves. Not to mention, we broke down Benfica offering a €15 million package back in January, so the fee is pretty comparable to that.

And finally, last night, Peter Mallouk responded to Twitter user @meawmeawgE that “Sporting is hurting my heart.” Apparently, “not for long!”

Sporting KC have the week off since they aren’t in the Leagues Cup. It feels like something will be announced before they play again. As for when any signing could take the field, if it’s someone like Luiz, it will depend on his P-1 visa status.

The team has one open international roster spot right now to allow this signing.

Pochettino Re-Signs with USMNT

After becoming the winningest head coach of the United States Men’s National Team in the history of the World Cup, US Soccer has brought back Mauricio Pochettino for a second try. The federation announced he signed a new four-year contract through the 2030 World Cup.

Time will tell if that’s the right decision, as no second term US men’s coach has ever had success at a subsequent FIFAWC and only one even made it to the next World Cup (Bruce Arena, who got grouped). Picking up all those World Cup wins could be a product of a larger 48-team format and potentially easier opponents. Or it could be Poch is on to something.

Having an entire cycle to cement his culture could be big.

US Soccer confirmed billionaire donors made Pochettino returning possible.

“This appointment and broader investment in the U.S. Men’s National Team program is being supported in significant part by a philanthropic leadership gift from Kenneth C. Griffin, Founder and CEO of Citadel and Founder of Griffin Catalyst. Additional support has been provided by Scott Goodwin, Adam Freede, and several commercial partners.”

His first test on the field will come with four friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada starting in late September. The second one is across the state in St. Louis at Energizer Park against Chile. It will probably feel like a road game a few days later when the USMNT takes on Mexico in Glendale, Arizona at the Arizona Cardinals stadium. Poch has never beat Mexico. That feels like a good time to start.

New MLS Commissioner

In 1999, Don Garber was named commissioner of Major League Soccer. He joined at a tumultuous time and led MLS through its near collapse to the vastly improved conditions it lives in today. From a time when two men, Lamar Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) and Phillip Anschutz (a Kansas native), owned all but one team, to the present day with soccer specific stadiums, world class training facilities, global stars and 30 teams, Garber has seen a lot.

Come 2027, he’ll step aside into a supporting role for new MLS Commissioner Larry Berg. Berg is a co-owner of LAFC, which he will divest from to take his new role. In an interview with Paul Tenorio, he said he got straight to work, even skipping out on a dinner with the 30 league owners.

And there is a lot to do. MLS is flipping its calendar come next summer. That will bring an elimination of conferences and the onset of divisions and a new playoff format. There are rumors that the complex salary rules of MLS may be scuttled for something more streamlined. Not to mention a TV deal that only has a few years left and a pending CBA expiration with the MLSPA at the end of 2028 (which is now the middle of a season).

It’s a lot for the 60-year-old soccer lover who made his money in private equity.

And he even has a little Sporting KC-adjacent connection.

“A lifelong soccer fan who grew up in Cherry Hill, N.J., and once lost to U.S. World Cup veteran Peter Vermes in the high school state soccer playoffs, Berg says he has missed just one U.S. men’s national team match either in person or on television in the last 40 years.”

Infantino, Corruption and the World Cup

By now, you surely heard about FIFA President, Gianni Infantino’s plans to sell off a portion of the World Cup to investors. Well, that plan has been scrapped. Literally hours after doubling down on it. Pressure from UEFA, Concacaf and AFC seemed to be the tipping point, even as Conmebol, CAF and Oceania seemingly stood behind him.

But the fallout continues. Calls are rising for Infantino to step down, or at the very least, to run a serious competitor against him in the 2027 FIFA Presidential elections. A new report from The Times of London has Infantino offering the 2030 World Cup Final to Morocco for their support.

2027 NWSL Footprint

The 2027 NWSL schedule will start the earliest it ever has. February 11th will be opening weekend with February 6th being the Challenge Cup, once again held at a neutral site. If one team wins the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship, the Challenge Cup will be an NWSL Final rematch.

Why the early start? Primarily the 2027 Women’s World Cup along with the recent expansion of the league since the last WWC. There is a CBA mandated break from June 7th through the 13th and then a league wide pause for the World Cup.

Decision Day will be Halloween 2027 with the playoffs starting the following weekend and running through November 20th.

Quick Hits

• We caused a little kerfuffle with our podcast reposting Manu Garcia’s black and white photo of him walking away flashing a peace sign. Manu said not to worry though, he’s not going anywhere. It just means “keep calm and keep working.”

• World Cup host cities are still waiting for their meager $1 million FIFA payments. Kansas City paid out, from multiple sources, $86.8 million, to host the World Cup. Adding in grants for security, transportation and the sales tax they waived, and the total climbs to north of $155 million according to estimates. And that is before private money comes into the equation.
• Arthur Griffiths, the former owner of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, is trying to put together a group to save the Vancouver Whitecaps. I really hope this works out!
• The Kansas City Current opened a first of its kind studio at Current Landing. From the press release: “KC Current Studios includes a photo studio, podcast recording studio, video/broadcast studio, and a production control room, allowing it to be the hub of content created from KC Current, CPKC Stadium and Current Landing.”
• Have you heard of Futi? If not, definitely go download their app. They are making all the statistic around soccer easier to digest. They also put out a really fun game, Centurions, where you try to build a 100-point team against MLS or the Premier League. I tried a few times and got to 87. Come post in my thread when you beat me.

• Speaking of beating me at things, I avoided the shame of talking about our World Cup Bracket Challenge for long enough. I finished 12th of 38, so it could have been worse. My wife’s friend got dead last and my sister-in-law was 37th. My wife clocked in at 27th and my daughter at 23rd (one ahead of KCSJ’s Ben Gartland). Congrats to Kevin Shook who won the whole thing and Xander, who was the highest finishing member of the site (3rd). I did win the seven person ESPN bracket, so that’s something I suppose.