A few things...

Later today, I will have that 'fun Premier League post' that I promised was coming a few weeks back. Sean and I put it together with a couple of NSC pals. Took a little longer than expected, but it's ready now...

#1 - I've posted my Q&A with USMNT/IK Start defender Clarence Goodson, who I had somehow had never interviewed before last week.

I was going to flesh out a full feature story, but was unable to reach his coach (sprinting to vacation?) and decided to get out of the way by switching format to let the man they call Clay do his own talking.

And as for his own talking, Goodson also does that in a closing day post-game chat with the Start website crew.

UPDATE: By the way, plenty of folks have emailed me to ask why Edgar Castillo was not called up for the Slovakia game. Upon closer inspection, it seems that Tigres is not yet safe from relegation. The Mexican League has an odd system that drops one club per season, with results from the last two seasons being the determining factor.

If I recall correctly, Tigres finished next-to-last in the Clausura, so that makes sense. Mexican outlet Mediotiempo claims Castillo was called and opted to help his loan team fight for survival in the Apertura season's final game this weekend. Whether that's true or not, he still could be called for the Denmark match.

#2 - According to Deseret News all-star James Edwards, this was the Real Salt Lake reaction after reaching a second consecutive conference final:

Meh.

It seems they want more than that this time.

#3 - S365 co-hort Richard Snowden is back to talk about raised USMNT expectations. You know somebody is gonna get pissed off by what he says. Hey... it could be you!

#4 - Boston Herald ace Kyle McCarthy checks out all the long faces among New England Revs.

#5 - The Denver Post's Brian Forbes reports that the Colorado Rapids are still having trouble accepting that they missed the playoffs.

#6 - Don Ruiz of the Tacoma News Tribune lets on that the Seattle Sounders are already beginning next season, in both their minds and offices.

#7 - Speaking of getting business done for next term, NSC pal Buzz at 3rd Degree reports that FC Dallas have locked down impending free agent Dax McCarty.

And speaking of Buzz/FCD, we will kick off an NSC guest comment series on every MLS team that won't/doesn't win MLS Cup with him about them tomorrow.

#8 - The Tenneseean examines Nashville's chances to be a Midwestern World Cup host in 2018 or 2022.

#9 - Okay... this is important, really important, unlike all the other crap I blather on about daily.

Every few days, a new glamour side wants to snatch Ajax defense destroyer Luis Suárez in January. Today, he has told them all to forget it.

I have one message for the laundry list of Suárez suitors: piss off. We have something to win back first, and then you can clamor just fine in June.

Plus, the longer he stays and the more we win, the higher his price goes. What shall it eventually be? €35M? 40? No, no... title first, business drool later.

#10 - Sadly, it looks as though West Ham/England striker Dean Ashton will be forced to retire due to persistent ankle woes. Ya hate to see this kind of thing.

#11 - In light of Liverpool requiring a David Ngog dive just to draw Birmingham (what was I thinking picking the Reds to win the Prem?!?), The Telegraph's Rob Kelly brings video assistance for refs back into discussion.

#12 - Finally, since our regularly scheduled video time is being pushed back to Wednesday this week, I'm just gonna break 2 Good 2 Bad off of that and attach it here. Don't like to shove this past early Tuesday, generally.





- Greg Seltzer