Photo: Courtesy of MLS

MLS

Before we get to the conference final second leg games, today is Waiver Draft Day. Little things like a league-wide list of players available in the draft and just when exactly the draft will take place today are not known.

Also to be announced today is the 2014 schedule. At what time? I have no idea. We’ll let you know when we learn anything.

So, after a two week wait from the first leg, it’ll be a Sporting Kansas City hosting Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup final.

After a scoreless first leg, Kansas City defeated Houston 2-1 on Saturday to advance. More on Kansas City’s chilly win from The Kansas City Star, The Daily Wiz, Soccer America, ProSoccerTalk, ESPN, SI, SBI, Goal.com, The Guardian, and The AP. On Sunday, RSL, already up 4-2 after a first leg home win, defeated Portland 1-0 at JELD-WEN Field to advance. More RSL’s win from The Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, RSL Soapbox, Soccer America, ProSoccerTalk, ESPN, SI, SBI, Goal.com, and The AP.  Now we can all settle back for two more weeks of meaningless quotes and speculation before the Dec. 7 final at Sporting Park.

On Friday, New England announced it had released nine players, including Charlie Davies, waived three players, and picked up the options on 11 players.

Columbus announced it had declined the options six players, including Jairo Arrieta, while picking up the options on 14.

Prost Amerika reports that MLS has sent a proposal to CONCACAF to change which teams from the league qualify for the confederation’s Champions League. Currently, the US Open Cup winner, Supporters Shield winner, MLS Cup winner, and the winner and loser of the MLS Cup final qualify. Under the new proposal, the loser of the MLS Cup final would be replaced by the team with the highest point total from the conference which did not claim the Supporters Shield. If CONCACAF executive committee accepts the proposal when it meets on Dec. 13, that would mean that Portland would qualify for the 2014-15 edition of the tournament.

Despite a report from Germany (crappy Google translation here) saying Bayern Munich will be the opponent in the 2014 All-Star Game in Portland, MLS insists that that no opponent has been confirmed.

Business Insider notes that according to the valuations of MLS and the NHL from Forbes, the Seattle Sounders are more valuable than eight of the 30 NHL teams.

At Fox Soccer, Leander Schaerlaeckens talks to NASL commissioner Bill Peterson about the league’s expansion plans.

Philadelphia Union

Nick Sakiewicz, who was head of the Tampa Bay Mutiny before it folded after he had moved on to the MetroStars, says Florida is ready for the return of MLS. He says of Orlando, “It’s not dissimilar to Philly.”

In Union Academy play on Saturday against PA Classics — the last games at YSC until March — the U-18s gave conceded in the last minute after being up 2-0 at the half to draw 2-2. The U-16s lost 2-0. The U-14s were also scheduled to play PA Classics but the Union Academy Twitter account did not post any info from that game.

The Brotherly Game has a Union Academy update and a review of Keon Daniel’s 2013 season.

Local

In NCAA Division III tournament action, Rutgers-Camden defeated Montclair State 2-1 on Sunday to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history. They will face Loras College on Dec. 6 in San Antonio. Also advancing is Messiah, who defeated Franklin & Marshall 4-1. Messiah will face Williams College in San Antonio after the Rutgers-Camden game.

Penn State defeated UC Santa Barbara 1-0 on Sunday to advance to the Round of 16 in the Division I tournament. Former Union Academy and PA Classics player Connor Maloney scored the gamewinner.

Lancaster’s Russell Canouse, a teammate of the Union’s Zach Pfeffer at Hoffenheim, is highlighted in this ASN review of the just finished US U-20 MNT camp in Italy.

US

Here’s the kind of story that makes one think, “Only in America.” The Austin, Texas based Pancho Villa’s Army, a Mexican national team supporters group, has filed suit against the American Outlaws and TenDot Corporate Travel. The suit alleges that the AOs pressured TenDot to terminate its contract with the PVA to provide travel packages to the 2014 World Cup.

Elsewhere

At Al Jazeera, Graham Parker explains how much of the estimated $600 million in revenue that was estimated to be at stake in Mexico’s World Cup qualification actually will end up in the US thanks to sales of Mexico jerseys (1.5 million are projected to be sold) and advertising revenue from broadcasts of Mexico games.

Sepp Blatter says that European countries like France and Germany exerted political pressure to help Qatar secure hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup so that companies in those countries could cash in on the construction boom.

Speaking of Qatar, Will Parchman tears apart a journalist who went on an all-expense paid junket to Qatar and then wrote a glowing report for ESPN on the country’s World Cup preparations. It’s entertaining stuff. ESPN has since yanked the story.